Importation of Animals Order 1977
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | SI 1977/944 |
1977 No. 944
ANIMALSDISEASES OF ANIMALS
The Importation of Animals Order 1977
Made 25th May 1977
Laid before Parliament 10th June 1977
Coming into Operation 1st July 1977
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State, acting jointly, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1, 20(x), 23(c) and 85(1) of the Diseases of Animals Act 1950, and now vested in them1, and of the power conferred on them by section 24 of the said Act, as that Act is amended and extended by the Diseases of Animals Act 1975, and of all their other enabling powers, hereby order as follows:—
Citation, extent and commencement
1. This order, which may be cited as the Importation of Animals Order 1977, shall apply throughout Great Britain, and shall come into operation on 1st July 1977.
Interpretation
2.—(1) In this order, unless the context otherwise requires—
“” means
“” means , and for the purposes of this definition, the expression “”
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means
“” means—
(a) in relation to the carriage of animals by road, a vehicle (including a trailer of any description and the detachable body of a vehicle) which is constructed or adapted for use on a road, and
(b) in relation to the carriage of animals by rail, rolling stock of any description;
“”
“” means
(2) Where, apart from this paragraph, an animal brought to Great Britain would not be imported within the meaning of section 84(4) of the Act, that animal shall, for the purposes of section 24 of and Schedule 1 to the Act in its application to this order, be deemed to have been so imported if, to the satisfaction of a veterinary inspector, it has been or may have been, whilst outside Great Britain, in contact with—
(a)
(a) any animal or the carcase of any animal;
(b)
(b) any contact animal or the carcase of any contact animal;
(c)
(c) any poultry or the carcases of any poultry; or
(d)
(d) any thing by or by means of which it appears to that veterinary inspector disease might be transmitted;
and for the purposes of this paragraph—
(i)
(i) “” means
(ii)
(ii) “” means
(3) For the purposes of this order, an animal shall be deemed to have been landed—
(a)
(a) in the case of an animal which has been carried by sea, immediately it is put or otherwise arrives on land in Great Britain; and
(b)
(b) in the case of an animal which has been carried by air, immediately the aircraft which is carrying it touches down in Great Britain;
and the expressions “” and “”
(4) The Interpretation Act 1889 applies for the interpretation of this order as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of Parliament, and as if this order and the orders revoked by it were Acts of Parliament.
Prohibition on landing of imported animals in Great Britain otherwise than under licence
3.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this order, the landing of imported animals in Great Britain is hereby prohibited.
(2) The prohibition contained in paragraph (1) above shall not apply to the landing in Great Britain of imported animals when that landing takes place under the authority of a licence in writing issued by the appropriate Minister, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of that licence.
(3) An import licence may be either general or specific, and may in either case be issued subject to compliance with such conditions specified therein as the appropriate Minister may see fit to impose for the purpose of—
(a)
(a) preventing the introduction or spreading of disease into or within Great Britain; or
(b)
(b) protecting animals from unnecessary suffering on landing and during inland transit.
(4) A general import licence shall be issued by the appropriate Minister by publication of the provisions thereof in such manner and to such extent as appears to him to be sufficient to bring the terms of that licence to the attention of those persons likely to be affected by it.
(5) Every import licence shall—
(a)
(a) designate the ports and airports at which imported animals to which it relates may alone be landed; and
(b)
(b) subject to Article 9 below, specify approved premises to which such animals are authorised to be moved after landing.
(6) The appropriate Minister may at any time revoke or vary an import licence, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done pursuant thereto before the revocation or variation takes effect; and any such revocation or variation shall be affected—
(a)
(a) in the case of a general import licence, by notice thereof published, so far as practicable, in the same manner and to the same extent as the licence; and
(b)
(b) in the case of a specific import licence, by notice in writing served on the person to whom the licence was issued.
Provisions relating to the carriage of imported animals to Great Britain
4.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit the use of, any vessel, aircraft, vehicle or container for the carriage of animals to Great Britain unless, since it was last used for the carriage of animals or the carcases of animals, those parts of the vessel, aircraft, vehicle or container with which those animals or carcases came or may have come into contact have been effectively cleansed and disinfected.
(2) Subject to paragraph (5) below, where during the carriage of animals to Great Britain—
(a)
(a) the master of the vessel or the commander of the aircraft knows or suspects that an animal on board is or may be affected with disease, or
(b)
(b) any such animal is injured,
the master or commander shall, immediately on arrival at a port or airport in Great Britain, report the fact, together with any other relevant information connected therewith, to the Divisional Veterinary Officer; and it shall be the duty of the master or commander to ensure that an animal to which subparagraph (a) above applies, and any animal which may have been in contact with it, is not unloaded from the vessel or aircraft except with the written consent of a veterinary inspector.
(3) Subject to paragraph (5) below, where during the carriage of animals to Great Britain an animal dies or is slaughtered, the master of the vessel or the commander of the aircraft shall—
(a)
(a) if practicable, retain the carcase of the animal on board the vessel or aircraft;
(b)
(b) immediately on arrival at a port or airport in Great Britain, report the death or slaughter of the animal, together with any other relevant information connected therewith, to the Divisional Veterinary Officer; and
(c)
(c) ensure that the carcase of the animal is unloaded and disposed of in Great Britain only with the written consent of a veterinary inspector, and in accordance with any directions given by him;
and where the master or commander knows or suspects that an animal to which the foregoing provisions of this paragraph apply was, at the time of its death or slaughter, affected with disease, he shall ensure that any animal which may have been in contact with it, or with its carcase, is unloaded in Great Britain only with the written consent of a veterinary inspector.
(4) Where it is impracticable to retain the carcase of an animal to which paragraph (3) above applies on board the vessel or aircraft, the master or commander shall, immediately on arrival at a port or airport in Great Britain, furnish to the Divisional Veterinary Officer all relevant information concerning the death or slaughter of the animal in question, and the disposal of its carcase.
(5) Where an animal which is affected with disease, or suspected of being so affected, or the carcase of an animal to which paragraph (3) above applies, or an animal which has been in contact with any such animal or the carcase of any such animal, is, throughout the period of its journey to Great Britain by sea or air, confined within a vehicle or container, it shall not be unlawful, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) above, for the vehicle or container in which the animal or carcase is confined to be unloaded from the vessel or aircraft without the consent of a veterinary inspector; but in any such case, it shall be the duty of the person in charge of the animal or carcase—
(a)
(a) to report its presence in the vehicle or container, together with any other relevant information connected therewith, to the Divisional Veterinary Officer either—
(i) immediately after the vehicle or container has been unloaded from the vessel or aircraft, or
(ii) where at the time of such unloading he is unaware of the presence or suspected presence of disease in that animal, or of the presence of that carcase, or, as the case may be, that the animal has been in contact with an animal affected with or suspected of being affected with disease, or with the carcase of such an animal, immediately after he becomes so aware; and
(b)
(b) to ensure that the animal or carcase is unloaded from the vehicle or container and (in the case of a carcase) is disposed of only with the written consent of a veterinary inspector, and in accordance with any directions given by him.
(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (2), (3) and (5) above, it shall not be unlawful, in case of emergency, to unload an animal or carcase to which any of those paragraphs applies from a vessel, aircraft, vehicle or container without the written consent of a veterinary inspector first having been obtained; but where an animal or carcase is unloaded in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, the person in charge thereof shall immediately report the unloading to a veterinary inspector, and shall comply with any directions given by him.
(7) The carrier of imported animals (other than quarantine animals) shall, as soon as he is in a position to do so, notify the person...
To continue reading
Request your trial