The number of prosecutions cases brought by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for breaches of slaughterhouses regulations, by financial year, is as follows:
Number of cases 2007-08 22 2008-09 5 2009-10 2
Information in relation to each of the years from 2005 to 2007 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Breaches of regulations involving the welfare of animals at slaughter or killing on farm are investigated by Animal Health on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The number of breaches that were reported to Animal Health in each of the last five calendar years were:
Number 2005 45 2006 29 2007 19 2008 24 2009 12
Where slaughter takes place in a slaughterhouse, enforcement is undertaken by the Meat Hygiene Service. The number of cases referred to DEFRA Legal Services in the last five years (April to March) were:
Number 2005-06 29 2006-07 34 2007-08 17 2008-09 7 2009-10 5
Slaughter practices involving the welfare of animals are currently governed by the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (WASK) as amended. These regulations implement Council Directive 93/119/EC. This directive was reviewed by the Commission in 2008 and 2009 and as a result Council Regulation EC No. 1099/2009 was made on 24 September 2009. This regulation will apply from 1 January 2013 and will replace directive 93/119.
The new regulation will be directly applicable in the UK and requires every member state to establish penalties for infringements. We are currently reviewing how this will impact on WASK and will be consulting on the legislative changes required at the appropriate time.