Continuing row on unstunned meat

Of those schools 42 serve halal meat, 16 of which do not offer a non-halal meat alternative although there are vegetarian and fish options.

For the council, Clr Masood Ahmed (Lab, Dewsbury South) confirmed that the authority served only non-stunned halal meat in schools as that is what is deemed acceptable by overseeing body the Halal Monitoring Committee.

And he urged headteachers and governing bodies to be open with parents about the food on schools’ menus.

“We have been very clear that it is the responsibility of the schools to communicate with parents and pupils with regard to their specific offer,” he said.

In his deputation Mr Lukic, a former UKIP member and later an independent candidate in the 2016 Batley and Spen by-election, said: “This council has been deficient in its handling of both the petition and the issue itself.

“When the issue was first raised by local journalists, there were two key actions that Kirklees Council should have taken.

“This council should have issued an immediate apology to local families and provided sufficient advice to enable them to make informed choices about school meals going forward. This council should also have immediately considered supplying alternative choices of meat to those schools where only non-stunned meat is currently served, while evaluating the case for stopping the supply of non-stunned meat altogether.

“This council should consider that its ongoing failure to be transparent with families and the wider public will only cause further alarm and anxiety.”

In response Clr Ahmed said the council’s policy in relation to halal meat was developed in 2006 following “a comprehensive consultation” that involved parents, students, headteachers, school governors and Muslim scholars.

The outcome of that consultation led to the Halal Monitoring Committee becoming the accredited body.

This was reviewed in 2016. Halal meat meals provided by the council’s catering services are from HMC accredited abattoirs. The HMC’s halal criteria demands: That an animal is alive and healthy prior to slaughter.

That a blessing is recited by a Muslim slaughterman before an animal is killed.

That an animal is rendered insensible to pain via a swift and humane incision, and is slaughtered by hand.

There is a compliance check ensuring three of the four main blood vessels are cut

Said Clr Ahmed: “HMC only consider nonstunned meat to be halal.

“The HMC endorsement is regarded as the accepted standard among Muslim communities resulting in demand for this status.

“Indeed many schools use HMC accredited meat including other councils in West Yorkshire.”

He added that meat on school menus in Kirklees was identified clearly. Halal meat is labelled as such on counters. It is cooked separately, served with different utensils and in red dishes - an approach endorsed by the Muslim Welfare Society.

In the Kirklees borough 26 schools offer both halal and non-halal meat.

To assist schools with disseminating information to parents, the council has provided draft letters appropriate to the provision to issue to parents along with a letter to headteachers “reminding them of their responsibility to ensure their parents’ children can make an informed choice”.

Along with the other West Yorkshire authorities Kirklees Council sources its halal meat from Wakefield-based public sector procurer Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO).