I have been contacted by a large number of constituents concerned that Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, has reportedly said that Scotland will not participate in any ban on live exports that is proposed in Westminster.
If Fergus Ewing has said this, then it is my view he is wrong, and I will write to him to ask him to clarify his comments. If this is his position then I will join with the many against this, to make sure it does not become Scotland’s position.
From the Hunting Act to the Animal Welfare Act, Labour has always lead the way on animal rights. The Labour Party has announced proposals to ban the live export of animals for slaughter, and to introduce mandatory country of origin, method of production and slaughter labelling of meat. This was all part of a new 50-point draft policy document which is available to read here.
A ban would not apply to the transport of animals from the Scottish Islands to the mainland, nor to trade between Scotland and Northern Ireland or the rest of Great Britain, as that is still within the UK. The impact on Scottish farmers of a live export ban would therefore be minimal or, in the vast majority of cases where Scottish farmers do not export their animals outside the UK, non-existent.
Live exports for slaughter or fattening are cruel and unnecessary. Once an animal leaves the UK, we cease to have any control over their welfare.
I have signed a motion from Christine Grahame MSP which you can read below:
Motion S5M-10365: Consultation on a Ban of the Export of Live Animals for Slaughter
That the Parliament notes the support for a consultation on a ban on the export of live animals from Scotland, including from the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency, for the purposes of slaughter or fattening; understands that, in 2016, approximately 2,400 sheep were sent from Scotland to Germany and France for slaughter, and that approximately 3,000 calves were exported to Spain, according to figures from the Animal and Plant Health Agency; further understands that the calves were first shipped to Northern Ireland, then by road to the Republic of Ireland and onwards on a 20-hour sea journey to France, to finally be driven through France to Spain; agrees with the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity’s comments on 6 February 2018 that “most animals should be slaughtered as close to the farm as possible”, and accordingly notes the calls for the Scottish Government to consult on a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter or fattening.
