RSPCA food standards plea
THE RSPCA is calling on people in Lancashire to pressure their local MP to vote to ban lower standard imports postBrexit.
The organisation is saying that a failure by MPs to support it will leave the UK facing a flood of imports such as chlorinated chicken, eggs from hens kept in barren battery cages, pork from pigs reared in sow stalls and hormone beef - products made to welfare standards that are illegal in the UK.
Last week, the Lords voted through a crucial amendment to the Agriculture Bill to ban imports of products produced to a lower welfare standard than the UK by a margin of around 100.
But as the Bill returns to the Commons, despite a Government manifesto promising to stop lower standard imports when the UK leaves the EU, they have failed to enshrine this in law. Research has found that 74% of people in the North West want lower standard imports to be banned post-Brexit.
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “The Government must now honour its manifesto promise and back this amendment. If it doesn’t, MPs must vote with their conscience and reflect the strong feelings of the public. It’s a choice between protecting the UK’s globally-recognised high farm animal welfare standards or allowing in products like chlorinated chicken and hormone beef from abroad.
“We are pleased that the Lords have voted for a law to stop imports of food produced to lower farm animal welfare standards but now that the Agriculture Bill returns to the Commons, we urge MPs to seriously consider what’s at stake here. Unless MPs also agree to enshrine in law what was promised in the Conservative manifesto, a no-deal would mean the UK faces a flood of imported food that is illegal in the UK.”
The RSPCA have said if the Bill goes through it will set back animal welfare for many years ahead and threaten UK farmers’ livelihoods as they would be at risk of being undercut by imports produced to much lower welfare methods than are allowed in the UK.
For more details on how to protect farm animal welfare and help on how to contact your MP, please visit the RSPCA’s webpage.