§ Mr. Farrasked the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation designed to make mandatory the destruction of illegally imported animals.
Mr. ShangThe power to destroy illegally-imported animals would normally be exercised only when no secure alternative existed such as re-export or direc594W tion into quarantine at the owner's expense. The term "illegally-imported" covers technical contraventions of the Rabies Importation Order as well as deliberate smuggling. Where a safe alternative was available, it would be undesirable to force the authorities to destroy an animal because its papers were not entirely in order.