Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-04-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the minimum welfare requirements for ducks raised in captivity.

George Eustice

The welfare of ducks is provided for in the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. We have no plans to review these requirements. Defra also has a statutory duck welfare code, which encourages high standards of husbandry.

Defra, the RSPCA, academics and the duck industry have done a good deal of work over the last few years looking at how water could be provided to ducks in a commercial setting. Defra contributed to the RSPCA’s ‘Higher Duck Welfare Programme’ and the standards in the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods scheme and the industry’s own Duck Assurance Scheme reflect the latest research. As a result of this collaborative approach, duck welfare standards have been raised.