Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the creation of a specific mark to enable consumers to identify meat, poultry and fish that has been pre-stunned before slaughter (a) now and (b) after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is aware that there is public concern about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way, and that there are calls for such meat to be labelled.

There are currently no specific EU or national requirements governing the sale and labelling of Halal or Kosher meat. Where any information of this nature is provided voluntarily, it must be accurate and must not be misleading.

The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information to enable them to make an informed choice about their food. This is an issue the Government is considering in the context of the UK’s departure from the EU.