The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council has approved proposals from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to allow temporary veterinary registrants to undertake Official Veterinarian (OV) work at slaughterhouses.

A “perfect storm” of Covid-19 abattoir shutdowns and Brexit trade disruption has resulted in a 14% drop in farm-gate pig prices, claims Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

'No matter which sector you talk to - from video games to abattoirs, broadcasters to supermarket delivery, financial services to care - they all say the same thing: We need access to people.'