§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has made to the European Commission on the use and regulation of veal crates; and if she will make a statement. [169748]
§ Mr. BradshawWe have not made any recent representations on veal crates. In the UK there has been a unilateral ban on the use of close-confinement veal crate systems since 1990. The EU banned new veal crate systems from 1994. Systems existing before that date were granted a transitional period that permitted their use until 2006. From 2006 all such systems will be banned throughout the EU.