§ 16. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what protests he has received from animal welfare societies and from individuals about difficulties of enforcement in cases of violation of the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) (No. 2) Regulations, 1954; and what investigations he has made into the particular incidents brought to his notice.
Mr. AmoryI have received a small number of such protests, mainly concerned with the misunderstanding which has arisen in some cases about the responsibility for enforcement. I am grateful to the hon. Member for the information he has sent me on this matter. As regards the second part of the Question, all the incidents have been investigated by my officers and any infringements found have been reported to the local authorities concerned.
§ Mr. ChapmanIs not there still some confusion, in the sense that local authority slaughterhouses are often complained about, and yet they are supposed to be enforcing the law? Secondly, can the right hon. Gentleman say what, for example, he has said to those police authorities, whose names I have sent to him, who have flatly stated, "We are not going to do anything under the new regulations. We are going to leave it to the local authorities"? What has he said to them?
Mr. AmoryBroadly speaking, enforcement is the duty of local authorities, and in every case which I have taken up in respect of a complaint about a local authority slaughterhouse I believe that action has been taken; but I will consider the whole matter, especially the point raised by the hon. Member about the duty of enforcement lying upon local authorities when they themselves are the owners of the slaughterhouses.