Hen Caging

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the use of cages for egg-laying hens on farms.

I support ending the use of cages on farms and providing enough time for producers to plan and make necessary changes. I believe that the British public would universally welcome the end of the use of cages on farms.

I believe in a vision where no animal is made to suffer unnecessary pain and degradation and where we continue to drive up standards and practice in line with the most recent advances and understanding.

There have been improvements over recent decades, and some of the very cruel and restrictive caging systems have been improved. It is important to pay testament to the progressive thinking in our country, which has meant that we have often been ahead of those in other countries with such bans.

However, I am aware that every year in the UK we still keep around 16 million farmed animals in cages and extreme close confinement systems, despite the viable alternatives, and that these have significant detrimental impacts on animal welfare. Enriched colony cages are, in my view, an improvement on battery cages, but the space remains too restrictive for birds to properly express many of their natural behaviours, such as wing flapping, dust bathing, and pecking and scratching.

I know that a Ten Minute Rule Bill, the Hen Caging (Prohibition) Bill, was introduced on 22 September 2021 with the aim of transitioning away from enriched cage farming systems for egg-laying hens. The Government has said it is actively exploring options for the food system, including the phasing out of the use of cages for laying hens. I will continue to follow developments on this issue closely.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue. I can assure you I will continue to call for action to improve animal welfare measures for egg-laying hens.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP