Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the movement of bull semen between different parts of the United Kingdom is treated for the purposes of the artificial insemination of cattle regulation as importation.
§ Mr. WigginThere have been longstanding differences between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as to the animal health and genetic quality requirements for the control of artificial insemination of cattle. Section 17 of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1943 provides for the regulation in Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland, of the practice of artificial insemination of cattle and other specified animals. It also prohibits the importation into Great Britain, except under licence, of the semen of such780W animals. Health and genetic quality criteria appropriate to Northern Ireland are applied to imports of bovine semen into Northern Ireland from Great Britain and elsewhere under separate Northern Ireland rules.