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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Civil Contingencies Act to enable livestock owners and farmers to support their livestock during emergencies such as water outages.

The Animal Welfare Codes, made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, recommend that keepers should have contingency plans for events such as the disruption of feed, power or water supply.

The Government expects water companies to provide a secure and resilient supply of water at all times. Disruptions to water supplies can have significant consequences for animal health and farm operations, underlining the importance of water companies maintaining robust resilience and contingency plans.