Mims Davies MP joins End The Cage Age Parliamentary Reception
Every year, nearly 300 million farmed animals in the EU spend their lives trapped in cages — unable to move freely, stretch their limbs, or express natural behaviours. This system is not only cruel, it is unsustainable.
Britain prides itself on being a nation of animal lovers, yet millions of hens remain trapped in cages, denied even the most basic freedoms. The public has spoken – it's time for action. I fully support calls to End the Cage Age for egg laying hens.
Mims was pleased to be able to attend the End The Cage age reception in Parliament following emails from constituents sharing concerns on this topic.
75% of the British public think cages are cruel, yet they are still legal in the UK. Approximately 7 million laying hens endure most of their lives in so-called 'enriched' cages. Confined, they can't adequately forage, dustbathe, see the light of day, or even fully stretch their wings.
At the event artwork of hens created by well-known public figures – including actress Dame Joanna Lumley, TV Dragon Deborah Meaden and actor Peter Egan – were on display. Each was drawn on an A4 sheet of paper to indicate the approximate amount of space that an egg laying hen has in a cage. Members of the public have also been submitting hen drawings to Compassion, in preparation for a large-scale art instillation next spring.
The science is clear: cage-free farming is better for animals, farmers, and the planet. Real-world examples across Europe already show it works. Now, as the EU rethinks its agricultural priorities, our voices can help ensure a cage-free future becomes the standard — not the exception.
Mims has always made it clear she supports banning cages or close confinement systems where clear scientific evidence demonstrates that they are detrimental to animal and bird health and welfare.
That is in keeping with much of the UK’s existing legislation on the use of cages and crates, including: the ban on keeping calves in veal crates, introduced in 1990; the ban on keeping sows in close confinement stalls, introduced in 1999; and the ban on the use of battery cages for laying hens, introduced in 2012.
Mims Davies MP said:
Thank you to the team for organising this important event around animal rights and safety.
I was pleased to join the End The Cage Age reception on behalf of constituents of East Grinstead, Uckfield, and the villages who have contacted me sharing their concerns and views on this topic.
I understand some organisations, including the RSPCA, have launched campaigns urging the Government to publish consultations on phasing out the use of enriched colony cages for laying hens and of farrowing crates for pigs.
The RSPCA has played a significant role in leading the way on encouraging high standards when it comes to this issue, with RSPCA Assured not permitting the use of colony cages for laying hens or farrowing crates for pigs.
Please consider taking a minute to read more on their website:
https://www.endthecageage.eu/en
James West, Chief Public Affairs Manager at Compassion in World Farming, added:
It’s encouraging to see policymakers engaging with this issue.
There is clear, overwhelming support from MPs, celebrities, and the British public to End the Cage Age for egg laying hens – now it’s time for the Government to act and end this cruelty once and for all.
Dr Amir Khan, who supported the event, said:
I am proud to be part of the 75% of the British public that think cages are cruel.
As an NHS doctor, I believe in prevention over treatment. Getting hens out of cages would prevent unimaginable suffering for millions of hens in the UK every year.
This move could even help to improve public health, with intensive factory farming practices often linked to higher rates of diseases, antibiotic resistance, and environmental damage. When we improve the lives of animals, we can improve our own lives too.
