§ Mr. David Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sorts of business for which his Department is responsible are required to have a licence or registration with his Department; and if he has any plans to extend this requirement.
§ Mr. John Silkin, pursuant to his reply [Official Report 26th May 1978; Vol. 950, c. 758], gave the following information:
Businesses which would be unable to set up or continue in operation without a licence from or registration with my Department include: dairy farming and the sale of untreated milk by producer-retailers; seed merchants, packers and processors; cattle dealing in brucellosis attested and eradication areas and in accredited cattle outside those areas, cattle markets and slaughterhouses in brucellosis attested and eradication areas; artificial insemination centres; exporting lairages; breeding establishments supplying eggs to hatcheries; egg packing stations; fur farming—mink and coypu.
There are, of course, instances where some of these businesses form part of a larger diversified organisation.
In addition, my Department is responsible for a number of licensing and registration requirements which relate to a particular activity, which would normally be regarded as forming part of a business rather than constituting the business itself. For example, zoos require licences for their premises to keep certain species such as mink and coypu; pest control companies and farmers require permits to purchase certain poisons such as strychnine for use against pests.
It is my Department's usual practice to consult, at the appropriate time, with representatives of the interests affected by any plans to extend existing requirements or introduce new ones.