An MP has highlighted the ‘crazy’ lack of powers held by the authorities to punish people who smuggle illegal meat imports into the country.
Danny Chambers, the Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester, challenged the Government over its failures to control the levels of illegal meats coming into the UK from ports like Dover during a debate on rural crime on Monday, January 5.
Last year, Dr Chambers visited the Port of Dover alongside fellow Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan and peer Baron Trees, as part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Food Security, to see how the operation to stop illegal imports works.
The MPs were shocked to discover that the port authorities have no powers to arrest If they discover illegal meat being driven into the country, nor would they be allowed to seize the lorry. They would, however, need to clean the vehicle and disinfect it at public expense before sending it on its way, he said.
During the debate, Dr Chambers urged the government to look at how the hard-working teams at the ports can be funded and equipped with the powers needed to provide a proper deterrent.
He said: “One crime that most concerns farmers in Hampshire and around the country is that of illegal meat imports. Last year, I visited the Port of Dover, where I was shown some of the illegal meat that had been seized.
“This is not only a public health issue; it puts the UK livestock industry at risk of a notifiable disease outbreak, such as foot and mouth disease.
“If I were caught driving illegal meat into the UK in a lorry, the authorities would not have the powers to arrest me and would not be allowed to seize the lorry, but they would have to clean my lorry and disinfect it at the taxpayer’s expense before sending me on my way.
“Does the Minister agree that this is absolutely crazy and will she look at how we can equip the hard-working teams at the ports with the powers needed to provide a proper deterrent to stop this meat coming in?”
Afterwards, he stressed that unregulated meats entering the country put the UK at risk of catastrophic disease outbreaks like foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever, and ‘called on the government to start taking biosecurity seriously’.
EFRA recommendation
In a report last year urging the government to address the illegal meat import crisis, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee found there was no effective deterrent to meat smuggling and called on Defra to deliver a plan to immediately start fining and prosecuting repeat offenders.
Responding to Dr Chambers’ question, Sarah Jones, the Minister for Policing and Crime, said the issue raised was ‘of course very important’.
“We need to make sure that we do not have illegal meat coming into the country. My colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and my colleagues on the Front Bench today will of course take these issues seriously. I am very happy to take this matter further and come back to the hon. Gentleman,” she said.