Janet Finch-Saunders MS – the Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs – has expressed her shock at conditions found in an illegal slaughterhouse in Pembroke Dock.
It was reported that three men had been found guilty of various charges, including operating a food establishment without the required approval, operating a slaughterhouse that failed to meet specific legal requirements relating to hygiene, and failing to ensure food premises were clean and maintained in good repair.
Mrs Finch-Saunders said:
“There is absolutely no excuse for the appalling conditions found at the farm in question in Pembroke Dock, and I am pleased to see that the prosecution was successful.
“Food standards in Wales and the UK are – cases like this aside – among the highest in the world, and prosecutions such as this serve to strengthen those standards.
“We Welsh Conservatives are calling for CCTV to become mandatory in slaughterhouses in Wales after the failure of the voluntary scheme, which would have helped the authorities amass even more evidence in this shocking case.”
Mrs Finch-Saunders said that CCTV in slaughterhouses would ensure that mistreatment of animals is quickly detected and dealt with, adding:
“The use of this technology has long been viewed as an important step in ensuring that we have very highest levels of protection on animal welfare in Wales.
“Urgent action needs to be taken to rectify this situation, mandating the use of CCTV in critical areas in Welsh slaughterhouses. Not only will this bring our legislation in line with England and Scotland, but it will also provide reassurance to the public that high animal welfare standards are being maintained throughout Wales.”