Slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses
Slaughterhouses existed long before local authorities became involved in providing them. In the 17th century concern about the filth and fire hazards in the burgh of Edinburgh resulted in the privy council banning butchers from slaughtering animals in the burgh and allowing them instead to have slaughterhouses beside the North Loch.[1]
The Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 allowed burgh magistrates to establish a burgh slaughterhouse or shambles and thereafter prevent slaughter of cattle or other beasts anywhere else in the burgh.[2] Subsequently the various general burgh police acts included provision for burgh slaughterhouses with the same right to a monopoly within the burgh boundaries.[3] The Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867 established a requirement for local authority consent for new or proposed extensions to slaughterhouses.[4] From 1897 slaughterhouses had to be licenced by the local authority for public health and the right of local authorities to provide slaughterhouses was extended to the landward areas outwith burghs.[5] By the mid-20th century, this monopoly was removed and the local authority role became a duty to ensure there were adequate facilities for the slaughter of animals, with a continuing right to provide a public slaughter house and charge for its use.[6]
Regulations for slaughterhouses were gradually introduced in relation to animal welfare as well as ensuring the meat was fit for human consumption.[7]
Compiler: Elspeth Reid (2021)
Related Knowledge Base entries
Sanitary Inspection & Environmental Health
Food Labelling, Standards & Hygiene
Bibliography
Whyte, W. E., Local Government in Scotland (Hodge & Co, 1936)
References
[1] ACT XXIX Ratification of the act of secret council against bakers, brewers, butchers and candle-makers of Edinburgh, 1621 The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, ed. by K.M. Brown and others (University of St Andrews, 2007-2021), 1621/6/41.<http://rps.ac.uk/trans/1621/6/41> [accessed 3 June 2021].
[2] Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will IV c.46) s.112.
[3] General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act, 1862; Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 ss.278-287.
[4] Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict c.101) s.30.
[5] Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897 (60 & 61 Vict c.38) ss.33-34.
[6] Slaughterhouse Act 1954 (c.42) ss.7-8; Slaughterhouses Act 1974 (c.3) s.15.
[7] Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) Act 1928 (c.29).