§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will instigate immediate checks on the health of all cattle and sheep entering the United Kingdom from whatever source.
§ Mr. SoamesI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and learned Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence) on 1 December 1993,Official Report, columns 590–91, about checks on imported cattle. Similar measures are applied to imported sheep.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will raise with the European Council of Ministers the resurgence in the United Kingdom of brucellosis from warble fly infested cattle, the risk to human health and necessary measures to eliminate such diseases.
§ Mr. SoamesThe incidence of warble fly in imported cattle has been taken up vigorously with the veterinary authorities of the countries of origin concerned and notified to the EC Commission. Although the cases of brucellosis last autumn affected imported cattle as well as indigenous animals, investigations have not revealed conclusive evidence to confirm that the primary source of infection was an imported animal.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will take action to bar the free movement of cattle and sheep into the United Kingdom from any country reporting warble fly infestation.
§ Mr. SoamesNo. All cattle imported into the United Kingdom, with the exception of those imported direct to a slaughterhouse for immediate slaughter, must be treated with an approved warble fly preparation within 24 hours of arrival at the premises of destination. Sheep are not susceptible to warble fly infestation.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers govern the restriction of free movement within the European Community of animals which are a danger to public health.
§ Mr. SoamesControls to prevent the spread of disease, including diseases transmissible to humans, as a result of trade in live animals within the Community are laid down in the following EC directives
Council directive 64/432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine;Council directive 90/426/EEC on health problems governing the movement of equidae and their import from third countries;Council directive 90/539/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in, and imports from third countries of, poultry and hatching eggs;Council directive 91/68/EEC on animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and caprine animals;Council directive 92/65/EEC laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and imports into the Community of animals, seman, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in annex A(1) to directive 90/425/EEC;226WCouncil diretive 92/117/EEC concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications.