Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Neil Hudson
Main Page: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)Department Debates - View all Neil Hudson's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1 month ago)
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Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)
A crucial way to support pig farmers is ensuring healthy pigs, and that requires strong biosecurity and stopping illegal meat imports. When I asked DEFRA about those imports, it said that data are now not available, but alarmingly, Dover Port Health Authority reported seizing 14.2 tonnes of illegal meat in just one week in March. DEFRA has admitted to me that in the first quarter of the year, 28% of vehicles flagged at Dover did not turn up for checks at the Sevington border control post. When we have foot and mouth in Europe just last year and African swine fever advancing up the continent, we run the risk of a catastrophic animal disease outbreak. For the sake of pig farmers and all livestock farmers, when will this Government wake up, tighten our biosecurity and strengthen border controls before it is too late?
Stephen Morgan
I thank the shadow Minister for his engagement on this issue. Baroness Hayman in the other place has visited the port to understand the issues that he describes. We take these issues extremely seriously. I will certainly take his views back to the Department, and I am happy to meet him to discuss these issues further.