Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his contribution to the debate of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 429, on Animal Welfare (exports) and the answer of 8 January 2013, Official Report, column 208W, on livestock: transport, what changes he has made to the operations manual to reflect a zero tolerance approach.
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Answer
Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory Agency (AHVLA) undertakes its inspections in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on ‘official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with food and feed law, animal health and welfare’. Article 3 of this Regulation requires member states to ensure that official controls are carried out regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The AHVLA Operations Manual gives instruction to staff on how to apply the requirements of the regulation.
The AHVLA Operations Manual contains a risk matrix for use in relation to inspections for live animal exports and the risk matrix has always allowed for increased incidence of inspections if the current risk is assessed as high. This risk matrix has not changed. However AHVLA have specified in instructions that:
“Due to the increased profile of livestock departing Great Britain (GB) on the vessel mv Joline from Ramsgate Port, 100% of consignments of slaughter/production livestock sailing on the mv Joline must undergo a supervised loading inspection”.
Information has also been added to the instructions regarding the export certification carried out an Official Veterinarian (OV). Animals which the OV has rejected at the point of certification must be located at the supervised loading inspection to ensure that they are not loaded onto the vehicle.