Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make it his policy to ensure the UK maintains the requirements of Council Directive 1999/74/EC on battery hens.

Mr David Jones

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (written question 43718).

The EU-wide ban on keeping hens in ‘battery’ (conventional) cages in 2012 represented a significant welfare advance across the EU, was supported by the UK and has been implemented in full. The Government has a manifesto commitment to protect farm animal welfare and to push for high animal welfare standards to be incorporated into farming policy.