Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken on the roll out of the Animal Welfare Strategy for England.

The Animal Welfare Strategy sets out the priority issues we will address, focusing on the changes and improvements we aim to achieve by 2030. Policies will be delivered throughout this time.

The Government has already launched consultations on phasing out cages for laying hens and improving lamb welfare, which closed on 9 March. It is now considering the responses received. On 26 March, Defra also launched a consultation seeking views on how best to deliver an effective and enforceable ban on trail hunting in England and Wales and any potential social, community, economic, business or environmental impacts. Defra has also published the results of the previous government’s call for evidence on the fur trade as well as the Animal Welfare Committee’s opinion on the responsible sourcing of fur and published the Post-implementation review of the Welfare at Time of Killing Regulations. Other commitments in the strategy will be taken forward in a phased approach to keep up momentum on improving the lives of millions of animals.