AM: What plans does the
Welsh Government have to improve the welfare of farm animals in
Wales?
(First Minister of
Wales): Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question.
Maintaining high levels of farm animal health and welfare has
always been a key priority for successive Welsh Governments. Now
that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, we are
determined to ensure that we retain these high standards in
Wales.
AM: Thank you very
much, First Minister, for the reply. CCTV has been mandatory in
every abattoir in all areas in England where live animals are
kept for slaughtering since 2018. Scotland announced plans for
similar new laws last year. However, in Wales, 14 out of 24
slaughterhouses do not have cameras, although the Welsh
Government has made money available for their installation. RSPCA
Cymru and Animal Aid both support mandatory CCTV to deter abuse
and to help vets with regulation and monitoring. First Minister,
when will your Government make CCTV in abattoirs mandatory in
Wales, please?
: I thank the Member
for that follow-up question. He makes a number of important
points there. The Member will be aware, I am sure, of the £1.1
million food business investment scheme that we run as a Welsh
Government. The latest round of applications to that fund are
currently being assessed. They include a series of applications
from abattoirs in Wales to install, upgrade or improve CCTV
facilities at those abattoirs. When those applications have been
assessed, the Minister will make a judgement as to whether or not
we have sufficient coverage of CCTVs in Welsh slaughterhouses, to
avoid the need for a mandatory scheme. But, if she concludes that
we've not made the progress that we wanted to see on the
voluntary basis, where the taxpayer is paying for CCTV to be
installed, then she will think about whether mandation is the
right way ahead.
: Anyone who watched
Ffermio on S4C last night will know that the lambing season is
upon us now, and it's an issue I've raised regularly in this
Chamber, of course, namely this concern about dog attacks on
sheep and lambs at this time of the year. Now, I've previously
raised the need to tackle this, and the response I've heard is
that the Government is doing more in order to promote awareness
among dog owners on what needs to be done. Can you therefore give
us an update, as we are coming to a key period now, where many
newborn lambs will face the risk of dog attacks, on what exactly
is the Government doing to raise that awareness among dog owners
on their responsibilities in this area?
: I thank Llyr for
that question. Of course, the legal responsibility remains with
the dog owner. That is what the 1953 legislation makes clear.
As a Government, we work closely with local authorities, with the
RSPCA and others to make sure that owners of dogs are in no doubt
about the responsibility that they have to ensure that they
remain in control of animals if they take them into the
countryside. It is a crime to allow dogs to worry farm animals in
that way. Owning a dog is a privilege and not a right, and we
work with others to make sure that the codes of practice that we
have provided, in partnership with the industry, remind owners of
their obligations to control their pets in those circumstances.
Mandy Jones AM: First Minister, we're all concerned about
animal welfare, and I've raised this question in the Chamber
before about my concerns about live animal exports. Now that the
UK Government have said that they will be stopping live animal
exports, and we are now finally leaving the EU, will the Welsh
Government commit today that they will be doing the same?
: We supported the UK
Government's call for evidence on a UK-wide ban in relation to
the export of live animals for overseas slaughter. So, I think
the Member can take it from that—that we supported the UK
Government in that call for evidence on a UK-wide ban—that we
would continue to support it in that way. We're working with
DEFRA and the Scottish Government to determine the next steps now
that that consultation has been concluded. In the meantime, the
Welsh Government goes on enforcing the rules that govern the
transportation of live animals on long journeys: rest periods,
adequate access to feed and to water. But if there is to be a
ban, and if it is to be a UK-wide ban, then we will support that.
