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Pigs: Animal Welfare

Asked by Dr Al PinkertonLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 7 November 2025UIN 87578

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the welfare of (a) pigs and (b) piglets on farms in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

All pigs are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation, and potential breaches of the law are taken very seriously. Any allegations of poor animal welfare are investigated by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and where there are non-compliances with the regulations, appropriate action is taken. The local authority, as an appropriate enforcement agency, may initiate prosecution action for animal welfare offences where there is sufficient evidence.

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