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Farm Animal Welfare

The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point. In the exercise that I am conducting with other Ministers and within DEFRA, I am trying to identify what is working well, and am then sharing that best practice to ensure that it is as effective as possible. I should inform my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South, that DEFRA's caterers have made their own decision, and buy only free-range eggs and UK-sourced meat. Again, no legislation compelled them to do that. I am talking about a private sector catering contractor that is making a judgment based on what it thinks the consumer wants. It believes that by doing what the consumer wants, it will sell more of its products, thus making its business more efficient. In conclusion, I agree with my hon. Friend on the importance of the welfare of animals in our care, and I agree that there is some way to go before we can really say that we have reached the desired standards. We must do things that reflect the public appetite for change as well as the need for value. We must ensure that our food and farming industry moves with us to deliver the change that we all want, and the change that allows us to work with our international trading partners for a secure, sustainable and fair food supply, now and in the future. I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate and would like to express my appreciation to all hon. Friends and hon. Members who have contributed. Sitting suspended.