Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether hospitality sector venues must state when non-stunned meat is being served.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.
The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
There are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, but the Government expects industry to provide consumers with information on which to make an informed choice about their food. Any information provided on the method of slaughter must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. Restaurants and other food businesses may, on request, advise whether the foods they sell are certified as halal and whether the animals were stunned before slaughter. Under existing rules, all food information provided by out‑of‑home businesses must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.
There are no regulations that prevent meat from animals slaughtered without stunning from being exported. The 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey sets out reported destinations for meat, including whether it was exported.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether non-stunned meat is exported from the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.
The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
There are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, but the Government expects industry to provide consumers with information on which to make an informed choice about their food. Any information provided on the method of slaughter must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. Restaurants and other food businesses may, on request, advise whether the foods they sell are certified as halal and whether the animals were stunned before slaughter. Under existing rules, all food information provided by out‑of‑home businesses must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.
There are no regulations that prevent meat from animals slaughtered without stunning from being exported. The 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey sets out reported destinations for meat, including whether it was exported.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether non-stunned meat is sold to the general market; and if so, whether that meat is identified as having been produced by non-stun slaughter.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.
The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
There are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, but the Government expects industry to provide consumers with information on which to make an informed choice about their food. Any information provided on the method of slaughter must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. Restaurants and other food businesses may, on request, advise whether the foods they sell are certified as halal and whether the animals were stunned before slaughter. Under existing rules, all food information provided by out‑of‑home businesses must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.
There are no regulations that prevent meat from animals slaughtered without stunning from being exported. The 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey sets out reported destinations for meat, including whether it was exported.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what controls are in place, if any, to ensure that non-stunned meat is only sold to the relevant religious communities.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. All animals must be stunned before slaughter to make them unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to this is when animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites, for the food of Muslims and Jews.
The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
There are no regulations that require the labelling of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning, but the Government expects industry to provide consumers with information on which to make an informed choice about their food. Any information provided on the method of slaughter must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured. Restaurants and other food businesses may, on request, advise whether the foods they sell are certified as halal and whether the animals were stunned before slaughter. Under existing rules, all food information provided by out‑of‑home businesses must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.
There are no regulations that prevent meat from animals slaughtered without stunning from being exported. The 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey sets out reported destinations for meat, including whether it was exported.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether unweaned calves born in the UK are transported to Ireland to be exported to EU countries.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No, there have been no recorded exports of cattle, including unweaned calves, for slaughter or fattening from Great Britain to the EU since 2018. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 made it an offence to export livestock and horses for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the practice of animals not being stunned prior to slaughter; and what assessment they have made of meat produced by this method being sold to the general market and exported abroad.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. However, the Government respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured.
During the survey week for the 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey, 97% of poultry and 85% of red meat animals were stunned before slaughter. The Survey also sets out responses to where the meat was reported to be destined, including whether it was exported.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 10 July (HL9168), whether they plan to meet the Low-Welfare Act Coalition as part of stakeholder engagement, and if so when.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has previously met with the Low-Welfare Act Coalition in October 2024 and has corresponded with the group since. Further engagement is planned shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will lay a statutory instrument containing activity regulations to fully implement the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to take forward changes to low-welfare activities abroad.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they assess the quality of imported grain for animal feeds and, if so, what action they take if it is found to be substandard.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK prides itself on world leading animal health and welfare standards. Farmers across the nation deliver on the standards set out in our world class legislation on matters such as living environment for animals, access to veterinary services and suitable diet for farmed animals.
Legislation is in place to ensure feed may be placed on the market and used only if it is safe and does not have a direct adverse effect on the environment or animal welfare.
Port health authorities are responsible for sampling and analysing imported feed products on a risk-based approach. Where analysis is carried out, the results would be reviewed by the relevant authorities and appropriate action taken. Local Authorities will inspect the feed businesses systems and the results of any checks performed by them, when they conduct Official Controls at the business. Feed businesses will routinely check the consignments of grain they have received.
Feed businesses are responsible for deciding whether or not they wish to purchase assured or non-assured grain for use in animal feed as this is a commercial decision.
Cereals and oilseeds make up a significant proportion of animal feed, most of which are internationally traded commodities. Subsequently, their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments in price and availability. Defra publishes statistics on domestic agricultural production on gov.uk however we make no assessment of end market. There are a number of external factors that will influence the split between human and industrial use of grain and that used for animal feed.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they permit non-assured imported grain to be used to produce animal feed.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK prides itself on world leading animal health and welfare standards. Farmers across the nation deliver on the standards set out in our world class legislation on matters such as living environment for animals, access to veterinary services and suitable diet for farmed animals.
Legislation is in place to ensure feed may be placed on the market and used only if it is safe and does not have a direct adverse effect on the environment or animal welfare.
Port health authorities are responsible for sampling and analysing imported feed products on a risk-based approach. Where analysis is carried out, the results would be reviewed by the relevant authorities and appropriate action taken. Local Authorities will inspect the feed businesses systems and the results of any checks performed by them, when they conduct Official Controls at the business. Feed businesses will routinely check the consignments of grain they have received.
Feed businesses are responsible for deciding whether or not they wish to purchase assured or non-assured grain for use in animal feed as this is a commercial decision.
Cereals and oilseeds make up a significant proportion of animal feed, most of which are internationally traded commodities. Subsequently, their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments in price and availability. Defra publishes statistics on domestic agricultural production on gov.uk however we make no assessment of end market. There are a number of external factors that will influence the split between human and industrial use of grain and that used for animal feed.