asked the Minister of Food whether he can give an estimate of the approximate number of animals which are slaughtered annually in this country by Jewish ritual methods, which are exempted from the provisions relating to the humane slaughter of animals by the proviso contained in (1) (b) (i) of Section 1 of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.

Exact figures are not readily available, but probably about 80,000 cattle, 40,000 calves and 70,000 sheep are slaughtered annually in Great Britain in accordance with the Jewish ritual.