That this House notes that the European Union prohibition of conventional battery cages for egg-laying hens that is due to come into force in 2012 under Council Directive 1999/74 is to be reviewed during 2007; firmly believes that the prohibition should not be repealed or postponed; notes that the report of the Scientific Panel for Animal Health and Welfare of the European Food Safety Authority concludes that the inability of battery hens to perform their natural behaviours poses a particularly severe threat to their welfare; further notes that the LayWel report prepared for the European Commission concludes that the welfare of hens is severely compromised in conventional battery cages; further believes that many members of the public would be dismayed if the prohibition were to be postponed; and urges the Government to take the lead in persuading the UK's EU partners that the prohibition of conventional battery cages should not be postponed but should come into force in 2012 as enacted by Council Directive 1999/74.

That this House notes that the European Union prohibition of conventional battery cages for egg-laying hens that is due to come into force in 2012 under Council Directive 1999/74 is to be reviewed during 2007; firmly believes that the prohibition should not be repealed or postponed; notes that the report...

That this House notes that the prohibition of conventional battery cages for egg-laying hens that is due to come into force in 2012 under Council Directive 1999/74 is to be reviewed during 2006; firmly believes that the prohibition should remain in place and should not be repealed or postponed; further notes that the report of the Scientific Panel for Animal Health and Welfare of the European Food Safety Authority concludes that the inability of battery hens to perform their natural behaviours poses a particularly severe threat to their welfare; and urges Her Majesty's Government to take the lead in persuading EU partners that the prohibition of conventional battery cages should neither be repealed nor postponed but should come into force in 2012 as enacted by Council Directive 1999/74.

That this House notes that the prohibition of conventional battery cages for egg-laying hens that is due to come into force in 2012 under Council Directive 1999/74 is to be reviewed during 2006; firmly believes that the prohibition should remain in place and should not be repealed or postponed; further...

That this House notes with concern that 21 million hens are currently condemned to a miserable existence in battery cages with almost no space to stretch their wings, move around or behave in a natural way; welcomes the proposed ban across Europe from 2012 of conventional battery cages; however notes that so-called enriched battery cages which allow only a little more room than conventional battery systems still do not meet the welfare needs of the hens; therefore supports the RSPCA call for an unconditional ban on all cages and for battery systems to be replaced with free-range and barn systems, which allow birds to move around and express normal behaviour; encourages egg producers to put into practice higher welfare alternative systems such as barn and free range prior to legislative changes; welcomes the recent introduction of compulsory labelling of eggs to provide consumers with relevant information about the farming method; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to follow the lead of Germany and bring forward the ban on all cages by 2012 at the very latest.

That this House notes with concern that 21 million hens are currently condemned to a miserable existence in battery cages with almost no space to stretch their wings, move around or behave in a natural way; welcomes the proposed ban across Europe from 2012 of conventional battery cages; however notes...

That this House notes that a recent report by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare has revealed that serious health and welfare problems are imposed on the chickens reared for their meat by intensive broiler chicken production; further notes that the Scientific Committee concludes that rapid growth rates lead to chickens suffering from leg disorders and heart failure; notes that the Scientific Committee stresses that stocking densities should be significantly lower than those commonly used in the United Kingdom if major welfare problems are largely to be avoided; further notes that the Scientific Committee concludes that the severe feed restriction to which many broiler breeders are subjected results in the birds being very hungry and in unacceptable welfare problems; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to press the European Commission to prepare as soon as possible a proposed directive to address the problems highlighted by the Scientific Committee.

That this House notes that a recent report by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare has revealed that serious health and welfare problems are imposed on the chickens reared for their meat by intensive broiler chicken production; further notes that the Scientific Committee concludes that...

That this House expresses its dismay at the fact that the vast majority of United Kingdom egg laying hens continue to be kept in battery cages; notes that the battery cage frustrates most of a hen's natural behaviour denying her, for example, the privacy to build a nest or the space fully to stretch her wings; notes that the bones of battery hens become so brittle that almost a third of such hens suffer from broken bones by the time they reach the stunning bath in the slaughter house; further notes that the current EC Directive on Battery Hens provides a derisory minimum floor space of 450 sq. cm. per hen, which is less than the size of a sheet of A4 paper; and requests the Government to urge its EC partners to agree to a phase out of the battery cage and to the establishment of proper welfare criteria of the alternative systems for keeping egg laying hens.

That this House expresses its dismay at the fact that the vast majority of United Kingdom egg laying hens continue to be kept in battery cages; notes that the battery cage frustrates most of a hen's natural behaviour denying her, for example, the privacy to build a nest or the...