FARM ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

Early day motion 723, tabled 17 January 2008 by Chris Mullin (Labour). Signed by 140 members.

That this House believes that public sector bodies should, when procuring food and meals, help deliver good standards of farm animal welfare; congratulates Wirral Council on its decision to use only free range eggs; regrets that the Government's Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative has achieved very little as regards farm animal welfare; believes that most poultry meat, eggs and pig meat procured by the public sector is derived from animals that have been reared industrially; urges public sector bodies to procure only chicken meat that has come from birds that have been reared free range or to high indoor standards; believes that it is not appropriate for public sector bodies to purchase battery eggs as this system will be illegal throughout the European Union from 2012; accordingly urges public sector bodies to join the many supermarkets and food service operators that no longer sell or use battery eggs; and calls on the Government to adopt public procurement policies that promote good standards of farm animal welfare.

Signatures by party: Labour 83, Liberal Democrat 37, Conservative 11, Scottish National Party 3, Independent 2, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.