§ 6. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now give an estimate of how many of the 89,254 sheep and goats exported live in 1963 were exported for the purpose of slaughter overseas.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. John Mackie)All but about 2,000.
§ Mr. ShepherdDoes that Answer mean, therefore, that well over 100,000 cattle, sheep and goats are exported from this country annually? Will the hon. Gentleman say whether he considers this trade inevitable and whether he intends to take any steps to try to transfer this to carcase trade, which many of us think would be more desirable?
§ Mr. MackieMany of us, on both sides, were worried about the treatment that these animals received, and that was the reason for the Balfour assurances covering the five countries concerned. The Balfour assurances were intended to do the best we could and were a fairly good method of ensuring that cruelty was limited. It is difficult to answer the question about whether this trade is inevitable, but as a business man the hon. Member must know that if the customer wants the animals that way, unless something is seriously wrong they must be supplied that way.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamWould the hon. Gentleman take all the steps in his power to try to encourage these people to go on to the export of carcase meat and not of live animals, because there is a very real feeling of anxiety in the country about cruelty in this matter?
§ Mr. MackieI will certainly take into consideration the feelings of hon. Members and of the public in this matter.