Horses
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Written answers and statements, 9 March 2005
Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire, Independent)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1) if she will estimate the cost of setting up a border inspection post for the entry of horses to the UK by sea; [218711 ]
(2) whether there is a border inspection post for the entry of horses by sea into the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Alun Michael (Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Cardiff South & Penarth, Labour/Co-operative)
There are no border inspection posts at seaports approved to inspect horses imported from countries outside the European Union.
Port operators, carriers or agents are free to provide such facilities based on commercial need: facilities are not provided by Government. Defra does not have access to figures relating to the costs of setting up a border inspection post for imports of live horses.