To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline the steps her Department is taking to ensure individuals storing animals for food production, in large warehouses, meet animal welfare standards.

My Department enforces the animal welfare legislation covering food production animals. This legislation is:

Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011;

Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (NI) 2012; and

Welfare of Animals (Permitted Procedures by Lay Persons) Regulations (NI) 2012.

In addition, my Department has a range of Codes of Practice, for both farmed and non-farmed animals. The Codes are a statutory requirement in that any person responsible for, or attending to, animals must ensure that they and their staff are familiar with and have access to the Codes. The Codes are available to view, or download, from the DAERA website at:

https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/codes-practice-non-farmed-animals

My Department plays an important and active role in educating livestock keepers in standards of welfare and carries out an annual programme of animal welfare surveillance. Farm premises are inspected against legal requirements, and a range of enforcement actions can be taken where necessary. This can range from providing detail of legislative requirements and guidance, to issuing a legally binding Improvement Notice or potential prosecution. The Department’s Veterinary Service Animal Health Group (VSAHG) has responsibility for these inspections.

Inspections take place for a number of reasons, which includes: as a result of complaints from members of the public; targeted as a result of information produced by vets working in meat plants; and programmed as part of the statutory cross compliance surveillance system to assess whether on-farm welfare meets the standards laid down in the legislation.

The vast majority of Northern Ireland keepers are compliant with the animal welfare legislation.