§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for the inspection of slaughterhouses licensed to carry out ritual slaughter.
§ Mrs. FennerSlaughterhouses do not require special licences in order to be able to carry out religious slaughter. Local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of slaughterhouse legislation and it is for them to determine the degree of inspection required.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses in England and Wales are licensed for ritual slaughter.
§ Mrs. FennerReligious slaughter may take place at any slaughterhouse which holds a normal operating licence issued by a local authority, or at any slaughterhouse operated by a local authority.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many qualified inspectors of licensed slaughterhouses there are in England and Wales.
§ Mrs. FennerAs the enforcement of slaughterhouse legislation is a mattter for local authorities, I regret that I am not able to provide this information.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of licensed slaughterhouses in England and Wales.
§ Mrs. FennerThe total number of red meat slaughterhouses in England and Wales is approximately 990, including those operated by local authorities which are not subject to licensing requirements.
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which denominations have slaughterhouses licensed to carry out ritual slaughter.
§ Mrs. FennerJews and Muslims are permitted to slaughter animals by their religious methods, subject to the conditions laid down in the Slaughterhouses Act 1974.