Thank you for contacting me about factory farming.
 
I understand the strength of feeling about the issue and I am committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, including on farms. The UK's strong commitment in this area is reflected in World Animal Protection's recent Animal Protection Index, which judged 50 countries on their policy and legislation for animals and saw the UK ranked joint top alongside New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland. Recent updates to on-farm welfare codes for several animals show this protection in action.
 
I believe animals should be slaughtered locally wherever possible. I am pleased the Government has announced plans to make CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses. However, under European Union single market rules, it is illegal to ban the export of animals to other EU countries; there are instead EU and UK laws to protect the welfare of live animals during transport. You are right to highlight that as the UK withdraws from the EU, there are great opportunities to re-evaluate existing structures.
 
Mandatory labelling for method of production has to be weighed against the costs involved for businesses, which could be significant. Legislation already provides scope for producers to label their products voluntarily, and several assurance schemes are also in place. Consumers who have a preference for a particular farming method can therefore readily find meat products labelled with information to inform their choice.
 
Ministers are fully committed to ensuring that antibiotics are used responsibly. I am pleased to say that as a result of their efforts, sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK fell to their lowest level since records began, exceeding a target to tackle the threat of antibiotic resistance two years early.
 
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.