Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 731 of 1995).

These Regulations give effect in Great Britain to the provisions of Council Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at time of slaughter or killing. The Regulations apply to the movement, lairaging, restraint, stunning, slaughter and killing of animals bred and kept for the production of meat, skin, fur or other products, to the killing of animals for the purpose of disease control and to the killing of surplus chicks and embryos in hatchery waste (reg. 3(1)), subject to exceptions for, inter alia, wild game (reg. 3(4)). The Regulations: (a) provide for the licensing of slaughtermen by Ministers (reg. 4(1); (b) prevent persons from engaging in the lairaging, restraint, stunning, slaughter or killing of animals without the necessary knowledge and skill (reg. 4(2)); (c) prohibit persons engaged in the lairaging, restraint, stunning, slaughter or killing of animals from causing any avoidable excitement, pain or suffering to any animal (reg. 4(3)); (d) require occupiers of slaughterhouses or knackers' yards to ensure that there is a person available who has authority to take whatever action may be necessary to safeguard the welfare of any live animals on the premises, and that any person who is engaged in activities governed by these Regulations is acquainted with the legislation and elfare codes which are relevant to those activities and, where necessary, is licensed (reg. 6); (e) provide powers for Ministers to make statutory codes of practice (reg 7); etc.