Member

Could the Minister also outline the sharing of responsibility and who the responsible person will be, particularly when it comes to hold notices under paragraph 6.3 of the Explanatory Memorandum? I imagine that in most circumstances the responsible person is the farmer sending the animals for slaughter, but once those animals are on the lorry or the ship they are the responsibility of the haulier. If a hold notice was issued it would pose all sorts of practical questions as to how they will be returned to be held. Who will be responsible for ensuring that they are returned to safekeeping? How is that responsibility to be shared? At the moment, the way the regulations read is that there is no distinction between the owner, the keeper and the haulier. The haulier may not have knowledge of the intended purposes. That relates in particular to the holding notice.