§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will take steps to acquaint the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or such other bona fide animal welfare organisations which maintain an investigative role with relevant information in regard to the import or export of pit bull terriers.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonI have been asked to reply.
Information required by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Animal Health Act 1981 for the purposes of licensing the importation of animals or providing export certification is a matter of confidence between the Ministry and the importer or exporter. It would therefore not be proper to disclose such information to a third party such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals without the consent of the importer or the exporter.