To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions during 1990 and 1991 illegal drug residues were identified in meat or animals destined for human consumption at (a) slaughterhouses, (b) retail outlets, (c) farms and (d) other locations; and what number of such incidents resulted in successful prosecutions.

The number of cases of illegal drug residues detected in Great Britain by the Ministry was as follows:

	1990	1991
On farm	1	4
At slaughterhouses	22	—
At retail outlets	n/a	n/a
Other locations	—	—
n/a = Not available.

In all positive cases identified at Great Britain slaughterhouses, follow up visits to the farms of origin are made by members of the state veterinary service. Whenever firm evidence is obtained, action is then pursued through the courts. One successful prosecution was taken in 1991 which resulted in a fine of £2,400 plus £5,234 costs.