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at these premises to the approval of the Chief Sanitary Inspector, the
Com mittee would be prepared to grant his request for a licence.
The consideration of the application of Mr. George Massey, 720,
Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, be deferred for further information".
The Slaughterhouse Act, 1954, came into operation in July, 1954.
In considering applications for licences local authorities were to have
regard to the requirements of Section 13 of the Food and Drugs Act,
1938, of any slaughterhouse byelaws relating to sanitary conditions and
to the provisions of the Slaughter of Animals Acts for the prevention of
cruelty.
Section 3 (3) of the new Act makes special provisions for a licence
to be refused where the local authority are not satisfied that the premises
conform with the requirements of Section 13 of the 1938 Act and of
any regulations in force relating to hygiene. Authorities were authorised
to grant licences for periods greater than the maximum of 13 months
allowed by the 1938 Act provided the period does not go beyond 31st
July, 1959. Licences granted or renewed after the 30th June, 1956,
will remain subject to the maximum period of 13 months. No licences
may be granted for premises which had not been used and licensed or
registered as a slaughterhouse at any time from 1st October, 1934, without
the consent of the Minister of Food.
The new Act repeals the special provisions under which licences
had to be granted as of right to slaughterhouses which prior to the
coming into operation of the 1938 Act were classified as " registered " or
"licensed without limitation of time," though the special privileges
attaching to these two classes of slaughterhouse continued to the end of
1954, when the application for a licence in respect of such premises was
made before then.
Section 61 of the 1938 Act enabled a local authority which had
provided a public slaughterhouse to close some or all of the private
slaughterhouses in the district. Section 4 of the new Act extends the
power so that it may be exercised by a local authority which has not
provided a public slaughterhouse, but which is of the opinion that there
is adequate alternative public slaughtering accommodation in a neighbouring
district to meet the needs of the district. When a local authority
are satisfied that there is sufficient slaughtering accommodation, private
or public, available for their district and that no additional facilities are
required, they may by resolution determine that no further licences will
be granted or renewed in respect of any premises not licensed on the
date the resolution takes effect.
Section 5 of the new Act provides that claims for compensation may
be made by any person having an interest in any licensed slaughterhouse
wnich may no longer operate as a result of such a resolution, and in
any premises which were licensed and in use as a slaughterhouse on 1st
October, 1939, but were not licensed on the date of any resolution passed
in 1954. The basis of compensation is an amount representing the
reduction in the value of the premises consequent upon the prohibition
to use the premises as a slaughterhouse. The Ministry may make a
grant to the authority not exceeding one-half of the amount of the
I compensation.