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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum price for fleece that covers the cost of animal welfare requirements for sheep farmers.

British Wool is a public body, responsible for the collection, sale and marketing of wool from across the UK. Sales are conducted by auction throughout the year and reflect global market developments in price and availability. Payments to British Wool’s producer members are calculated at year end once the full value of that member’s clip is known.

Farmers have a duty to care for the animals they keep and sheep shearing in preparation for the summer is key to ensuring welfare and preventing suffering from, for example, heat stress. The Government is already supporting sheep farmers to improve the health and welfare of their flocks. Schemes currently offered by the service and available to sheep farmers include the ‘Get funding to improve animal health and welfare service’ launched in June 2024 as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, the Animal Health and Welfare Review and the Endemic Disease Follow-up. These schemes give eligible livestock keepers access to a series of funded vet visits which include bespoke advice and testing for key endemic diseases and conditions. Funding contributes to the cost of vet time, farmer time and testing. Eligible sheep farmers can claim £436 in the Review, and additional £639 in the Follow-up for a single flock.

Details about this funding can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/funding-to-improve-animal-health-and-welfare-guidance-for-farmers-and-vets. Animal health and welfare is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.