§ 25. Mr. Bulmerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek to repeal the provisions of section 36 of the Slaughterhouses Act 1974 which allow exceptions to the pre-stunning requirements.
§ Mr. WigginIn considering this question, Parliament has always taken the view that, because the evidence of suffering which may arise from different methods of slaughter is not conclusive, religious slaughtering should be permitted, subject to the avoidance of unnecessary suffering, in the interests of religious tolerance. We have no plans to ask Parliament to repeal this provision.