§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
What specific actions are taken to detect unlicensed slaughterhouses or unlicensed slaughtering activity; and [HL2806]
How many times since the commencement of duties of the Meat Hygiene Service on 1 April 1995 complaints have been made to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of known or suspected unlicensed slaughterhouses. [HL2826]
§ Lord DonoughueThe activity of slaughtering animals in unlicensed premises is not illegalper se. Information on the number of complaints received about unlicensed slaughterhouses is not collected centrally and is therefore not readily available. The agriculture departments investigate substantive reports of activities involving the sale (or the offer for sale) of meat for human consumption which is known or suspected to have been produced in unlicensed premises. It is the sale (or the offer for sale) of such meat that constitutes an offence under the Food Safety Act.