Written question asked by Lord Spellar (Labour) on Friday, 30 October 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 November 2020. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Monday, 9 November 2020 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the welfare standards for the production of chicken in (a) Poland, (b) the Netherlands and (c) the UK.

Answer: As members of the European Union, Poland and the Netherlands will need to comply with the European regulations concerning animal welfare standards, including Council Directive 2007/43/EC which lays down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production. As we leave the EU, we are committed to maintaining our position as one of the world leaders in animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals.

Secondary information