Criminal investigation delays animal welfare report
A criminal investigation has delayed the publication of a report into an incident that saw more than 40 sheep destroyed at the port of Ramsgate.
Farm minister David Heath said DEFRA lawyers had advised him not to publish the report pending the investigation by Kent Trading Standards.
More than 40 sheep due to be exported from Ramsgate were humanely destroyed at the port on 12 September. But the exact circumstances leading up to the incident remain unclear.
Mr Heath launched a DEFRA inquiry into what happened. Earlier this week, he also introduced tighter welfare rules on livestock exports.
But the findings from the inquiry remain unpublished.
“Nothing would have pleased me more than to have immediately published the report, which I was keen should be made public,” Mr Heath told MPs on Thursday (13 December).
“However, on advice from lawyers in the department, and having received a specific request from Kent trading standards department, which is pursuing criminal investigations, I reluctantly had to agree to withhold publication until those investigations and possible prosecution actions have been completed.”
He added: “There is a view that release of the document might prejudice those proceedings, which I am simply not prepared to do.”
In the meantime, changes had been made to existing procedures to help to prevent a recurrence of the events of 12 September, said Mr Heath.
The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) had always undertaken a proportion of its inspections at the point of loading based on an assessment of risk.
Mr Heath said he had asked AHVLA inspectors to inspect 100% of loadings at the point of loading in order to make sure the risk at that point is properly assessed.
“Those inspections are much better, in some ways, than inspections undertaken at the roadside or at points of rest or transfer such as ports,” he added.
They enabled AHVLA inspectors to undertake more than 30 different checks on the welfare of the animals and the facilities on board the vehicle.
“I want to make it plain that I will maintain that 100% inspection regime for transporters using Ramsgate for as long as I believe that the risk is high.”
Mr Heath said there was good reason not to offload animals at the port if it could be avoided.
“Doing so distresses the animals,” he told MPs.
“It is better to have a visual inspection on-vehicle following the loading inspection, with veterinary controls at the point of loading.
“In everything we do, we are trying to make sure we reduce the stress and improve the welfare of the animals as far as possible.”
Mr Heath also appealed to protestors to “search their consciences” when targeting vehicles arriving at the port with livestock to be exported.
“There are problems associated with trying to undertake this very difficult work with live animals when a substantial protest is going on,” he said.
As people who cared passionately about animal welfare, protestors should think about whether they were enhancing their welfare by “exacerbating the job” of the inspectors, said Mr Heath.
Those inspectors were already doing a very difficult job in very difficult circumstances, he added.
“I thank them for the care that they take in protecting these animals. People will have to search their consciences in this regard, but I make that plea to them.”
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