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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to support abattoirs to ensure animals' journey times to slaughter are minimised; and whether he is taking steps to help improve transport conditions for animals when they undertake a journey.

In line with our aim to support the highest standards of animal welfare, the Government launched the Smaller Abattoir Fund on 13 December 2023 to provide £4 million in grant funding to support smaller abattoirs, with one of the fund’s aims being to help preserve a sustainable network of local smaller abattoirs, which will in turn help maintain reduced journey times to slaughter for livestock.

The Government is also banning export journeys to slaughter through the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill which is progressing through Parliament.

We have consulted on a number of improvements to welfare in transport, such as maximum journey times, space allowances and temperature ranges. We published the summary of responses and Government response to this consultation in August 2021. We have been engaging with a wide range of stakeholders across all sectors on the next steps.