Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the (a) proportion of egg production that will be cage-free by 2025 and (b) cost to the poultry sector of a ban on the use of cages for laying hens.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The proportion of eggs that come from caged hens has steadily decreased from 47% of total throughput in Q4 2017, to around 25% at the end of Q4 2022. No recent estimate of the proportion of egg production that will be cage-free by 2025 or the costs to industry of any ban on their use has been made.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the level of risk to human health of antimicrobial-resistant superbugs originating from industrial farms.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Resistant bacteria and/or resistance genes can transfer between people and animals in both directions. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate conducts two surveillance schemes for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals, including regular monitoring of AMR in major food-producing species: pigs and poultry. The results of these surveillance schemes are published annually in the UK Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales and Surveillance Report, which can be found at the following link:
Since 2014, the United Kingdom has reduced sales of veterinary antibiotics by 55%, and over this same period the UK has seen an overall trend of decreasing AMR in bacteria from animals. The UK has a cross-Government contingency plan to mitigate the risk to public health of resistant bacteria found in animals, which can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Exeter (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the differences in environmental and animal welfare standards in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and the impact of these differences on British farmers, given the UK–Australia and UK–New Zealand free trade agreements.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has been clear that any access to UK markets agreed through trade agreements will be fair and reciprocal, taking into account sectoral sensitivities and differences in food production standards. For example, within the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement we secured the exclusion of pork, chicken and eggs from tariff liberalisation reflecting the importance of animal welfare to the UK and the level of trade between Australia and the UK on these products.
In both our negotiations with Australia and with New Zealand, we carefully considered the potential impacts on British farmers and secured a range of different measures to protect them. These measures include tariff rate quotas for several sensitive agricultural products, product specific safeguards and a general bilateral safeguard mechanism providing a temporary safety net for all products.
The Government has published full impact assessments for the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement’s, which include impacts on the agricultural sector.
We remain committed to upholding the UK’s high environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards through trade. The independent Trade & Agriculture Commission concluded that our agreements with Australia and New Zealand do not undermine the UK’s robust domestic protections. Neither agreement creates any new permissions or authorisations for imports from Australia or New Zealand. All products imported into the UK will, as they do now, have to comply with our import requirements.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of food labelling practices by supermarkets; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals requiring supermarkets to label the country of origin on food packaging.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Country of origin information is already required for all prepacked food where its omission would be misleading to consumers, and is required for fresh and frozen meat of beef, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry, as well as for uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil and wine. For processed food, where the origin of the primary ingredient is different to that of the food itself and the origin of the food is given, an indication that the origin of the primary ingredient is different or the specific origin must also be provided. In any case, where an origin or provenance is given or indicated including when provided voluntarily this must always be accurate. Shops and supermarkets will often label their British cheese, hams and bacon when they are made from British milk and meat, helping shoppers easily identify and buy great British produce.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
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 help protect the domestic poultry industry from unfair competition from other countries which have lower energy costs or lower production standards.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is proud of the high food safety and animal welfare standards that underpin our high-quality Great British produce. We put British farming at the heart of our trade policy and have no intention of undercutting our own reputation for quality by lowering our standards in pursuit of a trade deal.
In all trade agreements we negotiate, we will stand up for British farming and aim to secure new opportunities for the industry. We will always look to ensure that UK Free Trade Agreements are fair and reciprocal, and that any ‘opening up’ does not cause an unwanted downturn for domestic producers.
We are also working hard to support a thriving and profitable domestic industry. In December 2022 I hosted a roundtable for UK egg producers to discuss the challenges that the industry has been facing due to the increase in input costs. We have relaxed marketing rules on the sale of defrosted seasonal poultry products and allowed concessions to the sale of free-range eggs impacted by Avian Influenza housing restrictions. In addition, since November 2022, the poultry industry has been able to access the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). In January 2023 the Government announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) that will replace EBRS when it comes to an end on 31st March 2023. This new scheme will run until 31st March 2024. Following a review of the EBRS, the Government will target a higher level of support under the EBDS at the most energy and trade intensive sectors – which are primarily manufacturing businesses – in addition to the broader EBDS support. Poultry meat processing falls within the remit of the Government’s Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme and will therefore also qualify for the enhanced level of support.
We continue to keep the sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address issues with the egg supply chain.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK egg industry operates in an open market and the value of egg commodities, including the farm gate egg price, is established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.
Recognising the challenges that the agricultural industry, including the egg sector, is facing due to the rise of input costs as a result of the war in Ukraine, the Government has put in place a number of measures to support supply chains. These include cuts to VAT and fuel duty and support through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. We also recognise that both the poultry and egg sectors have been impacted by Avian Influenza. Defra announced changes to the Avian Influenza compensation scheme on 28 October and granted a concession to the rules for the labelling of free-range eggs from poultry that have been housed under Avian Influenza Prevention Zone with mandatory housing measures for longer than the 16-week period for which an automatic derogation applies.
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries hosted an egg industry roundtable on 6 December 2022. This involved representatives from across the UK egg supply chain. The roundtable focused on the various challenges that the sector is facing. The meeting was productive with a clear willingness from all parties to address issues affecting the supply chain.
Defra continues to work closely with the egg sector and to monitor the egg market through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG).
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to egg producers under Section 1 of the Agriculture Act 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK egg industry operates in an open market and the value of egg commodities, including the farm gate egg price, is established by those in the supply chain. While the Government may act in exceptional circumstances, we do not set retail food prices nor comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.
Defra does not believe it would be appropriate to intervene in the market by providing specific financial support to egg producers under Section 1 of the Agriculture Act 2020 at this time. Other agricultural sectors have experienced similar challenges related to rising input costs such as energy, feed and fuel. On energy costs, the government has already provided financial support to the agricultural industry via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. We have also seen supply chains themselves adjusting to address the challenge of rising input costs.
I hosted an egg industry roundtable on 6 December 2022. This involved the participation of representatives from across the UK egg supply chain. The roundtable focused on the various challenges that the sector is facing. The meeting was productive with a clear willingness from all parties to address issues affecting the supply chain.
We continue to keep the egg sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which was set up by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the UK market across all key agricultural commodities.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential shortage of birds for commercial hunting given the avian flu pandemic and restrictions on bird movement.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing its biggest ever outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) in poultry and captive birds. Defra’s approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.
During AI outbreaks the release of game birds in the UK is tightly restricted. Due to the global nature of AI, countries such as France which supply the UK with gamebird hatching eggs have also been affected by AI.
Biosecurity at our borders is also paramount in protecting our game farming and shooting sectors. The restrictions put in place on imports, limiting the number of gamebirds that can enter the country, ultimately exist to prevent further outbreaks in poultry farms and gamebird premises.
We recognise that any sustained interruption to normal supplies of gamebirds due to AI outbreaks is likely to impact those business that make available gamebirds for commercial hunting in the UK.
We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken. Any future decisions on disease control measures will be based upon the latest scientific, ornithological, and veterinary advice.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of risk of avian flu from the importation of game bird eggs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out routine surveillance of disease risks around the world to help the Government anticipate future threats to animal health. APHA continues to closely monitor the global situation of avian influenza as part of this work.
Gamebird hatching egg imports to Great Britain (GB) must come from a disease-free territory within an approved country and be accompanied by appropriate animal health certification.
Hatching egg imports from non-EU countries must also enter GB through a Border Control Post, where controls are carried out to ensure that import conditions mitigating the risk of avian influenza have been met, while hatching egg imports from the EU may be subject to checks at destination based on an assessment of the biosecurity and public health risks.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many game bird eggs have been imported into the UK by country in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Year and Country of Origin | Total number of Game Bird Eggs |
2018 | |
Czech Republic | 12,960 |
Denmark | 38,160 |
France | 21,520,679 |
Germany | 19,000 |
Ireland | 118,400 |
Poland | 1,211,480 |
Portugal | 15,000 |
Spain | 943,620 |
Canada | 1,585,600 |
USA | 322,960 |
2019 | |
Czech Republic | 360 |
Denmark | 1,400 |
France | 27,433,916 |
Germany | 1,200 |
Hungary | 427,680 |
Poland | 1,263,560 |
Portugal | 142,630 |
Spain | 825,720 |
USA | 283,380 |
2020 | |
France | 22,493,288 |
Germany | 4,000 |
Hungary | 99,000 |
Poland | 1,140,180 |
Portugal | 94,000 |
Spain | 757,620 |
The Netherlands | 42,000 |
USA | 260,840 |
2021 | |
USA | 16,800 |
Austria | 420 |
France | 21,967,898 |
Poland | 102,340 |
Spain | 1,257,400 |
2022 | |
USA | 19,200 |
Denmark | 22,000 |
France | 3,459,766 |
Germany | 1,400 |
Hungary | 78,840 |
Poland | 113,000 |
Spain | 204,080 |
This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFF systems not directly controlled by the department.