Illegal Meat Imports

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's progress in preventing illegal meat from entering the United Kingdom. [129494]--------------------------
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|UK imports1             |||||||
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|Unprocessed liquid milk2|||||
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|Processed liquid milk3  |
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|Butter                  |
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|Cheese                  |
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|Cream                   |
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|Condensed milk          |
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|Milk powder (full cream)|
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|Skimmed milk powder     |
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Mr. Bradshaw
Progress against the Government's Action Plan on illegal imports in the financial year 2002–03 is reported in the Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products. Copies have been placed in the House Libraries.The 2003–04 Action Plan is appended to the Review, and we are working with HM Customs and other responsible parties to implement it. Progress will be reported in the next Annual Review to be published after the end of this financial year.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many spot checks have been carried out on illegal meat imports at each designated port of entry into the UK since December 2002. [129498]

John Healey
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 99W. Customs carry out their anti-smuggling controls on the basis of risk assessment and intelligence.