§ 11. Mr. Kaufmanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what communication his Department has received from the Town Clerk of Manchester with regard to the export of live animals for slaughter; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mrs. FennerThe Town Clerk of Manchester wrote to my Department on 9th November giving the reasons why the Manchester City Council was in favour of a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter. The reply sent on 11th December reflected the answers which I gave on 21st November in reply to Questions on this subject by my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall) and others.—[Vol. 846, c. 1062–65.]
§ Mr. KaufmanIs the Minister aware that Manchester Corporation is totally dissatisfied, as are many of my constituents who have written to me about this subject and who are affronted by the deaf ears that the Government have turned to the cries of these tortured animals? Will the Minister, in the few days remaining to the Government in which they have the power to take action—[Interruption.] —the Government have signed away that power—endeavour to end this scandal?
§ Mrs. FennerI made it quite clear in my answer on 21st November that we recognised that there were well-documented infringements. They did not fall, as the hon. Member suggests, on deaf 1105 ears. We have now adopted a documentary procedure which operates from 1st November which we confidently believe will prevent such incidents happening again.
§ Sir R. CaryIs my hon. Friend aware that one abattoir in Manchester is only half used and that in the last financial year it lost £350,000? Has any decision been taken about the export of live sheep?
§ Mrs. FennerNot beyond my answer of 21st November, when I said that if any infringements of the Balfour Assurances were brought to our attention we should be prepared to take the appropriate action. We are watching this matter constantly. I note my hon. Friend's comments about the abattoir at Manchester but in terms of straight economics —and I am not sure that he was referring to this aspect—if all the live animal exports were replaced by carcase exports this would amount to only 1 per cent. of total United Kingdom slaughtering. I am sure, however, that my hon. Friend was not raising this matter in the context of straight economics.
§ Mr. TorneyMy trade union USDAW is seriously concerned about the employment situation in the slaughtering industry because of the lack of throughput in many good abattoirs. It is concerned that there will be redundancies among slaughtermen, and the export of live animals has an effect on this problem. Will the Minister seek to deal with it?
§ Mrs. FennerI said in answer to questions on an earlier occasion that I would prefer to see these exports in the form of carcase meat but a ban on live exports could have only a marginal effect on the throughput of United Kingdom slaughterhouses, amounting to only 1 per cent. of the total United Kingdom slaughtering.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimBoth the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association have expressed the view that the Balfour Assurances are inadequate. In view of the widespread concern throughout the country, will my hon. Friend go to see for herself, unannounced, the conditions of animals at the point of embarkation, disembarkation and their arrival 1106 at EEC abattoirs? Will she then, and only then, return to the House and say that she is satisfied?
§ Mrs. FennerI take note of my hon. Friend's comments. However, I assure her that when I said that the new documentary procedures which came into operation on 1st November will be watched most stringently, I mean exactly that.
§ Mr. KaufmanOn a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give leave that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.