VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Horses: Slaughterhouses

Asked by Liz JarvisLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 20 October 2025UIN 78898

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to review the welfare of racehorses sent to slaughter in abattoirs.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

The Government has no plans to specifically review the welfare of racehorses sent to slaughter in abattoirs. The British Horseracing Authority introduced a requirement in January 2022 that all domestically trained racehorses must be signed out of the food chain, that is they must not go to slaughter in an abattoir, in order to race in GB.

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