Slaughterhouses: Fines
(asked on 1st June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many slaughterhouses have been fined for contravening welfare of animals at the time of killing in each of the last ten years.
The following table shows the number of convictions secured against the business operators of slaughterhouses or plant operatives working in approved slaughterhouses for offences under the welfare of animals at the time of killing, in the last 10 years:
Year | Prosecution cases | Business operators convicted | Plant operatives convicted |
2016 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
2017 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
2018 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
2019 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2021 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
2023 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
2024 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
2025 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
In addition, the following table shows the number of convictions resulting in fines against the business operators of slaughterhouses for offences concerning failures in hygiene standards, in the same period:
Year | Slaughterhouse operators |
2016 | 8 |
2017 | 1 |
2018 | 3 |
2019 | 5 |
2020 | 1 |
2021 | 1 |
2022 | 2 |
2023 | 0 |
2024 | 5 |
2025 | 1 |