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Animal Welfare: Transport

Volume 462: debated on Monday 25 June 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many notices have been served under Article 24 of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 by inspectors (a) at Dover, (b) at supervised loadings at departure premises and (c) at other places in respect of live calves destined for export; what remedial measures have been ordered by these notices; and if he will make a statement. (140096)

The information is as follows:

1. The following information relates to the transport of live calves under 42 days of age intended for export.

2. For the period from 3 May 2006 to 30 April 2007, a total of 373 inspections have been carried out by animal health staff and 26 notices were served under Article 24 of the above order as detailed in the following table.

Location of inspection

Number of inspections

Number of notices served

Supervised loadings at point of departure

79

1

Staging posts/transfer points

5

0

Dover

289

25

Total

373

26

3. Reasons for the service of the 26 notices and details of the remedial action required to be taken by the transporter are as follows:

Notices served

Reason for the notice

Remedial measures ordered by these notices

3

Unable to provide adequate water and emergency feed

Take remedial action before continuing journey

5

Insufficient headroom and oversize pens

Take remedial action before continuing journey

1

Ventilation fans not working on lorry

Do not transport animals at all

4

Delayed sailing

Hold at lairage for 24 hour rest

4

Cancelled sailing

Return the animals by most direct route

4

No journey log/ exceeded journey times

Hold at lairage/return the animals by most direct route

5

A collapsed calf (all at Dover)

Do not transport animals at all (4 of the 5 calves were humanely destroyed)