Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897

33 Licensing of slaughter-houses.

(1) A person carrying on the business of a slaughterer of cattle or horses, or knacker, shall not use any premises as a slaughter-house or knacker's yard without a licence from the local authority, and if he does he shall for each offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, and the fact that cattle or horses have been taken into unlicensed premises shall be prima facie evidence that an offence under this section has been committed.

(2) A licence under this section shall expire on such day in every year as the local authority fix, and when a licence is first granted shall expire on the day so fixed which secondly occurs after the grant of the licence, and a fee not exceeding five shillings, may be charged for the licence or any renewal thereof.

(3) Not less than twenty-one days before a new licence for any premises is granted under this section, notice of the intention to apply for it shall be advertised as provided in sub-section two of the immediately preceding section by the local authority of the district in which the premises are situate, and any person interested may show cause against the grant or renewal of the licence.

(4) An objection shall not be entertained to the renewal of a licence under this section, unless seven days previous notice of 1 the objection has been served on the applicant, save that, on an objection being made of which notice has not been given, the local authority may, if they think it just so to do, direct notice thereof to be served on the applicant, and adjourn the question of the renewal to a future day, and require the attendance of the applicant on that day, and then hear the case, and consider the objection, as if the said notice had been duly given.

(5) For the purposes of this section a licence shall be deemed to be renewed where a further licence is granted in immediate succession to a prior licence for the same premises.

(6) The local authority shall have right to enter any slaughterhouse or knacker's yard at any hour by day, or at any hour when business is in progress or is usually carried on therein, for the purpose of examining whether there is any contravention therein of this Act or of any byelaw made thereunder.

(7) Where any person carrying on the business of a slaughterer of cattle or horses or knacker at the passing of this Act is refused by the local authority a licence for the premises where such business is carried on, or where any person has been refused a renewal of any licence, such person may appeal to the Board against such refusal, and the decision of the Board shall be final, but in the case of a district other than a burgh the appeal to the Board shall only arise after the county council has given its determination on the matter, and a local authority may appeal to the Board against the determination of the county council.