Slaughterhouses Act 1974

Provision and management of public slaughterhouses E+W

15 Power to provide public slaughterhouses. E+W

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a local authority may provide public slaughterhouses.

(2) Any proposal by a local authority to provide under this section a slaughterhouse within the district of another local authority shall require the consent of that authority; but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, and any question whether or not the consent of an authority for the purposes of this subsection is unreasonably withheld shall be referred to and determined by the Minister.

(3) It is hereby declared that the power conferred on local authorities by subsection (1) above is exercisable in either of the following ways, that is to say—

(a) by acquiring (whether by purchase, lease or otherwise) or appropriating land and providing slaughterhouse facilities there, or

(b) by acquiring (whether by purchase, lease or otherwise) land on which such facilities have been provided by other persons and securing that such facilities continue to be provided there;

and references in this Part of this Act to a local authority providing a slaughterhouse shall be construed accordingly.

(4) In subsection (3) above “slaughterhouse facilities” means facilities for carrying on the activities of a slaughterhouse, including plant and apparatus and the services of persons as slaughtermen or otherwise.

(5) Nothing in [F1 section 14] above shall apply in relation to a public slaughterhouse provided by a local authority.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 15(5) substituted (11.9.1996) by S. I. 1996/2235, art. 5(4)

16 Management of public slaughterhouses. E+W

(1) A local authority who have provided a public slaughterhouse—

F2 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) may provide plant or apparatus for disposing of, treating or processing waste matters, refuse or by-products, resulting from the slaughter of animals in the slaughterhouse;

(c) may, if they think fit, employ persons to slaughter or stun, in accordance with [F3 [F4 the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995][F4 the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2014 or the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014][F5 or the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014], horses (including hinnies, asses and mules), cattle, sheep, swine or goats];

(d) subject to subsection (2) below, may make such arrangements as they think expedient for securing that all the activities of the slaughterhouse, or any particular activities, are carried on there by servants or agents of theirs to the exclusion of other persons.

(2) A local authority shall not exercise the power conferred by subsection (1)(d) above in such a manner as to deny any religious community reasonable facilities for obtaining as food the flesh of animals slaughtered by the method specially required by their religion.

F2 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 16(1)(a)(3)(4) repealed (11.9.1996) by S. I. 1996/2235, arts. 3(2), 11, Sch.

F3 Words in s. 16(1)(c) substituted (1.4.1995) by S. I. 1995/731, reg. 28(2), Sch. 14, para. 2(3)

F4 Words in s. 16(1)(c) substituted (E.) (20.5.2014) by The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1240), reg. 1(4), Sch. 6 para. 2(2)

F5 Words in s. 16(1)(c) inserted (W.) (5.9.2014) by The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2014 (No. 2124), regs. 1(c), 2(2)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 16(1)(a) excluded by Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 (c. 65, SIF 81:1, 2), s. 1(1), Sch. 1

17 Charges in respect of public slaughterhouses. E+W

(1) A local authority who have provided a public slaughterhouse may make charges, according to scales determined by them from time to time, in respect of the use of the slaughterhouse or of any services provided there.

(2) Every scale of charges determined by a local authority for the purposes of this section shall be published by them in at least one newspaper circulating in their district and in such other manner (if any) as they think expedient for informing persons interested.

18 Power to provide cold stores and refrigerators for public slaughterhouses. E+W

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a local authority who have provided, or are about to provide, a public slaughterhouse, may, . . . F6 , provide a cold store or refrigerator for the storage and preservation of meat and other articles of food and may make charges in respect of the use of any such store or refrigerator.

(2) Any proposal by a local authority to provide under this section a cold store or refrigerator within the district of another local authority shall require the consent of that authority; but that consent shall not be unreasonably withheld and any question whether or not the consent of an authority for the purposes of this subsection is unreasonably withheld shall be referred to and determined by the Minister.

(3)—(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7

Textual Amendments

F6 Words repealed by Local Government Act 1974 (c. 7), Sch. 8

F7 S. 18(3)–(5) repealed by Local Government Act 1974 (c. 7), Sch. 8