§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to prevent the Minimum Values Order being circumvented by exporters transporting ponies to Scotland and then to Ireland and from there shipping them to France and Belgium. [55588]
§ Mr. MorleyA licence is not required to export ponies from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. However, horse and pony sales, in particular sales of native breeds, are monitored to ensure rigorous enforcement of the rules governing animal welfare in transit. Checks are also carried out at ports. This activity should act as a deterrent to the development of any trade of the kind described and is a proportionate response to the suspicions that have been voiced.