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Written question asked by Kenny MacAskill on Tuesday, 29 June 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 July 2021. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Wednesday, 7 July 2021 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, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government's legislative proposals on animal welfare on the number of animals that will continue to be exported from the UK.

Answer

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will ban exports of livestock and equines for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain. The numbers of live animals exported for slaughter and fattening have decreased in recent years, so that last year only around 6,300 sheep were exported for slaughter and around 38,000 sheep were exported for fattening from Great Britain to the EU[1]. This accounted for around 58% of exports of livestock and equines (excluding poultry) from Great Britain to the EU in the same year. The remaining 42% of livestock and equine exports were for purposes other than slaughter and fattening, such as breeding, which will continue to be permitted.

[1] Figures referenced are from the EU Trade and Control Expert System for year 2020

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
24347
Session
2021-22
Subjects
Animal welfare Animals Exports
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk