§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to ban pithing. [HL1656]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathIn the light of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee's advice that there is no reason to change United Kingdom practices of stunning and pithing during slaughter of cattle, the Government have no immediate plans to do so. Such a ban however is contained in current proposals from the EU Commission setting out controls on Specified Risk Materials in the European Union. These proposals are under negotiation and the final outcome will reflect discussions now under way.