Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the merits of suspending mandatory border control point checks for consignments of equine semen sent from approved EU centres.

All consignments of equine germinal products imported into GB from the EU and EFTA countries are required to undergo import controls at a designated Border Control Post. A facilitation scheme remains in place to address logistical issues associated with the import of chilled equine germinal products. The SPS agreement, currently being negotiated between GB and the EU, will largely supersede the current import requirements and significantly reduce the burden on GB industry.