HC Deb 19 June 1997 vol 296 cc439-40
1. Mr. Loughton

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the Government's priorities are with regard to animal welfare. [2890]

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dr. John Cunningham)

We have already acted to update the rules on welfare in transit in line with European Union requirements. We have also commissioned an urgent review of the procedures for checking animals and clearing them as fit before export. We are planning action on a further range of animal welfare issues which we shall announce in due course, including the conclusions of the report of Professor Krebs on badgers and bovine tuberculosis.

Mr. Loughton

I am grateful to the Minister for the generality of his response. He will be aware that my constituency contains the important port of Shoreham, which made the headlines for all the wrong reasons during the veal calf export saga. What assurances can he give my many constituents who were involved in the demonstrations that this Government will continue the good work of the last Government, who banned veal crates in this country and secured European agreement on transport times; that he will try to shorten transport times even further; and that the restrictions imposed on the continent will be enforced?

Dr. Cunningham

We are putting increasing emphasis on the need to export meat rather than live animals. There is no question of veal crates returning to use in this country. As for the hon. Gentleman's point about the European Union, the order that I announced about two weeks ago had been lying on the table in the Ministry for several months, presumably because the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) and his colleagues, when they were in government, did not have the nerve to bring it to the House in case it caused a row among their Euro-sceptics. We have implemented that order very quickly.

Mr. Hogg

I welcome the Minister and his team to the Front Bench.

On matters of animal welfare, I have observed that the Minister has asked the Forestry Commission for advice about fox hunting. May I ask his reasons? Do I detect a willingness on his part to use ministerial power to prohibit fox hunting? Surely, if that is to be done at all, it should be done only through a statute passed by the House. What we are seeing is an unscrupulous use of ministerial power that is an abuse of the Executive.

Dr. Cunningham

Permit me a wry smile, Madam Speaker, at that preposterous nonsense. If I had not made inquiries about what was happening on Forestry Commission land in respect of all hunting—not just fox hunting—I would presumably have been criticised. Whether the Forestry Commission licenses or does not license hunting on its land is a matter for it, and for it alone.