PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Hunting: Livestock (11 January 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban feeding fallen stock to hounds in light of the risks of infection from potentially diseased carcasses.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

Following recent investigations into the risks of feeding fallen stock, controls available within existing legislation have already been strengthened to stop feeding of offal, which may present a greater risk of diseases such as TB, and hunt kennel staff are undergoing training in co-operation with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on how to safely remove and dispose of offal when preparing material for feeding to hounds.

In addition, new requirements are also in place requiring that hounds fed on fallen stock are regularly treated for Echinococcus sp (tapeworm) in accordance with the recommendations of a veterinary professional, and records are kept of such treatment for a period of at least two years and made available for inspection by the APHA. Therefore we do not propose to bring forward legislative proposals as controls under existing legislation are sufficient to ensure feeding of fallen stock to hounds takes place in a way which effectively mitigates the risk of infection and spread of diseases.

Answered by:
George Eustice (Conservative)
16 January 2018