Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 12 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the resignation of Sir Brian May as vice president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) due to reported concerns over "appalling" animal welfare standards on farms certified under the RSPCA Assured scheme, and what steps it is taking to ensure that animal welfare standards on Scottish farms meet or exceed national and international requirements.
The Scottish Government does not comment on the internal affairs of non-SG bodies.
The Scottish Government is fully committed to improving and protecting the welfare of all animals in Scotland. The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 protects animals in Scotland, including livestock, and in November 2023 we published our own pig welfare guidance to further improve the welfare of farmed pigs. The Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 was updated to include this updated guidance.