§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will grant a square stamp licence to Henry Lang of Tom Lang's Craft Butchers and Abattoir in Ashburton for a throughput of 50 units per week. [106057]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 31 January 2000]: This abattoir is licensed as a low throughput slaughterhouse, which allows a maximum throughput of 20 livestock units per week. It has sought licensing as a full throughput slaughterhouse to allow a higher weekly throughput, but recently contacted MAFF officials and advised them that it no longer wishes to seek this status. The abattoir is instead pursuing, in close consultation with MAFF officials, an option under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 (as amended) which allows low throughput slaughterhouses to deal with up to 30 livestock units per week, provided certain conditions are met.