The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2014

Made: 10th April 2014

Laid before Parliament: 16th May 2014

Coming into force: 20th May 2014

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PART 1 — General

Citation, extent, application and commencement

1

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Expiry

2

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Interpretation

3

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The competent authority

4

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PART 2 — Certificates, temporary certificates and licences

CHAPTER 1 — Certificates and temporary certificates

Requirement for a certificate or temporary certificate

5

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Operations which require a certificate or temporary certificate

6

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Certificates

7

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Conditions for a certificate

8

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Temporary certificates

9

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Conditions for a temporary certificate

10

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Grant of certificates and temporary certificates

11

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CHAPTER 2 — Licences

Requirement for a licence

12

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Operations which require a licence

13

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Exceptions to the requirement for a licence

14

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Licences

15

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Conditions for a licence

16

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Grant of licences

17

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CHAPTER 3 — Administrative provisions

Refusal to grant a certificate, temporary certificate or licence

18

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Suspension or revocation of a certificate, temporary certificate or licence

19

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Modification of a certificate or licence

20

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Refusal to modify a certificate or licence

21

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Appeals

22

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WASK licences

23

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Fees

24

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PART 3 — National rules

Additional requirements for slaughterhouses

25

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Additional requirements for killing animals other than in slaughterhouses

26

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Additional requirements for killing animals in accordance with religious rites

27

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Killing animals other than those to which the EU Regulation applies

28

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PART 4 — Derogation

Depopulation operations

29

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PART 5 — Offences and penalties

Offences

30

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Obstruction offences

31

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Offences by bodies corporate

32

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Penalties

33

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PART 6 — Enforcement

Inspectors

34

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Power to enter premises

35

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Warrants

36

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Power to inspect and seize

37

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Enforcement notices

38

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Appeals against enforcement notices

39

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Power of local authority to prosecute

40

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Time limit for prosecutions

41

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PART 7 — Miscellaneous provisions

Notices

42

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Consequential and supplementary amendments

43

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Transitional provision: certificates

44

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Transitional provision: slaughterhouses (layout, construction and equipment)

45

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Review

46

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Revocations

47

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SCHEDULE 1 — ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSES

PART 1 — Introductory

Interpretation

1

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Scope

2

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PART 2 — Layout, construction and equipment of slaughterhouses

General requirements

3

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Animals delivered other than in containers

4

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Lairages other than field lairages

5

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Field lairages

6

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Shackle lines

7

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Stunning pens

8

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Facilities for horses

9

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PART 3 — Handling operations

General requirements

10

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Inspection of animals

11

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Animals which have experienced pain or suffering and unweaned animals

12

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Animals delivered other than in containers

13

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The driving of animals

14

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Moving animals with care

15

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Instruments for guiding animals

16

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Lairaging of animals

17

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PART 4 — Restraining operations

General requirement

18

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Restraining bovine animals

19

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Suspending poultry

20

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Shackle lines

21

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Restraining operations

22

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PART 5 — Stunning and killing operations

General requirements

23

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Penetrative captive bolt

24

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Non-penetrative captive bolt

25

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Percussive blow to the head

26

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Electrical stunning other than by waterbath

27

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Electrical stunning by waterbath

28

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Exposure to gas – pigs

29

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Exposure to gas – poultry

30

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Bleeding or pithing

31

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Horses

32

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SCHEDULE 2 — ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR KILLING ANIMALS OTHER THAN IN SLAUGHTERHOUSES

PART 1 — Introductory

Interpretation

1

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Scope

2

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Exemptions

3

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PART 2 — Layout, construction and equipment of premises

General requirements

4

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Animals delivered other than in containers

5

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Lairages other than field lairages

6

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Field lairages

7

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Shackle lines

8

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Stunning pens

9

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Facilities for horses

10

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PART 3 — Handling operations

General requirements

11

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Inspection of animals

12

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Animals which have experienced pain or suffering and unweaned animals

13

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Emergency killing

14

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Animals delivered other than in containers

15

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The lifting or dragging of animals

16

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The driving of animals

17

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Moving animals with care

18

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Instruments to guide animals

19

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Instruments to make animals move

20

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Treatment of animals

21

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Lairaging of animals

22

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Handling of animals delivered in containers

23

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Killing of animals delivered in containers

24

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Poultry awaiting killing at place of purchase

25

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PART 4 — Restraining operations

General requirement

26

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Restraining bovine animals

27

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Electric currents

28

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Tying legs

29

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Suspending animals

30

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Shackle lines

31

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Restraining operations

32

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PART 5 — Stunning and killing operations

General requirements

33

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Penetrative captive bolt

34

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Non-penetrative captive bolt

35

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Percussive blow to the head

36

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Electrical stunning other than by waterbath

37

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Electrical stunning by waterbath

38

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Exposure to gas – prohibition

39

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Exposure to gas – pigs

40

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Exposure to gas – poultry

41

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Bleeding or pithing

42

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Horses

43

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Surplus chicks in hatchery waste

44

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SCHEDULE 3 — ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR KILLING ANIMALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH RELIGIOUS RITES

PART 1 — Introductory

Interpretation

1

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General prohibition

2

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PART 2 — Sheep, goats and bovine animals

Restraint of adult bovine animals

3

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Use and maintenance of restraining pens

4

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Method of killing

5

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Handling of sheep, goats and bovine animals during killing

6

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PART 3 — Birds

Method of killing

7

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Handling birds during killing

8

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PART 4 — Rabbinical Commission

Membership

9

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Supplementary

10

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SCHEDULE 4 — KILLING ANIMALS OTHER THAN THOSE TO WHICH THE EU REGULATION APPLIES

Interpretation

1

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Scope

2

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Exemptions

3

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Humane killing

4

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Poultry, rabbits or hares bled for private domestic consumption

5

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SCHEDULE 5 — PROVISIONS OF THE EU REGULATION

Column 1 Provision of the EU Regulation containing welfare requirement	Column 2 Subject matter
Article 3(1)	General requirement to spare an animal avoidable pain, distress or suffering.
Article 3(2)	Measures to protect animals from avoidable pain, distress or suffering.
Article 3(3)	Facilities for killing and related operations.
Article 4(1) and Annex I	Stunning methods.
Article 5(1)	Checks on stunning.
Article 5(2)	Checks on animals killed in accordance with religious rites.
Article 6(1) and (2)	Standard operating procedures.
Article 7(1)	Level of competence.
Article 7(3)	Killing of fur animals.
Article 8	Sale of restraining or stunning equipment.
Article 9(1)	Maintenance of restraining and stunning equipment.
Article 9(2)	Back-up stunning equipment.
Article 9(3)	Placing of animals in restraining equipment.
Article 12	Meat imported from third countries.
Article 14(1) and Annex II	Layout and construction of, and equipment in, slaughterhouses.
Article 15(1) and Annex III	Handling and restraining operations.
Article 15(2)	Restraint of animals killed in accordance with religious rites.
Article 15(3)	Prohibited methods of restraint.
Article 16(1) to (4)	Monitoring procedures.
Article 17(1) to (5)	Animal Welfare Officer.
Article 19	Emergency killing.

SCHEDULE 6 — CONSEQUENTIAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY AMENDMENTS

Firearms Act 1968

1

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Slaughterhouses Act 1974

2

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Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

3

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The Meat (Official Controls Charges) (England) Regulations 2009

4

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Gangmasters Licensing (Exclusions) Regulations 2013

5

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SCHEDULE 7 — TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS (CERTIFICATES)

Operations in a slaughterhouse immediately before 1st January 2013

1

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Simplified procedure for persons who have three years’ professional experience

2

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SCHEDULE 8 — TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS (SLAUGHTERHOUSES)

Animals delivered other than in containers

1

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Lairages other than field lairages

2

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Field lairages

3

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Shackle lines

4

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Electrical stunning other than by waterbath

5

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Electrical stunning by waterbath

6

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Exposure to gas

7

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Signed

George Eustice — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — 9th April 2014

We consent

David Evennett — Anne Milton — Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury — 10th April 2014

Explanatory note

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Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1972 c. 68; section 2(2) was amended by section 27(1)(a) of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (c. 51) and section 3(3) of the European Union (Amendment) Act 2008 (c. 7). The function of the former Minister of Agriculture of making regulations under section 2(2) was transferred to the Secretary of State by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794).

[^f00002]: S.I. 1972/1811.

[^f00003]: 1973 c. 51; section 56 was amended by S.I. 2011/1043, article 6(1)(e).

[^f00004]: OJ No L 303, 18.11.2009, p1.

[^f00005]: 1967 c. 24.

[^f00006]: 1974 c. 3.

[^f00007]: S.I. 1995/731; relevant amending instruments, in relation to England, are S.I. 1999/400, 2000/656 and 3352, 2001/3830, 2003/3272, 2006/1200, 2007/402 and 2012/501.

[^f00008]: OJ No L 303, 18.11.2009, p1.

[^f00009]: Ofqual, a non-ministerial Government Department, was established by section 127 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22) and is responsible for regulating qualifications, exams and tests in England.

[^f00010]: RCVS was established by Royal Charter in 1844 and is responsible for the registration of veterinary surgeons and the regulation of their education, ethical and clinical standards.

[^f00011]: 2006 c. 45.

[^f00012]: 1966 c. 36; section 2 was amended by S.I. 2003/2919, article 12 and the Schedule, paragraph 1 and S.I. 2008/1824, article 2 and the Schedule, paragraph 2(a).

[^f00013]: 1980 c. 43.

[^f00014]: 1978 c. 30.

[^f00015]: S.I. 1995/731; relevant amending instruments, in relation to England, are S.I. 1999/400, 2000/656 and 3352, 2001/3830, 2003/3272, 2006/1200, 2007/402 and 2012/501.

[^f00016]: S.I. 1999/400.

[^f00017]: S.I. 2000/656.

[^f00018]: S.I. 2000/3352.

[^f00019]: S.I. 2001/3830.

[^f00020]: S.I. 2003/3272.

[^f00021]: S.I. 2006/1200.

[^f00022]: S.I. 2007/402.

[^f00023]: S.I. 2012/501.

[^f00024]: 1981 c. 22.

[^f00025]: 1968 c. 27; section 10 was amended by S.I. 1995/731, regulation 28(2) and Schedule 14, paragraph 1.

[^f00026]: S.I. 2014/951 (W.92).

[^f00027]: S.S.I. 2012/321.

[^f00028]: 1974 c. 3; section 16(1)(c) was amended by S.I. 1995/731, regulation 28(2) and Schedule 14, paragraph 2(3).

[^f00029]: 1986 c. 14; relevant amendments to Table A in Schedule 1 were made by S.I. 2012/3039, regulations 2 and 16(1) and (4)(d).

[^f00030]: S.I. 2009/1574.

[^f00031]: S.I. 2013/2216.

[^f00032]: S.I. 2014/951 (W.92).

[^f00033]: S.S.I. 2012/321.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Editorial notes

[^key-eaeb0b05bdec91f07b9245f3afc817bd]: Regulations revoked (19.5.2014) by The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Revocation) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1258), regs. 1(2), 2