Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 1242

The Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1990

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© Crown Copyright 1990

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1990 No. 1242

ANIMALS

The Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1990

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in relation to England, and the Secretary of State, in relation to Wales, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 38, 40(1)(b) and 45 of the Slaughterhouses Act 1974^[1] and now vested in them^[2], and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, after consultation with such organisations as appear to them to represent the interests concerned in accordance with subsection (1) of the said section 38, hereby make the following Regulations:

Title and commencement
    1.—(1)  These Regulations may be cited as the Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1990 and, except for Regulation 14(b)(ii), shall come into force on 5th July 1990.

    (2)  Regulation 14(b)(ii) of these Regulations shall come into force on 5th July 1992.

Interpretation
    2.—(1)  In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,—
"the Act" means the Slaughterhouses Act 1974;
"animals" means cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses (including hinnies, asses and mules);
"appropriate Minister" means, in relation to England, the Minister, and in relation to Wales, the Secretary of State;
"casting pen" means a rotary pen capable of casting animals for slaughter;
"cattle", except in the definition of "animals", means bulls, cows, heifers and steers and calves which are too large to be restrained manually for slaughter on a cradle or table and, in the definition of "animals", "cattle" means bulls, cows, heifers, steers and calves;
"contravention" in relation to any provision of these Regulations includes a failure to comply with that provision and "contravenes" shall be construed accordingly;
"knacker's yard" means any building, premises or place used in connection with the business of killing animals whose flesh is not intended for sale for human consumption;
"lairage" means any premises or yard used for the confinement of animals awaiting slaughter in a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard and, for the purposes of regulations 5, 6, 7, 8(1)(a), 13 (other than 13(1)(b)), 20 and 21 below, includes a field so used;
"occupier" means—
 (a) in relation to a knacker's yard or to a lairage forming part of or used in connection with a knacker's yard, the person holding a licence granted under section 1 of the Act in respect of that knacker's yard;
 (b) in relation to a slaughterhouse provided by the local authority or to a lairage forming part of or used in connection with such a slaughterhouse, that local authority;
 (c) in relation to a port slaughterhouse or to a lairage forming part of or used in connection with such a slaughterhouse, the occupier of that slaughterhouse; and
 (d) in relation to any other slaughterhouse or to a lairage forming part of or used in connection with such a slaughterhouse, the person holding a licence granted under section 1 of the Act in respect of that slaughterhouse;


"port slaughterhouse" means a slaughterhouse forming part of a place at which imported animals are permitted to be landed under the Animal Health Act 1981^[3];
"religious method" means, in relation to the slaughter of an animal, slaughter by the Jewish method referred to in section 36(3)(a) of the Act or by the Mohammedan method referred to in section 36(3)(b) of the Act;
"restraining pen" means a pen or compartment which is—
 (a) suitable for restraining cattle in an upright position while they are being slaughtered by the religious method;
 (b) constructed so as to permit one animal at a time to be confined in it without discomfort and so as to prevent any substantial movement of the animal forwards, backwards or sideways once it has been placed in position for slaughter; and
 (c) approved by the appropriate Minister under regulation 23(2) below;


"slaughterhall" means that part of a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard in which animals are slaughtered or in which the dressing of any carcase is carried out;
"slaughterhouse" means any building, premises or place used in connection with the business of killing animals whose flesh is intended for sale for human consumption;
"sticking" means the severance of the major blood vessels in the neck or immediately anterior to the heart by means of a knife and "stick" and "stuck" shall be construed accordingly;
"stunning", in relation to an animal, means rendering the animal instantaneously insensible to pain until death supervenes and includes anaesthesia by carbon dioxide gas, and "stun" and "stunned" shall be construed accordingly;
"stunning pen" means—
 (a) until 5th July 1992, a pen or compartment which is suitable for confining cattle while they are being stunned and which is constructed so that it—
 (i) permits one animal at a time to be confined in it without discomfort, and
 (ii) prevents any substantial movement forwards, backwards or sideways of an animal confined in it; and
 (b) after 5th July 1992, a pen or compartment which is suitable for confining cattle while they are being stunned and which is constructed so that it—
 (i) permits one animal at a time to be confined in it without discomfort,
 (ii) prevents any substantial movement forwards, backwards or sideways of an animal confined in it,
 (iii) restricts the movement of the head of an animal confined in it so as to permit accurate stunning and allows the head of an animal to be released immediately after the animal has been stunned, and
 (iv) allows unimpeded access to the forehead of an animal confined in it;


"vehicle" means any vehicle (including a trailer of any description and the detachable body of a trailer) constructed or adapted for use on a road.

    (2)  Any provision of these Regulations which applies to an animal awaiting slaughter applies until the animal is dead.

[1] 1974 c. 3; section 38(5) was amended by sections 40(5) and 46(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48) and section 45 contains a definition of "the Minister" relevant to the exercise of the statutory powers under which these Regulations are made. back

[2] In the case of the Secretary of State, by virtue of S.I. 1978/272. back

[3] 1981 c. 22. back

Explanatory Note