§ 124. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a statement on the ban on meat imports.
§ Mr. PeartI have nothing to add today to my statement of 15th February about future arrangements on the importation of meat. I have decided that the meat which has already been imported but was held in cold store under the arrangements announced on 4th December last may now, under certain stringent veterinary safeguards, be released under licence for processing. The meat will not be released for retail sale. Licences will stipulate the precautions to be taken in transporting the meat and in the disposal of waste and will not be issued unless I 331W am fully satisfied that the processing is such as to destroy any foot-and-mouth virus that might be present in the meat.