To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1082W, on horses, in what percentage of the samples taken from horses entering the UK evidence of inappropriate usage of veterinary medicinal products has been found in the last 12 months. (259659)

Samples are taken from a small number of horses entering the food chain. These are taken as part of the UK statutory surveillance programme checking the appropriate use of veterinary medicinal products in accordance with EU legislation. It is a requirement that the sampling officers target animals which they believe may have been recently treated, and which therefore may contain concentrations of authorised veterinary medicines above the maximum residue limit, or treated with an unauthorised substance.

Horses are not tested when they enter the UK. However, some horses selected for sampling under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD) surveillance programme may have come from another country.

In 2008, 105 horses submitted for slaughter for human consumption were sampled. 13 of the samples tested were from horses that originated from outside the UK. Three of the 105 samples tested revealed non-compliant residues of a veterinary medicinal product which should not have been present in horses presented for the food chain. All three were from horses submitted from within the UK.

As indicated in the earlier answer, the VMD requires investigations to be carried out into non-compliant samples.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1082W, on horses, what percentage of abattoirs in England slaughter horses for human consumption. (259660)

There are 373 approved slaughterhouses in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, two are licensed to process horses for human consumption, which is 0.54 per cent. of the total.