Written question asked by Kerry McCarthy (Labour) on Monday, 27 November 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 29 November 2017. It was answered by George Eustice (Conservative) on Friday, 1 December 2017 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Animals: Exports

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the laws governing the export of live animals for slaughter or fattening.

Answer: The Government is committed to improving the welfare of all animals. The Government has always been clear that it would prefer animals to be slaughtered close to the point of production. Leaving the EU gives us an opportunity to examine rules around animal transportation, including live exports, which are currently set by the EU. Our manifesto made it clear that we would take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter, once we leave the European Union. We are currently considering options.

Secondary information