§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table in theOfficial Report showing for each of the last five years (a) how many live deer and of what species were exported from the United Kingdom, (b) how many were exported for the purpose of deer farming or the improvement of stocks of foreign deer and (c) to what countries they were exported; what procedures were carried out to determine if they were free from disease; and whether any tests were carried out for tuberculosis.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information requested about the numbers and species of deer exported, their purpose and countries of destination is not available. Consignments of deer for export are normally accompanied by a health certificate produced in accordance with the importing countries requirements. To date certificates have been agreed for exports to Austria, China, Denmark, New Zealand, Guernsey, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Taiwan, South Africa, United States of America and Oman.
In all cases the certificate is signed at the boarding point by a local veterinary inspector who is required to confirm that, amongst other things the animals are healthy and free from clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease. A number of countries also require certification to the effect that the animals have been tested for tuberculosis with negative results.