The law will soon require all slaughterhouses in England to implement CCTV cameras and provide government inspectors with unrestricted access to the footage they record.

The legislation was last week presented to MPs by environment secretary Michael Gove. Assuming it enjoys a smooth passage through parliament, it will take effect in May, after which businesses will have six months to comply with it. 

Compliance will entail installing CCTV in all parts of a slaughterhouse that house live animals. Footage captured by the technology over the previous 90 days must then be made available to Official Veterinarian inspectors working on behalf of the Food Standards Agency. 

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The agency “has strict processes in place for the approval of slaughterhouses”, the government said, with penalties for a failure to meet the required standards including welfare enforcement notices, the suspension or revokement of licences, and even referral for criminal investigation.

Gove said: “We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and want to cement our status as a global leader by continuing to raise the bar. Introducing compulsory CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses is a further demonstration to consumers around the world that as we leave the EU, we continue to produce our food to the very highest standards.”

The introduction of the new legislation follows the completion of a public consultation in which upwards of 99% of respondents expressed their approval of the plan for mandatory CCTV laws.