§ Lord Monkswellasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to issue for public consultation their detailed proposals for changes to the pre-export procedures for live animals. [HL2760]
§ Lord DonoughueA public consultation document was issued on 13 July 1998, when copies were placed in the Library of the House.
The proposed revised procedures deal with veterinary inspections for the purpose of export health certification for consignments of sheep and pigs destined for fattening, production or slaughter in other EC Member States. They seek to clarify the role of the exporter, the Department and the Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) in the certification process. A summary of the revised procedures will be made available to the public. A key objective of the proposed revised inspection arrangements will be to ensure that unfit animals are rejected from export health certification.
We intend to establish a new panel of LVIs appointed to undertake these particular export health certifications, from which the LVI to conduct each particular certification will be nominated by the department. We will provide additional training for veterinarians supervising the export of animals. Where an animal is found to be unfit to travel to the intended destination, LVIs on the new panel will have powers to serve notices under the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order. The serving of such notices will ensure that the person in charge of the animal takes the action necessary to protect the welfare of the animal. We intend to encourage exporters to ensure that sufficient facilities and staff are available to aid the inspection of the animals to be certified. We intend to clarify the methods of inspection of the animals to be certified. We intend to clarify the methods for checking the identity of animals which form part of the proposed export consignment. Finally, we intend to provide clear indicators for the minimum times to be spent by the LVI on the inspection and identification of animals.
The Government announced last year that they intended to pay LVIs directly for inspection and certification of consignments, recovering the money by way of a charge (payable on application for certification) by exporters. We remain committed to introducing those changes so that the whole of the certification process for these types of animals can be demonstrated to be entirely independent. The consultation document sets out the general principles which we intend to apply for recovering the costs of these inspections and seeks information to enable us to make proposals about the detail of the changes to the financial arrangements. In order to enable us to calculate the costs of such a change and to come forward with detailed proposals, information is needed not only about current charges (which are a matter between the LVI and the exporter) but also about the likely effects of the 43WA proposed revised procedures on such costs. Once we have the responses to this consultation document, we will draw up a further consultation document which outlines our detailed proposals to change the existing financial arrangements, including the legislation necessary to give effect to such a change.
The closing date for comments is 8 September 1998.