Animal Cages

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 3:02 pm on 15 December 2021.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 3:02, 15 December 2021

In June this year, the European Commission announced that they would phase out cage systems for a number of different farm animals, and that came about as a result of a European citizens initiative, End the Cage Age, which was supported by 1.4 million citizens, and 54,000 of them were from the UK. In Wales, many farmed animals are still confined to cages, including sows in farrowing crates, laying hens, game birds and rabbits. End the Cage Age say that over 16 million animals in the UK live in a cage system. The European Commission have committed to bringing forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and finally prohibit the use of cages for hens, mother pigs, calves, rabbits, ducks and geese, and other animals as well. They've committed to phasing out the use of cages for farmed animals by 2027. Minister, is this something that the Welsh Government might consider doing in order to improve the welfare of all farmed animals in Wales?