§ 72. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of live horses imported from Eire and Northern Ireland into this country during each of the five years ended in 1952; the average length of the sea voyage on each route used, from embarkation to disembarkation; the number of hours approximately taken for the voyages; the ports of embarkation and disembarkation; the number killed and injured each year on board ship or through accident en route; the average distance from the port of disembarkation to the place of slaughter in this country; and the number of horses imported expressly for slaughter for human consumption in this country from Eire and Northern Ireland, in each case.
§ Sir T. DugdaleThe figures asked for in the first and last parts of the Question are not available. Imports of horses not intended for food from the Republic of Ireland into the United Kingdom during each of the five years were:
1948 … … … 16,937 1949 … … … 15,633 1950 … … … 14,734 1951 … … … 17,029 1952 … … … 15,060 The figures include temporary importations for racing or breeding. The trade returns of animals imported for food do 61W not contain separate figures for horses; neither do they distinguish between imports from the Republic of Ireland into Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively. There are no statistics of imports into Great Britain from Northern Ireland.
Particulars of the main routes are as follows:
— Distance in nautical miles Average duration of voyage (hours) Cork—Fishguard 126½ 9 Waterford—Birkenhead 189 19 Dublin—Holyhead 57 4 Dublin—Birkenhead 112 10 Belfast—Birkenhead 135 12 Belfast—Heysham 126 8 Belfast—Glasgow 104 10 Limerick—Birkenhead 445 43 I understand that horses seldom travel on the last-named route.
Casualties on the voyage during the period in question were as follows:
— Died Injured but not slaughtered Slaughtered because of injury or other reasons 1948 … 9 1 9 1949 … 6 — 5 1950 … 2 1 2 1951 … 22 — 11 1952 … 1 — 4 I have no information as to the average distance between the port of disembarkation and the place of slaughter of horses imported for food.