§ Mr. Hancockasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether regulations governing poultry factories specify the extent of access by staff to the shackle line up to the point of entry into the scald tank to make certain that no poultry enters it alive;
(2) whether regulations require poultry processing factories to have adequate ventilation and humidifying equipment in the poultry enclosures;
(3) whether regulations on stunning equipment used in poultry slaughter require use of visual or audible warning devices to indicate failure of equipment.
§ Mrs. FennerRegulation 8(1)(b) of the Slaughter of Poultry (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1984 requires that adequate provision be made for action to be taken for removing birds from the slaughterline if necessary.
Regulation 5(c) requires the provision of adequate ventilation for birds awaiting slaughter.
Supplementary guidance on access to the slaughter line, on control of humidity and on the responsibility of management to ensure that stunning equipment is at all times in good working order is to be included in a code of practice to be made under section 3A of the Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967.
§ Mr. Hancockasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any regulations require the staff of poultry slaughterhouses to be licensed.
§ Mrs. FennerIt is proposed to make regulations to require the licensing of those engaged in the stunning and slaughter of poultry.
§ Mr. Hancockasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations govern the maximum permitted time that poultry is allowed to be transported between farm and slaughterhouse.
§ Mrs. FennerThere are no regulations governing a maximum time that poultry may be transported between378W farm and slaughterhouse. However, both the Conveyance of Live Poultry Order 1919 and the Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973 protect the welfare of poultry in transit by regulating the conditions under which they may be transported.