Slaughterhouses Act 1974

Regulation of private slaughterhouses and knackers' yards

11 Restriction of dwellings in slaughterhouses

(1) Where a slaughterhouse licence is in force in respect of any premises, then, subject to subsection (2) below, if any person causes or permits to be used as a dwelling any part of a building which contains a slaughterhall, being a part within the curtilage of those premises, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not apply if the part of the building in question has been appropriated as a dwelling continuously since before 1st August 1958 and no application to which section 3 above applies has been made in respect of the premises since that date.

(3) If a person convicted of an offence under subsection (1) above is the holder of a slaughterhouse licence in respect of the premises in question, the court may, in addition to any other punishment, cancel the licence.

(4) The provisions of section 7 above with respect to the right to continue to use premises shall also apply where the decision of a court cancelling a slaughterhouse licence under subsection (3) above makes it unlawful for a person to use as a slaughterhouse any premises which he was lawfully using for that purpose before the decision of the court was given.

12 Byelaws about slaughterhouses and knackers' yards

(1) A local authority may, and shall if so required by the Minister, make byelaws—

(a) for securing that slaughterhouses and knackers' yards are kept in a sanitary condition and are properly managed, and

(b) requiring a person licensed to keep a knacker's yard to keep, and to produce when required, records of animals brought into the yard and of the manner in which those animals and the different parts thereof were disposed of.

(2) Nothing in Part II of this Act shall be construed as restricting any power to make byelaws under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) above; but, in so far as any byelaws under that subsection conflict with regulations under section 13 of the [1955 c. 16 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2).] Food and Drugs Act 1955, the regulations shall prevail.

(3) The confirming authority in respect of any byelaws under this section shall be the Minister.

(4) If a person convicted of an offence against any byelaw made under this section holds a licence in respect of the premises where the act was committed, the court may, in addition to any other punishment, cancel the licence.

13 Signs to be displayed at slaughterhouses and knackers' yards

(1) The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard in respect of which a licence is in force shall display in a conspicuous position on the premises a legible notice with the words " Licensed Slaughterhouse " or " Licensed Knacker's Yard ", as the case may be.

(2) A person who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10.