The Agriculture Bill has passed through the House of Commons with no references to slaughter or Shechita. Over the past few months, Shechita UK has been carefully monitoring the Agriculture Bill as it progressed through the House of Commons, making particular note of any amendments pertaining to religious slaughter in any way.
Whilst there were certainly moments of concern, notably in regards to a proposed amendment that made reference to method of farming labelling, Shechita UK received continued reassurances that the Bill would not directly impact Shechita and all previous mentions of slaughter labelling were removed thanks to our efforts.
The work of Shechita UK does not stop here. Victoria Prentis MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, expressed the Government’s commitment to a broader consultation on food labelling at the end of the transition period. Shechita UK continues to liaise with contacts within the Department in the lead up to the consultation and is preparing for the Bill’s progression through the House of Lords in the coming weeks.