§ Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to stop the trade in bushmeat. [119443]
§ Mr. BradshawSince March 2002, the Department has had in place a series of measures designed to tackle the disease risks posed by illegal imports of all types of meat and animal products. The number of illegal imports seized in 2002–03 rose to three times the number made in the previous year, reflecting increased enforcement activity and better evidence-based targeting.
Additional resources for the coming years, together with the improved enforcement and intelligence capability provided by HM Customs and Excise, should ensure that this work is consolidated and built upon. HM Customs are setting up four mobile detection teams to target meat and animal products, and will be increasing the number of detector dog teams to six during the current financial year.
Defra are also working with the Food Standards Agency and HM Customs to understand what drives the demand for exotic meats and animal products in the UK.
In addition, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) the UK played a key role in setting up a Working Group of Central African countries, which is due to report to the next Conference of the Parties in October 2004. We expect its recommendations to provide a valuable resource for all the countries of the region, in aiding their efforts to harmonise and strengthen local controls on the bushmeat trade.
§ Mr. LaxtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legal action her Department has taken in the last four years against those who import bushmeat into the United Kingdom. [121061]
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§ Mr. BradshawA decision to bring a prosecution before the Courts is a matter for the enforcement authority. For imports of meat covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), this is HM Customs and Excise. For other offences regarding illegal imports of meat and animal products, responsibility lay with Local Authorities until 11 April, when this was taken over by HM Customs.
HM Customs and Excise have prosecuted three people in the last four years for CITES offences involving "bushmeat". Two were convicted, and one was acquitted but convicted under a separate animal health charge. Data on Local Authority prosecutions for offences under other meat and animal products legislation have not been collected centrally. We are not aware of any recent prosecutions by Local Authorities for bushmeat offences.