Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the exporting of live horses and ponies for slaughter.

George Eustice

There is no ban in place on the export of live horses for slaughter. However, there is a system of inspections and checks in place to make sure that horses are healthy and fit for transport. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) undertakes risk based inspections of equines destined for export. Local authorities also undertake inspection work and are responsible for investigating breaches of the welfare legislation with a view to prosecution.