Michael Gove will tell the National Farmers Union that he believes in higher animal welfare standards

Farmers who let their cows out of sheds, pigs out of crates and chickens out of cages could earn a new kind of subsidy designed to boost animal welfare.

Giving farm animals better lives is a “clear public good” that deserves public money, Michael Gove is expected to say today in the latest sign of how he plans to share out the £3 billion in EU subsidies without which half of Britain’s farmers would go bust.

“I believe in investing in higher animal welfare standards,” Mr Gove will tell the National Farmers Union’s annual conference in Birmingham. “We have a high baseline for animal health standards, which we will continue to enforce. However, we could also support industry-led initiatives to improve these standards, especially in