§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Commission in support of a Community-wide ban on the export of live horses for slaughter. [51380]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government do not consider it a realistic objective to persuade the European Commission to propose an EU-wide ban on the export of live horses for slaughter. We support the active enforcement, in all member states, of EU rules on the welfare of livestock in transit and at slaughter, and have argued for the same rules to be strictly applied when animals are exported from the EU to third countries. We will draw to the attention of the EU Commission specific complaints relating to the EU export of horses for slaughter.
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