MP unveils Beatrice’s Bill to free hens from cages named after rescued bird

The Government has heard calls to free farmed hens from cages, dubbed “Beatrice’s Bill” after a rescue chicken.

Crawley MP Henry Smith called for a ban on keeping hens in cages in the UK, adding that although battery cages had been banned in 2012, so-called “enriched cages” continued to be used across the country.

Mr Smith said hens have a “high level of intelligence, social and verbal complexity”, according to studies.

The Conservative MP added: “Despite this complexity and evident sentience, countless hens continue to languish in cramped cages which make it near impossible to express their natural behaviours and which causes extreme suffering.

“One such hen, Beatrice, was just a few days old when she was put into a cage, with every day she spent in there she became more and more frail.

“She lost most of her feathers, became underweight, and her bones grew brittle. For two years she woke up to the same noisy crowded misery.

“Luckily Beatrice was rescued by a friendly individual, but millions of hens around the world remain in cages which severely impact their welfare.”

As he presented a Bill in the Commons to ban caging hens, he said: “Given my first name I had considered subtitling this Bill ‘Hen’s Bill’, but I think Beatrice’s Bill is what it should be subtitled, and I think Beatrice should get the credit.”

The MP described British people as “some of the most caring and compassionate people in the world”, and cited a YouGov poll published last year which found 88% of the British public believe using cages in farming is cruel.

He added that countries including Austria, Switzerland and Germany, plus nine US states, have banned caged hens, and the EU has committed to phasing them out by 2027.

Mr Smith added that all major supermarkets have committed to selling only cage-free eggs by 2025, and food manufacturers Nestle, Greggs and Premier Foods have backed calls for changes in the law.

He said the Government has already led work on wellbeing for pets and livestock with the Animal Welfare Act, as well as the Animal Sentience Bill and the Kept Animals Bill making their way through Parliament.

Mr Smith said: “This Bill will end needless suffering of millions of caged hens like Beatrice in the UK.

“It is economically viable and it will bring our laws into line with the strength of public feeling about this issue.

“It will also prevent companies from being undercut by business with lower animal welfare standards and help confirm Britain’s position as a world leader in animal welfare.”

Mr Smith’s Bill is set to be debated again on Friday October 22 but is unlikely to become law without support from the Government.