§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was(a) the total capacity and (b) the total number of abattoirs in England in 1979, 1984, 1989 and 1994; and how many abattoirs in England now conform to the requirements of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992.
§ Mrs. BrowningThe number of licensed red meat abattoirs in England were:
- 1979: 977
- 1984: 961
- 1989: 689
- 1994: 424
In 1994 all 424 abattoirs were licensed under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992; 274 were operating under temporary derogations while 364W upgrading their premises to comply in full with the structural requirements.
The Department does not hold figures on the total capacity of abattoirs.