§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the(a) number and (b) distribution of abattoirs in the United Kingdom which are approved for organic livestock; and what is the (i) procedure and (ii) cost of registering as an organic abattoir. [18883]
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§ Mr. MorleyThe production standards of the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) require abattoirs slaughtering organically reared animals to be registered with an approved organic inspection and certification body. Six such bodies exist in addition to UKROFS itself. Registration is designed to ensure that there is an audit trail to demonstrate that meat sold as organic has come from organically reared animals and to provide reassurance on welfare and handling standards. In order to register, the abattoir must demonstrate, to the inspection and certification body, compliance with the requirements. The costs vary, as each body has its own scale of charges, but typically would be in the region of £210 per annum for registration and inspection plus compliance costs, for example of record keeping.
UKROFS holds records of 29 abattoirs certified for organic production: 22 in England, two in Wales, four in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.