§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that sheep exported from the United Kingdom are identified in such a way that they can be traced back to the farm of birth to comply with the requirements of EC directive 92/102; and if he will make a statement. [10278]
§ Mr. RookerFor sheep and goats, EC directive 92/102 has been implemented by the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 1996. This legislation requires that sheep and goats going for export must have an ear tag or tattoo indicating their country of origin and a flock or herd mark either of the consignor of the sheep for export or of a previous keeper of the animal. The legislation provides for a system of identification and 19W movement records for tracing sheep and goats. We are currently reviewing pre-export procedures for live animals.