§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to enforce paragraph 20 of Part 1 of Schedule 3 to the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 in respect of indoor-housed pigs; and if he will make a statement. [35542]
§ Mr. MorleyThe State Veterinary Service carries out welfare inspections to monitor compliance with all aspects of the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994, including paragraph 20 of Part 1 of Schedule 3 relating to the welfare of pigs.
§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the European Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee in its 1997 report relating to the tail-docking of pigs; and if he will make a statememt. [35848]
§ Mr. MorleyThe EU Scientific Veterinary Committee report is the first stage of the review of Directive 91/630 on the welfare of pigs. We are now awaiting the Commission's proposals, based on the Committee's advice, on how the Directive should be revised. All the Committee's recommendations, and the Commission proposals, will need careful study and discussion with other Member States, before decisions are taken. We are already taking steps to remind the pig sector of the current legal requirement that tail docking should not be carried out routinely.