HC Deb 18 April 1994 vol 241 cc414-6W
Mr. Armstrong

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on her Department's actions with respect to the arrival of cull milking ewes at Poole, Dorset, on 22 March.

Mr. Soames

This consignment of ewes originating in Spain was intercepted by the Ministry at Poole on 22 March and accompanied to a lairage at Southampton where the sheep were unloaded and detained for resting, feeding and watering and for veterinary examination. At unloading, the veterinary officer found one sheep dead and euthanased three more found recumbent. Another ewe was found to have lambed. The consignment was held overnight pending veterinary examination on the following day, by which time a second sheep had lambed. The veterinary examination carried out on 23 March disclosed a further 26 sheep unfit to continue their journey and these, together with the ewes which had lambed and the new-born lambs, were humanely destroyed. The remaining sheep, passed fit for transport, were consigned to their final destination in Birmingham.

Ministry veterinary officers have made statements to the local authority, which will be considering prosecution for possible contraventions of the Welfare of Animals During Transport Order 1992.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions have taken place in the European Union on limiting the journey time for transport of animals for slaughter.

Mr. Soames

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Worsley (Mr. Lewis) on 24 March 1994 at col.370.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information she has on the numbers of animals which will be imported for slaughter during the next 12 months.

Mr. Soames

Such information is not available.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to reinstate veterinary checks of animals at ports of arrival within the United Kingdom until all member states reach a common high standard.

Mr. Soames

EC rules prohibit the re-introduction of regular, systematic veterinary checks at internal borders, including at ports of entry, on animals traded between member states. In Great Britain, the State Veterinary Service (SVS) continues to conduct random and suspicion-based health and welfare checks on such animals at ports of arrival and regularly undertakes blanket surveillance, for 24-hour periods, at all south and east coast ports, covering both imports and exports of animals. In addition, the SVS continues to conduct a significant level of veterinary checks at premises of destination on animals imported from other member states.

Mr. Morley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she last met the Federation of Fresh Meat Wholesalers to discuss the export of live animals for slaughter.

Mr. Soames

My right hon. Friend the Minister has met the Federation of Fresh Meat Wholesalers on a number of occasions but she has not discussed the export of live animals with the federation. Ministry officials also meet representatives of the federation regularly and discussions about the welfare of exported animals took place on 28 February 1994.