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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to develop and enforce clear standards in the humane slaughter of animals in UK abattoirs.

The Government cares highly about the welfare of animals and this includes their welfare at the point of slaughter. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (WATOK) implements and enforces Council Regulation 1099/2009 (EU Regulation) on the protection of animals at time of killing as well as maintaining our stricter national rules that provide greater welfare protection than the EU Regulation.

These requirements are monitored and enforced in slaughterhouses in England by Official Veterinarians (OVs) of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to ensure that animals are spared avoidable pain, suffering or distress. The FSA operates a zero tolerance policy towards animal cruelty and OVs take a prompt and proportionate approach to enforcement action where breaches are identified.

The Government has delivered on the manifesto commitment to make CCTV recording in slaughterhouses mandatory. This legislation came into force last year and requires slaughterhouse operators to install and operate a CCTV system in their premises that provides a clear and complete view of all areas where live animals are present. This legislation followed several well publicised cases of animal abuse in slaughterhouses. As an important complement to existing physical observation, CCTV should help maintain and improve animal welfare standards in all slaughterhouses and provide assurance to consumers that this is the case.