10 Nov 2023 --- The UK government has announced its commitment to banning the live exports of animals. This policy shift, part of the King’s Speech, sets a new course for the country’s animal welfare and agricultural economy. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill, which was shelved earlier this year, will now bring to an end the live export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter or fattening from the UK. This decision is seen as a fulfillment of a promise made by former UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Secretary George Eustice in December 2020 and is being celebrated by animal welfare groups as a historic achievement.