Animal Welfare
7th September 2017
Anne Main has expressed her delight at the government’s confirmation that it will ‘take early steps [after Brexit] to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter.’
The St Albans MP asked the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), ‘whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the transport of live cattle overseas when the UK leaves the EU’.
The DEFRA minister, George Eustice, confirmed, ‘Once we leave the European Union, and in line with our manifesto commitment, we can take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter. We are currently considering options.’
‘I am delighted that government has reconfirmed its commitment to take steps on this issue,’ said Mrs Main. ‘It was simply not right that we could not take effective action under EU legislation on the grounds of freedom of movement within the EU.
‘For years I have been a passionate advocate of animal welfare, and have supported measures to improve standards. Sadly we could not always protect animals in a more humane way because of EU rules.’
In January 2017 minister Eustice explained that the government saw no impediment to stop the UK banning live exports after Britain left the EU.
Anne explained that, ‘animal welfare and the environment are two of the most popular topics that constituents contact me about. Only recently I had residents writing to me asking the government to take action on this matter.’
Anne co-sponsored a Bill in March 2015 that would improve regulations on the export of British horses and ponies, and require the government to publish a report on the effectiveness of the regulation.
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Watch: Anne Main, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh, talks about the Rohingya crisis and urges support for @DECappeal pic.twitter.com/FFL0lq8O0A
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