§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) on how many occasions in 1990 and 1991 his inspectors supervised, examined or monitored the slaughter of factory farm mink by injection or gassing;
(2) if he will outline the methods of gassing used to kill mink observed by his inspectors during visits to fur factory farms in 1990 and 1991.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 10 February 1992]: A member of the state veterinary service observed the one gassing session used on a mink farm in Scotland in 1990. This was carried out by means of an internal combustion engine bubbling a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide through a purification chamber into a wooden box into which mink were inserted. The one other mink farm uses the injection method, but was not observed in operation.