§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of licensed slaughterers' or knackers' yards in each year since 1987.
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§ Mr. SoamesAll abattoirs and knackers' yards currently operate under licences granted by local authorities. With the exception of abattoirs approved for intra-Community trade, records are not maintained centrally on the status of individual premises. However, annual statistics derived from state veterinary service visits produce the following approximate figures for abattoirs in England and Wales:
Year Number 1987 905 1988 855 1989 780 1990 700 1991 640 In the case of knackers' yards, it is estimated that in 1990 there were approximately 120 operating in England and Wales, and that currently there are 107.