Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare and to enhancing them sustainably. To that end we consulted on FAWC’s recommendations between 4 December 2020 and‎ 26 February 2021.

We agree that all journeys have impacts on the welfare of animals and the three Rs approach should apply – asking can journeys be replaced, can they be reduced; and can they be refined.

We are of the view that the export of livestock for slaughter or fattening outside the UK involves journeys which are unnecessarily lengthy as these activities can be undertaken within the UK instead, allowing journeys to be replaced and reduced. We will therefore work alongside the other administrations to seek to end the unnecessary export of livestock for slaughter or fattening to countries outside the UK.

Prior to the consultation we fully recognised the vital importance of traditional patterns of movement for livestock in island and remote rural communities, and we will continue to protect the needs and interests of Scottish farming and crofting by ensuring that appropriate livestock movements between all areas of Scotland can continue. We will neither do anything nor support any attempt to change the rules on transport of livestock within the UK in any way that would harm farming and crofting activity in remote rural and island areas.

We will now undertake an analysis of the almost 400 responses to the consultation which provided detailed and useful evidence of many practical concerns and technical questions raised by the FAWC recommendations on other possible changes in animal transport.

This evidence will be fully considered and discussed in greater detail with the other UK administrations and with stakeholders before we bring forward any specific proposals to amend the legislation on welfare in transport.