§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with quarantine regulations for animals at United Kingdom points of entry; and whether any animal in the past 10 years has been found to have rabies after serving the statutory quarantine period.
§ Mr. StrangThe quarantine regulations are satisfactory, but we have given until February 1977—two years after the coming into operation of the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and other Mammals) Order 1974—for the provision of adequate holding facilities at all the authorised points of entry into Great Britain.
Apart from one dog in October 1969 and one in February 1970 no imported animal has died of rabies in this country after leaving quarantine in over 50 years.
§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many animal quarantine units there are, and how many additional units have opened since 1970.
§ Mr. StrangThere are 51 approved quarantine premises for dogs and cats in the United Kingdom capable of holding 3,417 animals; 12 premises have opened and eight closed since 1970.
In addition there are 152 premises licensed to hold other mammals under the rabies quarantine regulations.