The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has said they hope Northern Ireland will follow the example of the Scottish Parliament and introduce legislation that will require mandatory CCTV recording in meat factories.

The move is in relation to animal welfare concerns raised back in 2018 with legislation to make CCTV compulsory in Scottish abattoirs from July 2021 being welcomed by the British Veterinary Association (BVA).

This decision is a huge win not only for animal health and welfare but for public health

The legislation was introduced this month following a public consultation by the Scottish government in 2018 which saw widespread support for the move over animal welfare concerns in meat factories and abbatoirs.

Under the legislation, factories will be required to install and operate the cameras and retain the footage for 90 days.

“This decision is a huge win not only for animal health and welfare but for public health, food safety and trade. While most Scottish abattoirs already have CCTV, this legislation will help to keep welfare standards high at all stages of the supply chain now and in the future,” BVA Scottish branch president Kathleen Robertson said.

“Now that Scotland has taken this important step, we hope that governments in Wales and Northern Ireland will follow suit with similar legislation to underpin the high welfare standards across the whole of the UK.”