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 is taking to support the development of commercially viable alternatives to the use of high-concentration Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas to stun pigs before slaughter.

We accept that there is a pressing need to address the welfare concerns associated with high concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs. Legislation sets out existing alternative permitted methods for the slaughter of pigs. In addition, the Animal Welfare Committee provided an up to date and comprehensive animal welfare assessment of the current evidence on high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs and the potential alternative stunning methods. This report was published in October 2025 and can be found here: Opinion on carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and alternative methods - GOV.UK