§ Mr. Spellerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange for records to be kept of the number of animals slaughtered by religious slaughter methods in the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. FennerNo. I do not believe that such records would serve a useful purpose.
§ Mr. Spellerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ask the Farm Animal Welfare Council, in the course of its consideration of the welfare of livestock at the time of slaughter, to seek scientific evidence to establish whether pain and suffering is involved when the throat of a fully conscious animal is cut.
§ Mrs. FennerWith the help of my Department, the Farm Animal Welfare Council is already seeking scientific162W evidence on this and related matters as part of its current inquiry into the welfare aspects of religious methods of slaughter.