§ Lord Rotherwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are encouraging enforcement authorities to bring prosecutions before the courts of passengers importing illegal meat; and [HL4329]
(a) Whether they are encouraging enforcement authorities to bring prosecutions before courts of passengers importing "bushmeat"; and (b) whether 11b of "bushmeat" brought in from outside the European Union would be sufficient evidence to enable an enforcement agency to bring the offender before the British courts. [HL4330]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)The position has not changed since my Answer to the noble Lord on 10 May 2002 (WA 203). The decision whether to prosecute in any case must rest with the enforcing authority.
77WA"Bushmeat" is generally understood to mean meat of wild animals mainly from central and west Africa. Passengers may bring in up to 1 kg of cooked meat in a hermetically sealed container. It is an offence for passengers to bring any uncooked meat from outside the European Union into this country. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species places additional controls on trade in certain listed species, their meat and derivatives. The Government are working to improve inter-agency coordination and to provide enforcement authorities with the tools to improve deterrence.