§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to keep under continuous review, as recommended by the Report of the Committee on the Export of Live Animals for Slaughter, Command Paper No. 5566, published in March 1974, the relationship between the potential growth in the export market for carcase meat and the location and capacity of export-approved slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. John SilkinIn making this recommendation the Committee was concerned that export-approved slaughtering capacity should be available to cope with the expected growth of carcase meat exports. It was for the industry itself to 699W assess the opportunities for development in particular locations, but at the national level the Government introduced the red meat slaughterhouse industry scheme in November 1976, one of the main objectives of which was to bring slaughterhouses up to the standard required for intra-community trade.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken, by whom, when, and with what result, on the recommendation of the Report of the Committee on the Export of Live Animals for Slaughter, Command Paper No. 5566, published in March 1974, that stevedores with previous experience of handling livestock should be given the task of unloading animals in preference to other personnel; and with which other member States of the EEC this recommendation was discussed, when, and with what result.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe Committee's recommendation applied to conditions at the port of embarkation. It was discussed in 1975 with the British Ports Association which indicated, on behalf of the ports involved, that there did not appear to be any difficulty in implementing it. The recommendation has however been overtaken by the change-over to roll-on/roll-off transport, which does not require the individual handling of animals at the dockside.