§ Mr. Banksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of horses and ponies exported by licence and the purposes stated, for each of the previous three years.
§ Mr. StrangThe total number of horses and ponies exported from the United Kingdom in each of the last three years was as follows:
1974–11,017 1975–11,578 1976–11,769 Almost a half of those exported to places outside the British Isles were intended for breeding and the remainder for such purposes as racing, show jumping, riding and exhibition. Our animal welfare controls preclude the export beyond the British Isles for equines for slaughter.
§ Mr. Banksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of reported cases of prosecution for the illegal export of live
376WFrance, Germany, the United States of America and Australia, respectively, at the latest date for which comparative international figures are available.
§ Mr. StrangI regret that in the time available it has not been possible to obtain this information from national sources, or as average prices for the whole of the countries concerned, as has been the practice in previous repies to Questions of this kind. The most readily available information is that published by the United States Department of Agriculture in the issue of "Foreign Agriculture" for 4th April 1977. This comprises retail prices collected on 2nd March by the Foreign Agricultural Service in world capitals. It is given below, after conversion to sterling. I regret that information for Norway is not readily available. Of course, the characteristics of food vary between countries, and the prices given may not all relate to the same quality.
horses and ponies, during the previous three years.
§ Mr. StrangWe have no evidence of any illegal export of horses or ponies in this period.