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Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Wednesday, 9 June 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 June 2021. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Friday, 18 June 2021 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meat: Australia

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether (a) meat is slaughtered in Australian slaughterhouses to standards equivalent to those in the UK and (b) Australian meat would comply with Schedule 5 of The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Answer

Any imports of meat from Australian slaughterhouses into the UK must come from an establishment that has been assessed by the competent authority in Australia to supply goods that are at least equivalent to UK standards as required under Article 127(3)(e) of Retained Regulation 2017/625.

Meat imported from trading partners, including Australia, must also comply with Article 12 of Retained Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. Schedule 5 of The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 provides for the enforcement of this requirement.

At the end of the transition period, existing EU legislation and standards on food safety and animal health and welfare were enshrined in UK law, including existing approvals and restrictions for Australia to import meat into Great Britain. Prior to this, the competent authority in Australia was assessed by the European Commission in 2019 for the import of meat products, including for welfare at slaughter, and was found to be compliant.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13023
Session
2021-22
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Animal welfare Australia Imports Meat Slaughterhouses
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk