§ 24. Mr. Les Huckfieldasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list his powers in relation to animal welfare matters.
§ Mrs. FennerThe Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968, Part I of which governs the welfare of livestock being commercially farmed, empowers the Agriculture Ministers in Great Britain in particular to make regulations and to issue codes of recommendations.
The Agriculture Ministers have various powers relating to the welfare of animals under Sections 37 to 49 of the Animal Health Act 1981. These powers cover particularly the protection of animals from unnecessary suffering during transit and when exposed for sale, and the regulation of the export of live animals from Great Britain.
The Ministers also have powers under the Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967 to make regulations on the humane treatment of poultry at slaughter and to approve slaughter methods and kinds of stunning instruments. There are also powers under the Slaughterhouses Act 1974, relating to England and Wales, to make regulations on various matters relating to the humane treatment of animals at the point of slaughter.
The Acts mentioned also empower authorised officers of the Minister or of the local authority to enter relevant premises to check on compliance with the legislation.