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Sheep

Volume 410: debated on Friday 19 September 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation is available for farmers whose sheep may be affected by bluetongue. [130729]

The 1981 Animal Health Act provides for compensation in the event a sheep slaughtered following an outbreak of bluetongue. However, slaughter would not be the primary method of control. A Compensation Order would need to be made in relation to bluetongue to reflect Government policy on compensation at the time of the outbreak.The Government would not pay for sheep to be treated following infection with Bluetongue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place a copy of her Department's contingency plan for bluetongue in the Library. [130730]

Copies of the Bluetongue contingency plan have been placed in the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries and a copy is in the main Defra library.In addition, the plan is available on the Defra website:http://www defra gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/bluecontin. PDF

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many live sheep have been imported into the United Kingdom to date in 2003 for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding; and how many of the sheep in each of these categories were imported from each country of origin; [129918](2) how many live sheep were imported into the United Kingdom through Dover on 3 September; whether the sheep were imported for

(a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding; and what the addresses were of the places of (i) departure and (ii) final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments. [129919]

Our records show that the number of live sheep that were imported into the UK for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding between 1 January 2003 and 11 September 2003 is 31,993. The following table shows the breakdown by country:

CountrySlaughterFurther fatteningBreeding
Belgium238
France66641011
The Netherlands132393
The Republic of Ireland27,2571,675353
Spain680
New Zealand24
Poland154
Our records show that 328 sheep were imported through Dover on 3 September, all of them for slaughter. Details of the places of departure and final destination given on the route plan are treated as commercially confidential information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live sheep were exported from Dover to continental Europe on 3 September; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (a) during inspection for heath certification purposes and (b) at Dover docks; to where those sheep were taken; and what the address of the final destination given on the route plan was for each of the consignments. [129920]

The information requested is as follows:

As at 3 September 2003
Total animals2,516
Where consignments were certifiedEngland and Scotland
Animals rejected at certification122
Animals rejected at Dover docks0
DestinationNetherlands
1 Additionally four sheep were rejected after certification and before loading onto the lorry. The sheep rejected for export remained in Great Britain.The sheep for the consignment were certified within 24 hours prior to export. The consignment was for sheep for further fattening which were transported to a single holding.