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Neil O'Brien MP

Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

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Gamebird Battery Cages

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I am pleased that my ministerial colleagues are committed to maintaining this country’s position as world leaders in farm animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals. As set out in the Government’s recently published Action Plan for Animal Welfare, Ministers are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward and I am pleased that they are now examining the evidence around the use of cages in farming, including their use for breeding and rearing of gamebirds.

As you may know, the welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes offers additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds as required by the 2006 Act. Specifically, the code recommends that barren raised cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used and that any system should be appropriately enriched. Keepers are required by law to be familiar with this code, which encourages the adoption of high standards of husbandry. Failure to observe the provisions of this code may be used in support of a prosecution.

These rules are enforced by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, as well as by local authorities, who can both carry out routine welfare inspections and investigate complaints. Prosecutions can be brought where necessary. I would like to assure you that appropriate action is taken against anyone who breaks the law.

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  • ASRU Change Programme
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  • Animal Exports
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  • Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill
  • Animal Welfare Commitments
  • Animal Welfare
  • Arms Exports
  • Asylum accommodation conditions (Napier and Penally Barracks)
  • Australia Trade and ISDS
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  • Beer Duty
  • Bomb Disposal and Whales
  • CEE Bill
  • COP26: Global Ambition
  • Caged Farm Animals
  • Calories in Restaurants
  • Cash Availability and Acceptance
  • Cats in Kept Animals Bill
  • Channel 4
  • Child Poverty
  • Cladding, Leaseholders & The Fire Safety Bill
  • Conversion Therapy
  • Coronavirus: Provision of Tests
  • Coronavirus: Test and Trace
  • Crime Not Compliment campaign
  • Dangerous Dogs Act
  • Dementia Diagnosis and Research
  • Diabetes
  • Driven Grouse Shooting
  • Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act
  • Elections Act
  • Elephants and Ivory Sales
  • Endometriosis and PCOS
  • Energy Prices and Net Zero
  • Environment Bill: Ancient Woodland Standard
  • Flexible Working
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  • Fox Hunting
  • Fuel Duty and Prices
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  • Funding of Fire Services
  • Gambling Regulation
  • Gamebird Battery Cages
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  • Health and Care Act: Workforce
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  • Kept Animals Bill
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  • Meadows
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  • Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
  • Myanmar: Military Coup
  • Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
  • Neonicotinoids
  • New Plan for Immigration and Nationality and Borders Bill
  • Ocean Protection
  • Oil Drilling & Cambo Oil Field
  • Operose and Centene
  • Overseas Operations Bill
  • PCSC Bill Part 3 (Protests)
  • PPE Contracts Judicial Reviews
  • Peat
  • Persecution of Christian Women
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
  • Primates as Pets
  • Proportional Property Tax Proposal
  • Protection of Hedgerows
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  • Radiotherapy
  • SEND Funding
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  • Settled Status
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  • Uplands
  • VAT on Electric Vehicle Charging in Public Places
  • VAWG Worldwide
  • Vagrancy Act 1824
  • Visa-Free Work Permits for Creative Professionals
  • Waste and Recycling

Neil O'Brien MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

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