Written question asked by Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the poultry growth plan (a) takes into account the pollution in water reduction proposals and (b) aims to improve chicken welfare.

Answer: The Poultry Sector Growth Plan is being developed by industry, supported by the Government, to identify opportunities for the sector to improve its productivity and profitability. There is clear demand for high quality, domestically produced chicken meat and eggs. The plan will identify ways that enable our domestic poultry sector to meet this challenge sustainably and in line with key government policies such as the Animal Welfare Strategy, Farming Roadmap and Environmental Improvement Plan 2025. In doing so we will be strengthening our national food security whilst balancing broader environmental, animal welfare and food security objectives.

Secondary information