Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide financial support to the Gough Island Restoration project to help save critically endangered and endangered birds there by eradicating mice from the island.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Gough Island is a UNESCO natural World Heritage site and the UK Government continues to support RSPB’s efforts to eradicate invasive non-native mice from Gough Island to save critically endangered seabirds from extinction. The RSPB is proceeding with preparations for the final eradication stage taking place later this year. The UK Government has provided over £2 million in funding to support this project and will give further consideration to providing additional funding for the next financial year.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2020 to Question 109225, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import and sale of foie gras made by force-feeding after the transition period.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to the import or sale of foie gras.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of scientific evidence of (a) physical and (b) psychological pain experienced by animals in the production of foie gras made by force-feeding; and if he will publish his Department's assessment.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The production of foie gras by force feeding is banned in the UK as it is incompatible with our domestic legislation (Animal Welfare Act 2006), which makes it a criminal offence to allow an animal to suffer unnecessarily.
The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras using forcing feeding raises serious welfare concerns.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers he has to ban the importation and sale in of foie gras made by force-feeding in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare, and we have made clear that the production of foie gras using forcing feeding raises serious welfare concerns.
However, until the end of the Transition Period, we are required to observe the relevant EU law which places restrictions on the introduction of measures that impair the movement of goods, such as foie gras.
Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to the import or sale of foie gras.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2020 to Question 97481 on Animals: Exports, if he will make it his policy to ban all exports of live animals for slaughter.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Farm Animal Welfare Committee has reported to us on animal welfare issues concerning live exports and noted that animals should only be transported if absolutely necessary. We are carefully considering the report and recommendations in terms of what they mean for ending excessively long journeys. We intend to launch a consultation on how we deliver on our manifesto commitment later this year.