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Written question asked by Luke Evans (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 January 2026. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Slaughterhouses: Animal Welfare

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the 2024 Slaughter Sector Survey, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number of [a] pigs, [b] chickens [c] cows and [d] sheep that were stunned before slaughter compared to the last five reported survey years.

Answer

Regulations require that animals must be stunned prior to slaughter so that they are unconscious and insensible to pain. The only exception to the requirement to stun is where animals are slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but we respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.

For sheep and goats, the Government supports an industry-led initiative called the Demonstration of Life Protocol, which provides assurance for Muslim consumers that the stunning of these animals is compatible with halal slaughter requirements, while protecting the welfare of the animals involved and supporting opportunities for trade.

All pigs are stunned before slaughter, in accordance with legislation. As set out in the government’s animal welfare strategy, we will consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas as a method of stunning pigs.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
107756
Session
2024-26
Related items
Animal welfare strategy for England
Monday, 22 December 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Animal welfare Slaughterhouses
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk