§ Mr. Elliot Morley (Glanford and Scunthorpe)I wish to present a petition on behalf of Mrs. Janet Burke of 59 Fairfield road, Scunthorpe, who has gone to considerable trouble to collect signatures protesting against any attempt to reintroduce the export of live horses for slaughter.
Since the petition was raised, there has been some progress in this direction in the European Community, and I am pleased that the EC has been especially sympathetic towards the views of people like Mrs. Burke and the many hundreds who signed her petition. However, I understand that the matter is still to be finalised in the Community, and that negotiations are still taking place. Mrs. Burke's petition is therefore a timely reminder of the issue and gives considerable support to the position that the United Kingdom has adopted in the EC.
The petition reads:
The Humble Petition of the Scunthorpe and district people sheweth That there is great opposition to any attempt to export live horses from this country for slaughter on the continent. Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will take every step to persuade the European Community not to introduce regulations that will ever allow such trade to be introduced. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.I wholeheartedly support the petition.
§ To lie upon the Table.