LORD DE CLIFFORDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are approved facilities for the immediate quarantine of animals arriving without notice at airports in the United Kingdom and how the cost of maintaining such facilities is financed.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, there are at present no approved facilities for quarantining animals arriving without notice at airports in the United Kingdom. Most dogs, cats and other rabies-susceptible mammals are imported on licences requiring them to go directly to pre-arranged approved quarantine premises and they are collected by authorised carriers at the airport. A new Importation Control Order for dogs and cats is currently under consideration.
LORD DE CLIFFORDMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. May I ask what would be the situation in the event of a dog or cat or other animal coming to the United Kingdom and being diverted, shall I say, to Manchester or Luton? Are there places where these animals due for quarantine can be dealt with? If so, who is financing them?
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, the Order would provide for landing places for dogs and cats to be designated, in the same way as is already done for other rabies-controlled mammals, and it would be a condition of such designation that within two years an adequate animal holding facility would be provided. The financing of such facilities would be a matter for those who provided them. The position at present is that under the 1312 Rabies (Importation of Mammals) Order 1971 various airports and seaports are designated landing places. Luton is not one of these. Whether Luton will be designated in future will depend, of course, on the facilities provided.
LORD DE CLIFFORDMy Lords, I am sorry to go on about this matter, but fog is not unknown in this country. Aircraft are diverted from Heathrow to Prestwick, Manchester, Luton and a number of other places. There were only two airports mentioned in my question, and will the Minister tell us who pays for the facilities there? Are there any premises licensed at any other airports apart from Heathrow and Gatwick?
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, there are facilities at Birmingham, Manchester, Prestwick and Southend. There is also an R.S.P.C.A. hostel at Heathrow maintained by the R.S.P.C.A. under charitable funds, but it is not suitable for rabies-susceptible animals or for quarantine purposes. I do not know whether the noble Lord, Lord de Clifford, has in mind the new rabies control which will come into effect under the Rabies Act 1974, in which he took a fairly prominent part. These Orders will go some way to tighten up illegal landings.