{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/meat-inspection-regulations-1987/regulation-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/meat-inspection-regulations-1987/regulation-4.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1987/2236",
  "legislation_title": "The Meat Inspection Regulations 1987",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/meat-inspection-regulations-1987",
  "path": "regulation/4",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Control of times of slaughter",
  "text": "(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, a local authority within whose district a private slaughterhouse is situated may—\n(a) determine the days on which, and the hours in those days between which, animals may be slaughtered in that slaughterhouse; and\n(b) vary the days and hours so determined.\n(2) In determining, or varying, the times of slaughter at a slaughterhouse the local authority shall have regard to—\n(a) the nature and extent of the business carried on at that slaughterhouse;\n(b) the need to avoid demands on local authority manpower which are disproportionate to the size of the business conducted at that slaughterhouse;\n(c) the need to secure adequate meat inspection for the purposes of these Regulations or the need to secure adequate meat inspection and supervision for the purposes of the Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1987, as appropriate;\n(d) the need to provide for continuous meat inspection for the purposes of these Regulations where this is necessary to maintain the flow of production and to avoid disruption of essential trade requirements;\n(e) the fluctuating needs of the market; and\n(f) the perishable nature of meat.\n(3) Before determining or varying the times of slaughter at a slaughterhouse the local authority shall consult the occupier of that slaughterhouse and any other person who slaughters animals there with the occupier’s consent.\n(4) The local authority shall give written notice of any determination or variation of the times of slaughter at a slaughterhouse to the occupier of that slaughterhouse, and to any other person who has been consulted in accordance with paragraph (3) of this regulation.\n(5) Any such determination or variation shall have effect at the expiration of one month beginning with the date of the said notice unless an objection is made under paragraph (6) of this regulation before the determination or variation to which it relates has come into effect.\n(6) A person who has been given notice in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (4) of this regulation may make objection to the local authority in writing that in determining or varying the times of slaughter at a slaughterhouse the local authority have not had proper regard to the factors set out in paragraph (2) of this regulation or that due to a change of circumstance the local authority should vary in accordance with those factors the times of slaughter previously determined or varied by them, whereupon the local authority shall reconsider the determination or variation having regard to those factors.\n(7) The local authority shall give written notice of any further determination or variation or, where there is none, of their decision to maintain their previous determination or variation to the occupier of the slaughterhouse concerned, and to any other person who slaughters animals there with the occupier’s consent.\n(8) Any such further determination or variation or any such decision shall not have effect before the expiration of 21 days beginning with the date of the said notice and, where an appeal is made to a Magistrates' Court under paragraph (9) of this regulation before the further determination or variation or decision to which it relates has come into effect, that further determination or variation or decision shall continue not to have effect until the expiration of fourteen days beginning with the date of the dismissal by the Magistrates' Court of that appeal.\n(9) A person who has been given notice in accordance with paragraph (7) of this regulation may appeal to a Magistrates' Court on the ground that in determining or varying, or in refusing to vary, the times of slaughter at a slaughterhouse, the local authority have not had proper regard to the factors set out in paragraph (2) of this regulation.\n(10) Subject to paragraph (11) of this regulation, no person shall slaughter or cause to be slaughtered without the previous consent of the local authority any animal in any slaughterhouse for which times of slaughter have for the time being been determined under this regulation at any time other than during the days and hours so determined.\n(11) The provisions of paragraph (10) of this regulation shall not apply in relation to any animal whose immediate slaughter is necessary by reason of accidental injury, illness, exposure to infection or other emergency affecting that animal or by reason of the provisions of regulation 18 of the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Regulations 1958.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "S.I. 1987/2237."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "S.I. 1958/2166, to which there is an amendment not relevant to these Regulations."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1987/2236/regulation/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T16:14:07.096521+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}