HL Deb 11 April 1978 vol 390 cc614-5WA
Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (i) How many persons served upon the group of officials which conducted the Departmental inquiry into the export of live farm animals;
  2. (ii) how many hold veterinary qualifications, or had special knowledge or experience of the subject; and
  3. (iii) what "vehicle trails"were undertaken by the group, or on their behalf comparable with those undertaken by voluntary societies and set out in detail in their report, Annex D, page 40.

Lord STRABOLGI

The membership of the working group varied from meeting to meeting according to the aspects of the subject being discussed. Of the 26 officials who on different occasions took part, 10 were members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the remaining 16 were directly concerned with the subject of the review in the course of their work. Ministry veterinary officers and the Ministry's marine superintendents have accompanied live food animals on journeys to Continental ports or airports on 14 occasions since the working group was set up at the end of July last year. Their observations were taken into account in preparing the report. A State veterinarian visited all the countries to which live food animals are exported and, although lie did not accompany them on the journey, he witnessed arrivals by sea and by air. He also saw animals of British origin at their final destinations. Ministry officials did not replicate the vehicle trails undertaken by representatives of the welfare societies which provided a great deal of valuable information.