§ Sir George GardinerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the rabies risk assessment referred to by the Chief Veterinary Officer at the seminar organised by the Royal Society of Medicine on 3 May 1995. [23595]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 29 March 1996]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 29 February, Official Report, column 710.
§ Sir George GardinerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent studies his Department has undertaken into the efficacy of the pet passport scheme introduced in Sweden to exclude rabies; and if he will reconsider his response to the proposals from the Agriculture Committee in its fifth report of Session 1993–94, HC 347. [23697]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 29 March 1996]: Senior officials from my Department visited Norway and Sweden late last year to get a first-hand idea of how their new systems are working. Their impression was that the 198W import controls operating in those countries were far more bureaucratic than our quarantine system, and administratively more expensive to operate.
The Government continue to believe that the time is not yet ripe to introduce changes to the current quarantine arrangements for pet dogs and cats entering the UK.