To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, apart from the legislation currently in place, what plans he has for improving animal welfare standards in agriculture.

I am committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland remains at the forefront of animal welfare standards. At present, however, I do not have any plans to introduce any changes to existing standards as I am satisfied that they are sufficiently robust.

Welfare standards for all farmed animals are protected and enforced by my Department under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, and the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. The Regulations transpose into Northern Ireland law EU requirements on welfare standards for farmed animals.

In addition, my Department has published six codes of practice for farmed animals which provide practical guidance regarding owning and keeping particular species. These codes are reviewed in line with scientific developments.