HC Deb 12 June 2002 vol 386 c1279W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many criminal offences have been(a) created and (b) abolished by her Department since 1997. [55435]

Mr. Morley

DEFRA came into being on the 8 June 2001. Since that date over 295 Statutory Instruments emanating from the Department have come into force. A comprehensive and exhaustive list of new and abolished offences could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Some new offences have been created, some offences have been repealed and some re-enacted; most offences relate to breach of the regulations or obstruction of officers enforcing the regulations. Many of the provisions related to foot-and-mouth controls and extended offences to geographical areas covered by the controls.

I can however provide the following information about the following measures creating such offences which have come into force since 8 June 2001: The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Control of Vaccination)(England) Regulations 2001 SI No. 2375 prohibit vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease except by licence The Processed Animal Protein (England) Regulations 2001 SI No. 2376 restrict the feeding of processed animal protein to farmed animals The TSE Regulations 2002 SI No. 843 provide for the administration and enforcement of measures to deal with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in all susceptible animals The Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports)(England) Order 2002 SI No. 1227 restrict the importation of products of animal origin The Plant Health (Phytophera ramorum)(England) Order 2002 SI No. 1299 implement measures to deal with the fungus named in the Order.