MPs will hold a major debate today on banning halal and kosher slaughter of animals, after thousands of Britons signed a petition demanding better animal welfare. The debate will be held in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm, meaning that while there won't be a vote it will be the first debate of the religious practice in parliament for years.

The showdown was forced as a result of a public petition on the parliamentary website, entitled: "Ban non-stun slaughter in the UK", which garnered 109,018 signatures. It read: "In modern society, we believe more consideration needs to be given to animal welfare and how livestock is treated and culled. We believe non-stun slaughter is barbaric and doesn't fit in with our culture and modern-day values and should be banned, as some EU nations have done."

The issue is a divisive one, with opposite sides arguing about religious versus animal rights.

The RSPC backs a ban on non-stun killing, with head of public affairs David Bowles saying: "Non-stun slaughter can cause considerable suffering and as a result the organisation believes this practice should be banned once and for all."

"While we believe religious beliefs and practices should be respected, we also feel strongly animals must be slaughtered under the most humane conditions possible."

A 2019 poll suggested 83% of British adults believe the law should be changed to ensure animals killed for food production are stunned before being killed.

In addition, 86% want all meat sold in the UK to be clearly labelled so they know how the animal died.

Around 114 million animals are killed using the halal method each year in Britain, and a further 2.1 million using the kosher method.