HL Deb 24 March 1977 vol 381 cc751-2WA
Lord CRAIGTON

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many import licences have been issued for bats under the Rabies Act, for what species and of what countries or origin; and how many bats are currently being kept in permanent quarantine for scientific research.

Lord STRABOLGI

Four licences to import bats have been issued since 1st January 1975 covering fruit bats (rousettus aegypiacus) from Sweden and Thailand, and greater horseshoe bats (rhionoluphus ferrumequinum) and brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) from West Germany. All these species of bats are subject to six months' quarantine. Our records indicate that no bats are being kept in permanent quarantine for scientific research.