§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps he plans to take to encourage red meat and poultry slaughterhouses to have a written welfare policy for the protection of animals; and if he will make a statement; [58169]
(2) what steps he plans to take to (a) encourage slaughterhouses to keep detailed records of the testing and maintenance of all stunning devices and (b) encourage red meat and poultry slaughterhouses to ensure that all staff involved in the stunning and slaughter of animals have received formal training in animal welfare; and if he will make a statement; [58171]
(3) what steps he plans to take to require poultry slaughterhouses to have devices for the metering and monitoring of the electric current supplied at stunning. [58166]
§ Mr. MorleyI have welcomed the recommendations of the Meat Hygiene Service Animal Welfare Survey Report 1997–98 that slaughterhouse operators should develop a written policy for the protection of animals in their care and increase formal welfare training together with other recommendations in respect of stunning equipment and record keeping. The Survey assessed compliance with the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 and was also designed to identify slaughterhouses operating to standards beyond the statutory minimum and to encourage other premises to adopt these higher standards. As a part of the Survey process, Official Veterinary Surgeons discussed reports with individual slaughterhouse operators to initiate, where appropriate, changes intended to improve animal welfare standards.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) sheep, (b) goats, (c) cattle and (d) chickens were slaughtered by a religious method without prior stunning in 1997. [58167]
§ Mr. MorleyInformation is not held separately on the number of animals slaughtered by a religious method without stunning. The Meat Hygiene Service Animal Welfare Survey Report 1997–98 indicated that, at the time the survey was carried out, 26 slaughterhouses killed cattle and/or sheep and 19 poultry by the Jewish or Muslim method without stunning.
§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to ensure that slaughterhouses using electrical stunning apparatus comply with the requirements of the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 that(a) the apparatus must incorporate a fail-safe device which prevents its operation unless a current sufficient to stun the animal unconscious can be passed, (b) a device indicating the voltage and current being used must be 147W clearly visible to the operator and (c) the apparatus must incorporate an audible or visible device indicating the length of time of its application to an animal. [58170]
§ Mr. MorleyThe development of new systems which measure impedance and control current flow will make it easier for slaughterhouse operators to comply fully with this requirement. We are closely monitoring the work being done on this so that as soon as such systems become commercially available we will be ready to take any additional enforcement action which may be necessary. In addition, the Meat Hygiene Service will provide Official Veterinary Surgeons with additional technical information and guidance on electrical stunning systems to help them to assess existing equipment.
§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect of World Trade Organisation decisions on animal welfare legislation in the United Kingdom. [58224]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 3 November 1998]WTO rules have no effect on legislation on the welfare of farm animals in the UK. There is, however, a need for attention to be given to the question of animal welfare standards to which products imported into the EU are produced. As a result of initiatives made during our Presidency, the European Commission has been expressly charged with producing a report on the implications of third country welfare standards which differ from those in the Community.