Report relative to the question of humane slaughtering of animals / Sanitary Committee.

  • City of London (England). Corporation. Public Health Department. Sanitary Committee.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report relative to the question of humane slaughtering of animals / Sanitary Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    +} Animals; a Deputation from the Union of London Retail Meat Traders’ Association Incorporated was also present, and both Deputations, who had been furnished with a copy of the Joint Report of your Officers, gave us their views thereon. We also invited a Deputation from the Smithfield and Aldgate Carcase Butchers’ Association, Ltd., who, however, did not attend, but informed us by letter that they “* have seriously ‘* considered the matter in all its bearings, and have no objections to raise to the ‘‘ adoption of the Mechanical Killer at Islington, and if the Corporation see fit to ‘‘ frame a Bye-law enforcing its use, the members of the Association will cordially “* fall in with it.”’ It was gathered from the views expressed that a divergence of opinion exists as to the advantages or disadvantages which result from the use of mechanically operated instruments, and, having carefully considered the whole question, it was decided to request the Medical Officer of Health to prepare a draft Resolution generally supporting the principles of the Ministry of Health’s Model Bye-law 9 (8), and urging the Government, in order to secure uniformity, to make suitable Regulations applicable throughout the country. A draft Resolution was accordingly prepared by the Medical Officer of Health, in the following terms, which was individually considered both by us and the Cattle Markets Committee :— ? ‘* That this Committee, having considered the Report of its Officers on the Humane ‘* Slaughtering of Animals, and having heard the views of duly appointed representatives ‘* of the Council of Justice to Animals and of the Union of London Retail Meat Traders’ ‘* Association Incorporated thereon, and having considered the effect which the ‘“‘ adoption of Model Bye-law 9 (8) would have on the work at Islington Cattle Market, “is of opinion that the time is now opportune for definite Regulations to be framed to ‘“‘ control and regulate the slaughtering of animals intended for human consumption, ‘and, furthermore, is of opinion that any additional powers in this connection should ‘ be of general application throughout the country, and that in order to secure uniformity, “it respectfully submits that such Regulations should be issued as compulsory ‘“* Regulations framed by the Ministry of Health.”’ We subsequently received the following expressions of opinion from the Cattle Markets Committee :— Resotvep—That this Committee are of opinion that any Statutory Regulation dealing with the question should exclude sheep. Resotvep—That, having studied the exhaustive Report of the Officers, and heard the Deputations from the Petitioners and the Union of London Retail Meat Traders’ Association Incorporated, this Committee approve the use of a mechanically operated instrument—preferably of the captive-bolt type—for the slaughter of cattle, calves, pigs and horses at the Metropolitan Cattle Market. The Committee are not, however, satisfied that the slaughter of sheep on a crutch by such an instrument, or any form of stunning, would be more humane than the present methods of sticking or cutting, and are not, therefore, in view of the probable adverse effect on the trade of the Market and Abattoir at Islington, prepared to recommend the adoption by the Court of Model Bye-law 9 (x) of the Ministry of Health. The Committee are prepared to agree an amended Bye-law for the Metropolitan Cattle Market, on the lines of the Model Bye-law, not applicable to sheep; or, in the alternative, to recommend that the Ministry of Health be pressed to make a Statutory Regulation prescribing the method of slaughter of all animals in slaughterhouses throughout the country. These we duly considered, and our decision was to adopt the draft Resolution above mentioned.