Thank you to everyone who contacted me about the use of carbon dioxide for stunning farmed pigs.
I strongly support a ban on the use of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) to stun pigs as set out in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy of December 2025. There is a pressing need to address the welfare issues associated with the use of high concentration CO2 gas for stunning pigs.
As you know, the Government will initiate a public consultation on this measure in due course. I look forward to developments on this.
All animals should be spared avoidable pain, suffering and distress when they are killed. The available evidence shows that there are significant changes that can be made to improve the welfare of animals at the time of killing.
I welcome the Animal Welfare Committee’s (AWC) up-to-date assessment of the current evidence on high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs and potential alternative stunning methods. The AWC also concluded that its use should be banned to prevent pigs from experiencing unavoidable pain and distress. It concluded that argon gas stunning and automated electrical stunning are higher welfare alternatives and also commercially feasible.
I know Ministers encourage the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published the Second Post-Implementation Review of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations (WATOK) in January 2026. This concluded that while the requirements in WATOK continue to provide a good level of protection for animal welfare at the time of killing, some changes are needed due to evolving scientific evidence and societal expectations. I look forward to more details in due course.
Thank you once again to everyone who contacted me about this issue. I assure you I support the Government’s commitment to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation.