Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 November 1973.
Miss Foxes:
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the conditions under which animals for slaughter are transported within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
Conditions for the transportation of farm animals within the United Kingdom are laid down in orders made under the Diseases of Animals Act 1950. They apply equally to animals for slaughter and those intended for other purposes. I am satisfied that these orders provide adequate welfare safeguards.
Miss Janet Fookes
, Merton and Morden
Will my hon. Friend note that I find her answer distressingly complacent? What is the average distance travelled by animals from the point of production to the point of slaughter'?
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
I cannot without due notice provide the exact figure for my hon. Friend. We do not regard distances in the United Kingdom as the vital factor. We regard the conditions and adequacy of care during transport as vital. I am sorry if my hon. Friend believes that I am being complacent. We are continually working on legislation concerning present-day practices. We will continue to consult the organisations which are concerned.
Mr Eric Deakins
, Walthamstow West
What powers does the Ministry have to control the movement of animals by sea, which is pertinent not only to exported animals but also to the traffic between Ireland and Britain?
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
Farm animals landed from Ireland must be rested and examined in daylight by a veterinary officer before they continue their journey. Thereby they are examined after their journey and prior to their journey, when all the other safeguards operate.
Sir Frederick Burden
, Gillingham
What steps have been taken to ensure that the regulations regarding transport and treatment of animals in transit have been met'? How many, if any, prosecutions or contraventions of the regulations have taken place in the past two years?
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
In order to ensure that the safeguards in the legislation are adhered to, we have officers who are continuously monitoring the situation, and the RSPCA has inspectors at almost every market. I have not the figures for prosecutions at the moment, and I will write to my hon. Friend.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
