Written question asked by Tom Cox (Labour) on Thursday, 21 October 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 October 2004. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Monday, 25 October 2004 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what actions HM Customs and Excise is taking to stop meat being smuggled into the United Kingdom from overseas.

Answer: Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions HM Customs and Excise is taking to stop meat being smuggled into the United Kingdom from overseas. [193793] Dawn Primarolo: HM Customs and Excise role is to tackle illegal imports of meat and other products of animal origin arriving in Great Britain from outside the EU. In discharging this role Customs: Target their detection staff, including detector dog teams on those routes of entry that make the greatest contribution to the risk of disease flow to the UK; React to specific disease notifications from Defra--for example, in relation to the recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza; Seize and destroy smuggled products of animal origin wherever detected; Share information and intelligence with other enforcement agencies; Prosecute offenders in serious and appropriate cases; Work with Embassies and High Commissions to explain the rules to travellers coming to Great Britain; Produce a range of publicity, including: leaflets, posters, and advertisements in travel magazines; working with airlines to encourage them to show an information video or make an announcement explaining the rules on inbound flights; and together with Defra, producing 7 million ticket wallets and flyers explaining the rules for issue to UK travellers.

Secondary information