“It’s time to End the Cage Age”

TV Dragon Deborah Meaden and vet Dr Marc Abraham OBE join almost 400,000 people calling on both the UK and Scottish Governments to End the Cage Age

Compassion in World Farming submitted a petition to the Scottish Government in Edinburgh and to Defra in London this week, calling for an end to the use of cages in UK farming.

Almost 400,000 people signed the petition urging all the governments across the UK to End the Cage Age and to usher in a new era in farming of which Britain can be truly proud.

Up to 16 million farm animals are trapped in cages every year in the UK. Sows are forced to nurse their piglets in crates, and egg laying hens endure their whole lives crammed in cages, with barely enough space to stretch their wings. These systems cause immense misery, are cruel and unnecessary.

Despite the Scottish and UK Governments promising consultations on the use of cages in farming, both have yet to take any meaningful action to free millions of animals from behind bars.

In their 2021-22 ‘Programme for Government’, the Scottish Government stated that they would “start consultation this year on proposals to… phase out cages for gamebirds and laying hens, and farrowing crates for pigs.”

This followed an SNP 2021 manifesto commitment to “adopt the highest possible animal welfare standards, including shifting to entirely free range, woodland or barn chicken and egg production.”

Despite these encouraging words, no further progress has been made.

In June, the UK Government announced they would bring forward consultations on the use of cages for laying hens and crates for farrowing sows but failed to set a timeline for this to happen.

As with the Scottish Government’s pledge, six-months later, these promised consultations have yet to happen.

Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, who added her name to the petition, said: “Both the UK and Scottish Governments have failed to deliver their commitments to review caged farming. This simply isn’t good enough!

“Cages inflict immense misery on enormous numbers of UK farm animals. They are cruel and unnecessary, as higher-welfare cage-free systems are viable. It’s time for UK and Scottish Governments to free millions of animals from a life of suffering behind bars.”

The names of 392,063 people who signed the petition – including Deborah Meaden – filled a cage, which was wrapped and presented to the Scottish Government as a Christmas ‘gift’ alongside placards which will read ‘Dear Scottish Government, All we want for Christmas is action on cages’.

A cage was also delivered to Defra by TV vet and author Marc Abraham OBE.

Sarah Moyes, Compassion in World Farming’s Senior Campaigns Manger, said: “Right now, millions of animals are suffering, in cages across the UK.

That’s why we have presented the names of almost 400,000 people to the Scottish Government today, who finally want to see action on cages. The Scottish Government and Defra have made pledges, now it’s time to follow through and deliver.

“It’s time to End the Cage Age.”