UK Government Unveils Strategic Roadmap for Animal Welfare Reforms
The UK Government has published a new, comprehensive Animal Welfare Strategy outlining a wide-ranging package of reforms aimed at improving the lives of millions of animals across the country by 2030. The Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, stated that the government is adopting a more strategic approach, focusing interventions on areas where standards are weakest and strengthening enforcement across the farming, companion animal, and wildlife sectors.
A central pillar of the strategy is a commitment to substantial changes in livestock management and research-related practices. In particular, the government intends to phase out systems such as colony cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs, with the objective of enabling animals to express natural behaviours.
From January, the government will initiate public consultations specifically addressing the use of cages for laying hens, pullets, and breeder layers.
