North Thanet`s MP, Sir Roger Gale, has this week used the opportunity afforded by Business Questions in the Commons to call for a debate on animal welfare issues.
 
Addressing the Leader of the House, Sir George Young,  Roger Gale said:
 
“As an early riser himself the Leader of the House will have heard, on Farming Today, of a number of very current farm animal topics that are very pressing indeed.  As these constitute a Ministerial responsibility will the Leader of the House find Government time for a general debate so that these matters may be considered by the whole House and in the main chamber”?
 
Replying, Sir George said that he would himself consider the case for such a debate  and urged the MP to also approach the Back Bench Business Committee for some of the time allocated to them.
 
“Matters concerning to the manner in which the implementation of European regulations relating to the use of battery cages and sow stalls are being delayed by some countries are of particular importance. This means that British farmers that are compliant will find themselves disadvantaged if we continue to tolerate the importing of foods produced under circumstances that would no longer  be permitted in the UK” says Gale.
 
“Then there is the vexed issue of the transport of live animals which the last Labour government, having promised to bring the traffic to an end, failed to address during thirteen years in office.  They knew, as we had realised, that a ban is unlawful under the Treaty of Rome as it stands but the coalition now needs to get to grips with this issue and try to instigate a Europe-wide change not just in transport times but in the whole approach to the slaughtering and marketing of livestock.
 
A general animal welfare debate would also give the House the opportunity to raise a number of domestic animal welfare concerns that are on the Conservative Animal Welfare agenda and we shall continue to press the case for all of this to be given an airing”.

​

​

​