HC Deb 16 March 1992 vol 205 cc811-2W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink factory farms are currently operating under licence in each county of England and Wales.

Mr. Maclean

No mink farms are currently operating in Wales. Details for England are as follows:

England As a 12 March 1992
Northumberland 1
North Yorkshire 1
West Yorkshire 3
South Yorkshire 1
Humberside 1
Lancashire 8
Cheshire 1
Staffordshire 1
Norfolk 1
Suffolk 3
Hampshire 1
Isle of Wight 1
Cornwall 2
Total 25

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether neck breaking or an intra-abdominal injection of chloral hydrate are permitted means of killing mink in fur farms.

Mr. Maclean

The Protection of Animals Act 1911 requires any operation performed on an animal, including killing, to be performed with due care and humanity. The Department is not aware of either of the methods described being used on mink farms and intra-abdominal injection of chloral hydrate is not recommended. These methods would not be permitted for the routine slaughter of mink under the proposed Community regulation on protection of animals at slaughter.