HC Deb 05 March 2004 vol 418 cc1158-9W
Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions were brought by her Department against abattoirs for breaches of(a) fresh meat hygiene regulations and (b) animal welfare regulations in each of the calendar years 2002 and 2003; how many separate charges were contained within these prosecutions; on how many of the charges convictions were secured; how many charges were withdrawn by her Department before they were determined by the courts; and what the total sum of legal costs incurred by her Department in the pursuit of these charges was. [158071]

Mr. Bradshaw

Not all of the detailed information requested is recorded centrally, in particular how many charges were withdrawn, but a summary is provided in the following table. The information covers both this Department and the Food Standards Agency, which is responsible for meat hygiene prosecutions, as well as being involved with animal welfare cases.

Meat hygiene prosecutions 2002 2003
Number of prosecutions 6 10
Charges on which convictions secured 29 26
Legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 16,724 36,648
Meat hygiene prosecutions 2002 2003
Animal welfare prosecutions
Number of prosecutions 4 7
Charges on which convictions secured 7 42
FSA legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 14,187 19,907
Defra legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 3,392 4,999