To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle passport applications he expects to be received late due to the postal strike; and how many cattle he estimates this will render valueless. (157275)

BCMS receives around 49,000 applications each week for cattle passports. Passports are produced provided there is reasonable evidence to show that farmers submitted applications in good time or were prevented from doing so by factors outside their control. These factors include known postal strikes.

If applications were not submitted in reasonable time then a passport would be refused and farmers would be unable to move the animal from their holding. 0.35 per cent. of all applications received are normally refused, subject to appeal because they are late. The figures from the last postal strike show that 0.45 per cent. of applications were initially refused. Three quarters of these appealed against the decision and were successful because of the postal strike delays. This compares with 55 per cent. of such appeals during a similar period the previous year.