Slaughterhouses (Hansard, 11 March 1980)

§ Mr. Morgan
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider making a substantial increase in the grants, currently standing at 20 per cent., available under the United Kingdom redmeat slaughterhouse scheme.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Indus-
509W

(a) (b) (c)

Tax free income: Supplementary benefit ordinary scale rates plus average housing costs: FIS Prescribed Amounts:

(i) (ii) (i) (ii) (i) (ii)

January 1973 January 1980 January 1973 January 1980 January 1973 January 1980

£ £ £ £ £ £

1.Married couple … … … 14.83 34.90 13.35 37.90 N.A. N.A.

2.Married couple with two children, one under 5 and one aged 5–10 … … … 21.46 42.90 18.20 50.85 22.00 60.50

3.Married couple with four children, one under 5, two aged 5–10, one aged 11 … … 27.67 50.90 22.80 64.30 26.00 69.50

Notes
The 1973 and 1980 figures are not fully comparable because—
(a) family allowances were taxable in 1973 whereas child benefit is tax free in 1980; tax free income in 1973—all earned—therefore excludes family allowances of 90p for the second child and £1 for the third and fourth children, but in 1980 it includes child benefit of £4 per child;
(b) there were changes in the treatment of rent and rate rebates and rent allowances for supplementary benefit purposes between the two years; and
(c) family allowances counted as income for family income supplement (FIS) in 1973 but child benefit is disregarded in 1980.
The housing costs included in the supplementary benefit figures are those for (i) November 1972 (actual) and (ii) November 1979 (estimated).
510W 511W
try and the Minister see no reason to increase the 20 per cent. rate of grant under the redmeat slaughterhouse industry scheme.

§ Mr. Michael Brown
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how much money, from public funds, goes to publicly owned slaughterhouses;
(2) what is the total amount of money paid from public funds to publicly owned slaughterhouses.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
Under the redmeat slaughterhouse industry scheme, offers of assistance totalling £1.53 million have been made towards the cost of improving slaughterhouses owned by local authorities including those leased and operated by commercial slaughterers to meet United Kingdom and EEC hygiene requirements. A further £1.11 million has been offered from EEC funds under the EEC marketing and processing regulation.

§ Mr. Michael Brown
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom are (a) publicly owned, (b) publicly owned, but leased to private owners and (c) privately owned.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
At the end of December 1979 the numbers of slaughterhouses licensed were as follows:

a. publicly-owned 83

b. publicly-owned but leased to private owners 31

c. privately-owned 1,106

Note: The number at a. includes b.

§ Mr. Morgan
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage the number of United Kingdom abattoirs was reduced in each of the years 1977, 1978 and 1979.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
The percentage reductions in the numbers of licensed slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom were as follows:

Year Reduction

1977 3.6

1978 8.9

1979 10.7

	(a)	(b)	(c)
	Tax free income:	Supplementary benefit ordinary scale rates plus average housing costs:	FIS Prescribed Amounts:
	(i)	(ii)	(i)	(ii)	(i)	(ii)
	January 1973	January 1980	January 1973	January 1980	January 1973	January 1980
	£	£	£	£	£	£
1.Married couple	…	…	…	14.83	34.90	13.35	37.90	N.A.	N.A.
2.Married couple with two children, one under 5 and one aged 5–10	…	…	…	21.46	42.90	18.20	50.85	22.00	60.50
3.Married couple with four children, one under 5, two aged 5–10, one aged 11		…	…	27.67	50.90	22.80	64.30	26.00	69.50

a. publicly-owned	83
b. publicly-owned but leased to private owners	31
c. privately-owned	1,106