Make CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses to prevent animal cruelty, says Roger
Posted by Roger Godsiff, MP for Birmingham, Hall Green, at 11:08, Mon 20 October 2014:
Birmingham, Hall Green MP, Roger Godsiff, has pledged his support to the campaign for mandatory CCTV inside UK slaughterhouses. The campaign – which is now supported by 159 MPs – was launched after a three-year investigation by Animal Aid revealed widespread breaches of welfare laws. Slaughterhouse workers were filmed: kicking, punching and beating animals; burning them with cigarettes; picking them up by their fleeces and throwing them into stunning pens; and dragging them by their ears. Animal Aid also recorded animals being improperly stunned and coming round again, and suffering painful electrocution instead of being stunned.
Roger, who has served Birmingham since 1992, signed a parliamentary motion (an Early Day Motion) calling for mandatory CCTV to monitor working practices inside UK slaughterhouses and reiterated his support by agreeing to be photographed with a campaign banner.
Says Roger: ‘There can be no excuse for cruelty to animals. It is utterly unacceptable for animals to be mistreated in this way, particularly in a country where there is a public consensus around the importance of animal welfare. I therefore support Animal Aid’s campaign to install CCTV in all slaughterhouses, to ensure that this abuse does not continue and those who carry it out are brought to justice. Unfortunately, this is a by-product of the factory farming system, where animals are treated as commodities to be produced as cheaply as possible rather than as living creatures which should not be made to suffer. We need to re-think the way animals are treated to ensure that this kind of gratuitous cruelty stops now.’
Says Kate Fowler, Head of Campaigns with Animal Aid: ‘There is no excuse for the savagery we filmed inside some slaughterhouses, and yet it went on right under the noses of vets stationed there to monitor welfare. Clearly, we need a more robust regulatory system, and CCTV can play an important part in deterring and detecting welfare breaches. We are very grateful for the support of Mr Godsiff and his compassionate colleagues.’
In a 2014 YouGov poll commissioned by Animal Aid, 76 per cent of British adults support CCTV being made mandatory in all UK slaughterhouses (with independent monitoring of the footage). When taking into consideration only those who expressed a view, that figure rose to 87 per cent.
A petition on the government’s Number 10 website has already attracted more than 36,000 signatures. It can be found at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64997
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Posted by Colin, 11:19, Mon 20 October 2014: (Is this post abusive?) #
This unspeakable cruelty is just despicable. There should be psychological examination of the slaughter-men, to detect any de-sensitization from normal human responses to sentient fellow creatures. Also, it is time to outlaw the horror of Kosher & Halal slaughter, all done in the name of a fairy-tale, supernatural being; Santa Claus for adults. It's 2014, not 1514.
Posted by Mr C.Davis, 11:26, Mon 20 October 2014: (Is this post abusive?) #
Please stop opposing HS2. It is good for the country and very good for Birmingham. As Birmingham MP I suggest you need to think more of what is good for Birmingham people.
Posted by Mohammed Hemraj, 17:10, Mon 20 October 2014: (Is this post abusive?) #
Animal cruelty, what a joke? What is happening to slaughter animals is being experimented on human beings by all the dictator rulers around the world, including America.
In Saudi Arabia, in order to suppress democracy and human rights has meant long imprisonments and death sentences to those who speak against the dictator ruler who has amassed oil revenue as personal wealth with the support of Americans. Roger, do you know that Saudi has passed a death sentence on Muslim clerics and a demonstration was held in London on Sunday.