London, 2nd April 2024
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) has welcomed a Consultation launched in Scotland on banning the use of cages to house laying hens for egg production.
The Consultation will seek views on phasing out the use of enriched cages and will run for 12 weeks until 25th June 2024. The Scottish announcement cites important polling from 2020 which shows 88% of the British public consider using cages in farming is cruel and 77% of those surveyed supported a complete ban on the use of cages in farming.
Over 1.1 million hens were housed in cages in Scotland as of February 2024.
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation has long called for cages for laying hens to be outlawed across the United Kingdom. It is a central recommendation within the CAWF Manifesto which you can read here, and has been the focus of several CAWF reports which you can read here.
In 2022 then-Secretary of State George Eustice MP pledged to launch a Call for Evidence to end cages for laying hens in England, since animal welfare is a devolved matter. However, more than two years later, Defra has not progressed this commitment.
You can view the Consultation here.
Lorraine Platt, Co-Founder of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, commented: “We are delighted to see the long-awaited Consultation on ending cages for laying hens launched in Scotland today. This is the critical first step in legislating to end the suffering more than one million Scottish egg laying hens endure each year, forced to spend their lives in enriched cages where they cannot spread their wings or perform natural behaviours.
“It is our hope that Defra will follow suit with their own promised Call for Evidence on ending cages pledged more than two years ago. If the UK is serious about cementing its place as a world leader in animal welfare, it is imperative than outdated and cruel farming practices like cages for laying hens are fully outlawed as soon as possible.”
About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impact upon animal welfare, the environment and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it is highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.
Media contact: Sophia Stileman (sophia.stileman@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org)
