Every parliamentary written question tabled by Irene Campbell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–16 of 16 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the commercial viability of 'day-zero' systems where genetically edited breeding hens ensure only female layer chicks hatch, eliminating the need for male chick culling in the egg industry.
Awaiting answer.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the prevalence of tail docking on pigs.
The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to reduce the prevalence of pig tail docking by working with the industry and the veterinary profession. Defra is now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure cross-government coordination and policy alignment with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods, particularly in relation to regulatory frameworks and departmental responsibilities that rely on animal testing.
Defra is working together with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in relation to those priorities, targets and commitments in DSIT’s Strategy to Support the Development, Validation and Uptake of Alternative Methods whose implementation Defra is placed to support.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed consultation on banning trail hunting will allow submissions on family pets being killed by hunting hounds; and what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on this matter.
The Government will hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation. The department plans to introduce legislation to ban the activity of trail hunting when Parliamentary time allows. Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. The owner of any dog that is dangerously out of control may be put in prison for up to 14 years, banned from ever owning a dog and receive an unlimited fine.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that trail hunting is not used for the illegal hunting of wild mammals with dogs.
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with EU negotiators on the inclusion of UK animal welfare standards within the proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement.
We will agree a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, and helping to reduce the pressure on prices and increase choice in the shops.The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards.Details are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce mandatory method-of-production labelling for animal products.
On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous Government. The response is available here on GOV.UK. We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s animal welfare strategy.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to end the use of enriched cages for hens in England.
I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby, Ian Byrne, on 16 May 2025, PQ 50228.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dogs and (b) cats were imported under commercial rules under the Ballai Directive in each month of 2024; and from which country.
In 2024, a total of 32391 dogs and 6226 cats were imported commercially under the Balai directive. The attached two tables show all commercial imports of dogs and cats by country of origin and month of import. The EU data may include animals that have originated from a non-EU country but have travelled through an EU Border Control Post (BCP). The database records the EU BCP Country as the Country of Origin for these imports. The Rest of the World data does not include animals that have arrived through an EU BCP. This information is drawn from external systems not directly controlled by the department and is a true reflection of the information that APHA has access to.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dogs and (b) cats were imported non commercially under the PETS Directive in each month of 2024.
In 2024, a total of 335451 dogs and 32804 cats were imported non-commercially through the PETS Directive. The table below shows the number of dogs and cats imported each month in 2024: 2024CatsDogsTotal number of animalsJanuary32073035833565February18601575717617March23572687929236April27003021532915May20292153623565June30152613629151July26923314535837August38285062354451September20941542617520October31542916932323November23741854620920December34943766141155Total32804335451368255 The data provided is a summary of animals entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme via an approved route. It does not include pet animals that enter other parts of the UK (such as Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands) or pet animals that enter Great Britain from other parts of the UK. It does not include any animals that enter Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme from the Republic of Ireland as these movements do not need to follow an approved route. Data on the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by pet checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals and cannot be separated into EU and Rest of the World. This data can be subject to change due to when the carriers provide the data.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that there is representation of independent (a) environmental experts and (b) clinicians on the Food Strategy Advisory Board.
We are forming a partnership between government and stakeholders from across the food system as we develop the food strategy. This partnership includes academics, charities, key thinkers, civil society organisations and consumer groups as well as industry representatives. Health experts and civil society are represented in the membership of the Food Strategy Advisory Board announced in March, including Professor Chris Whitty as Chief Medical Officer for England at the Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Susan Jebb as Professor of Diet and Population Health at Oxford University, Anna Taylor of the Food Foundation and Ravi Gurumurthy of NESTA. We will conduct a series of of targeted stakeholder engagements that will include civil society organisations, environmental non-Government organisations, and citizen groups alongside the farming and the food industry
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that independent (a) environment experts, (b) health experts and (c) civil society groups are fully involved in the development of the National Food Strategy.
We are forming a partnership between government and stakeholders from across the food system as we develop the food strategy. This partnership includes academics, charities, key thinkers, civil society organisations and consumer groups as well as industry representatives. Health experts and civil society are represented in the membership of the Food Strategy Advisory Board announced in March, including Professor Chris Whitty as Chief Medical Officer for England at the Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Susan Jebb as Professor of Diet and Population Health at Oxford University, Anna Taylor of the Food Foundation and Ravi Gurumurthy of NESTA. We will conduct a series of of targeted stakeholder engagements that will include civil society organisations, environmental non-Government organisations, and citizen groups alongside the farming and the food industry
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to (a) phase out the use of cages for farmed animals and (b) introduce animal welfare labelling.
We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully. A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken between March and May 2024 by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that veterinary agreement concluded with the European Union reflects existing animal welfare protections.
This Government is committed to resetting relations between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). As part of this, the Government is seeking to negotiate a veterinary/ sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers on both sides. The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. That is exactly what the Government will do, and we will be outlining more detail in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will support the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill.
Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The report that they produce will support our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps. In accordance with parliamentary convention, the Government will set out its formal position on this Bill when it receives its Second Reading.
Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take legislative steps to help improve welfare standards for (a) layer hens and (b) broiler chickens.
All farm animals, are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation: the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of the animal; and The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 set down detailed requirements on how farmed livestock, including laying hens and meat chickens, should be kept. We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. Further details on our plans will be provided in due course.