CCTV in Abattoirs

RSPCA Cymru supports the introduction of CCTV in abattoirs, which we believe should be compulsory. CCTV in abattoirs not only protects those animals being slaughtered from possible mistreatment but also the slaughterhouse staff from potentially unfounded allegations of abuse.

We want to see legislation introduced to make CCTV in abattoirs mandatory. Polling has indicated 82 percent of the public in Wales supporting the introduction of CCTV in all abattoirs 0 and as early as October 2015, the Welsh Government said it was their "firm belief ... that every slaughterhouse in Wales should have CCTV installed".
In previous Senedd terms, a statement of opinion on the issues attracted the support of 34 Assembly Members, approximately 70 per cent of those eligible - highlighting the strong cross-party support which has long existed on this issue.

Disappointingly, a 2016 report for Welsh Government, entitled 'The Need for and Possible Implementation of a Workable System of CCTV in All Slaughterhouses in Wales', written by a Task and Finish Group, concluded that there is ¿not sufficient basis¿ to make the implementation of CCTV a mandatory requirement in abattoirs in Wales.

The UK Government has also announced its intention to introduce compulsory CCTV in slaughterhouses in England.

RSPCA Cymru welcomed an announcement by the Welsh Government of a £1.1million Food Business Investment of grant aid, available for small and medium size slaughterhouses in Wales covering welfare friendly infrastructure and facilities along with the installation and upgrading of CCTV monitoring systems. However, uptake has been disappointing - and, as of August 2020, only one successful application - from four - had been made using this fund to instal CCTV.

In 2020, the Senedd Petitions Committee called on the Welsh Government to make the ¿installation and maintenance of CCTV monitoring systems mandatory in all slaughterhouses in Wales¿ - and noted how a majority of abattoirs in Wales do not have such systems in place.

Ahead of the Senedd 2021 Elections, both Welsh Labour and the Welsh Conservatives made manifesto commitments to introduce CCTV in all abattoirs in Wales - and the RSPCA hopes this long-discussed policy will finally become a reality during the sixth Senedd.