We, the undersigned, call upon the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to show support for the EU Ban on Battery Cages (Laying Hens Directive 1999/74/EC) within the European Parliament to ensure that the ban comes into force by 2012 as promised. The welfare of over 200 million egg-laying hens in the EU is severely compromised by conditions in the modern barren battery cage system and any further delay in the move to alternative systems would be unacceptable.