§ Lord Northfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why, as evidenced in the parliamentary Answer to the Question by Lord Northfield on 16th March 1989, officers of the State Veterinary Service have not been present on all occasions when deer have been slaughtered, despite paragraph 7 of the code of practice on such slaughter, which states that a veterinary surgeon should be present during all stunning and slaughter; and what action they proposed over this infringement of the code.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonThe voluntary code of welfare practice on abattoir slaughter of farmed deer recommends that a veterinary surgeon should be present during all stunning and slaughter and it is for the abattoir management to make the necessary arrangements. It was not the intention of the code that this veterinary presence should be provided by the State Veterinary Service.
However, ministry veterinary officers visit abattoirs slaughtering deer as often as other commitments allow. While they have not been able to be present on all occasions when deer have been slaughtered, they have monitored slaughter arrangements in all abattoirs slaughtering deer since the code was made in 1987.