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Published 12/11/2010
Compassion worked closely with leading environmental and sustainability organisations Friends of the Earth and Sustain to encourage MPs to support the Sustainable Livestock and Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bills at their Second Reading.
Robert Flello MP's Sustainable Livestock Bill received a five-hour debate. However, it failed to go to a vote when only 62 against 29 MPs requested one. 100 MPs would have needed to support a vote in order for one to be granted. As this wasn't the case, the Bill has not been allowed to progress through to Committee Stage.
Joan Walley MP's Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill received neither debating time nor a vote.
Both Bills will be allocated new Second Reading dates in the New Year, but unfortunately neither will now be guaranteed debating time.
What would have happened if another 38 MPs had been present?
If the Sustainable Livestock Bill had passed into law, the government would have had to produce a strategy to improve the sustainability of UK animal farming.
Factory farming is unsustainable. As well as being the single biggest cause of animal suffering, it is an inefficient use of resources. Factory farming is dependent on feeding cereals and soya to animals, but much of these crops' food value is lost during conversion from plant to animal matter. This is a wasteful use not just of these crops but of the land, water and fossil fuel energy used to grow them.
Compassion believes that this crucial Bill should have been allowed to progress through Parliament and resulted in much-needed legislation in order to ensure the sustainability of the British livestock sector.
Who attended and how did they vote?
For |
Against |
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| Abbott, Ms Diane Alexander, Heidi Ali, Rushanara Bain, Mr William Bone, Mr Peter Brake, Tom Brooke, Annette Brown, Lyn Caton, Martin Clark, Katy Coaker, Vernon Connarty, Michael Corbyn, Jeremy Cryer, John Curran, Margaret Docherty, Thomas Dowd, Jim Durkan, Mark Efford, Clive Ellison, Jane Farrelly, Paul Field, Mr Mark Fitzpatrick, Jim Flello, Robert Flynn, Paul Godsiff, Mr Roger Goldsmith, Zac Goodman, Helen Heald, Mr Oliver Hillier, Meg Hodgson, Mrs Sharon |
Hoey, Kate Hollobone, Mr Philip Horwood, Martin Hunt, Tristram Jackson, Glenda Johnson, Joseph Jones, Graham Kaufman, Sir Gerald Keen, Alan Knight, Mr Greg Lucas, Caroline McCabe, Steve McCarthy, Kerry McDonnell, John Morrice, Graeme (Livingston) Onwurah, Chi Paisley, Ian Pound, Stephen Reid, Mr Alan Robinson, Mr Geoffrey Ruddock, Joan Slaughter, Mr Andy Smith, Mr Andrew Soulsby, Sir Peter Spellar, Mr John Thornberry, Emily Umunna, Mr Chuka Walley, Joan Whitehead, Dr Alan Williamson, Chris Wright, David |
Adams, Nigel Blunt, Mr Crispin Burstow, Paul Chope, Mr Christopher Clark, Greg Ellis, Michael Gauke, Mr David Gibb, Mr Nick Greening, Justine Hands, Greg Hart, Simon Harvey, Nick Heath, Mr David Hurd, Mr Nick Jenkin, Mr Bernard Kawczynski, Daniel Kelly, Chris Lewis, Brandon Lidington, Mr David Menzies, Mark Newmark, Mr Brooks Newton, Sarah Nuttall, Mr David Paice, Mr James Penrose, John Randall, Mr John Reckless, Mark Rees-Mogg, Jacob Vara, Mr Shailesh |
Has anything been achieved?
Yes - both the public and parliamentary debates around the Bill have been helpful in raising the profile of the need for more sustainability in British livestock farming. The Bill has been successful in putting the issue on the political agenda, where we will work to ensure it stays firmly.
We are pleased to hear the Agriculture Minister Jim Paice expressing the government's commitment to the sustainability of livestock farming. We welcome his proposal of a multi-stakeholder conference on sustainability to be organised in the New Year.
Compassion in World Farming also feels encouraged by the number of MPs across parties who expressed their concern about the mega-dairy being proposed by Nocton Dairies Limited in Lincolnshire. We believe that plans for the UK's largest dairy farm poses a giant threat to animal welfare and all those who believe that humane and sustainable farming is the only viable way to feed our planet.
