§ Mr. Wigginasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about further action to be taken on the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry on Rabies concerning dogs and cats.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartMy right hon. Friend and his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland intend to make an order at the earliest opportunity to limit the places at which imported dogs and cats may be landed to certain prescribed airports and seaports. Similar restrictions already apply to imports of most other mammals.
Following the committee's recommendations on the design of quarantine premises, owners of new premises will be required to provide an individual exercise area adjoining each animal's compartment. In line with this requirement, the use of visiting rooms will not be allowed and visitors to kennels will be required to see their pets in their compartments or individual runs. Existing quarantine premises which do not at present meet these requirements must do so within seven years. Further consultations will be held with the associations representing kennel owners on the detailed arrangements for individual exercise runs and on the committee's other recommendations concerning the design and construction of kennels. The seven-year transitional period for phasing in the new arrangements for existing kennels will start as soon as the detailed requirements have been settled. We would prefer an earlier conversion of existing kennels to the new requirements but recognise that the changeover will in some cases be difficult and costly; the longer transitional period has been fixed with this in mind.
Where a kennel is equipped entirely with individual runs, sharing of compartments by animals in single ownership will normally be allowed. At present, sharing is not permitted in any circumstances.
Stricter rules will be applied to arrangements for transporting imported dogs and cats within the country. Transport by rail will not be allowed unless the animal is accompanied by an authorised carrying 104W agent. Transport by air will be allowed only if the animals are carried as freight and not in the passenger compartment.
The existing ban on theatre and circus performances by quarantined dogs and cats will remain in force. Any performing dogs and cats brought into the country will have to continue to meet normal quarantine requirements.