This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Welfare of animals at slaughter
08/04/2004
A number of proposals in response to the Farm Animal
Welfare Council (FAWC) report on the welfare of animals at
slaughter were announced today.
The proposals - which are the subject of a consultation
- support most of the 94 recommendations of the FAWC Report
and are aimed at securing significant improvements in
animal welfare.
Some of the recommendations in the FAWC report relate to
the issue of religious slaughter which is permitted under
EU and domestic legislation.
Deputy Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson
said:
"Driving up standards of animal welfare is a key aim of
the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. I believe these
proposals represent a real improvement in the welfare of
animals at slaughter.
"However, slaughter without pre-stunning is permitted by
domestic and importantly EU legislation because of the
deeply held religious beliefs of Moslem and Jewish
communities. For this reason we will not seek a unilateral
ban on the production of halal or kosher meat.
"I am determined to ensure a continued improvement in
welfare for animals at slaughter and feel that proposals
for a post-cut stun for cattle should receive further
consideration.
"We do not intend to pursue a mandatory system for this
and seek to explore whether progress can be made on a
voluntary basis. We would welcome the views of the
communities concerned."
The consultation document is available from Patsy Gray
(SEERAD: Animal Health & Welfare Division) Tel. 0131
244 6482 or at
www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations.
The consultation will run until Friday July 2,
2004.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) is an independent
advisory body established by the Government in 1979. Its
terms of reference are to keep under review the welfare of
farm animals on agricultural land, at market, in transit
and at the place of slaughter; and to advise Government
(including the devolved administrations) of any legislative
or other changes which it believes to be necessary.
Members of FAWC are drawn from a wide range of
disciplines and occupations and serve in a personal
capacity, not as members of any organisation or interest
group. The common thread is that they have a strong
interest in farm animal welfare. Appointments to the
Council are made by the Secretary of State for the
Environment in consultation with Scottish Ministers and the
Welsh Assembly (In accordance with the procedures laid down
in the Code of Practice produced by the Office of the
Commissioner for Public Appointments).