Slaughterhouses Act 1974

Provision and management of public slaughterhouses

15 Power to provide public slaughterhouses

(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 sections 1 to 14 above shall apply in relation to a public slaughterhouse provided by a local authority.

16 Management of public slaughterhouses

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

(a) may, and shall if so required by the Minister, make byelaws for securing that the slaughterhouse is kept in a sanitary condition and is properly managed;

(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 Part II of this Act, animals to which section 36 below applies ;

(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.

(3) In so far as any byelaws under subsection (1)(a) above conflict with regulations under section 13 of the [1955 c. 16 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2).] Food and Drugs Act 1955, the regulations shall prevail.

(4) The confirming authority in respect of any byelaws under subsection (1)(a) above shall be the Minister.

17 Charges in respect of public slaughterhouses

(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

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a local authority who have provided, or are about to provide, a public slaughterhouse, may, with the approval of the Minister, 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) A local authority who intend to apply for the approval of the Minister under subsection (1) above shall, at least one month before making the application, give notice of their intention by advertisement in one or more local newspapers circulating in their district, and, where the consent of the local authority of another district is required, in one or more local newspapers circulating in that district.

(4) The Minister shall consider any objection to the authority's proposals which he may receive within four weeks after the publication of the advertisement from any person appearing to him to be interested, and, in the event of any such objection being received and not withdrawn, shall cause a local inquiry to be held.

(5) Subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 shall apply in relation to a local inquiry under subsection (4) above as they apply in relation to a local inquiry which a Minister causes to be held under subsection (1) of that section.