6. Mr Beattie asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline how many halal meat slaughterhouses are located in Northern Ireland. (AQO 1770/22-27)

There are five slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland producing meat that may be marketed as halal. All halal slaughter in Northern Ireland uses pre-slaughter stun.

I thank the Minister for his answer. This is a consumer and ethical question, because many consumers would not be happy if they were consuming meat that was slaughtered through halal practices, yet, in Northern Ireland, there is no legal requirement to specifically label meat as halal or even kosher. Will the Minister look into that with a view to changing it?

I would need to check the law on that and the UK-wide position under the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. I will write to the Member on the issue.