Live farm animal exports

Summary

A request for data on live farm animal exports, veterinary costs, and government subsidies for the IOM Meat Plant was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The authority refused to disclose the information, citing that monetary values are held by private farmers, questions regarding necessity and food security seek opinions rather than recorded data, and the response was cut off before addressing cost-related queries.

Key Facts

• The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture stated it does not hold the approximate monetary value of exported cattle and sheep as this is held by individual farmers.
• Questions regarding the necessity of exports and threats to food security were refused because they seek opinions rather than recorded information.
• The authority cited Section 9(5)(a)(iii) and Section 9(5)(b)(ii) of the Freedom of Information Act regarding the requirement for adequate descriptions of information.
• The response indicated a potential refusal under Section 11(3)(c) of the Act for requests that do not comply with Section 9.
• The provided text cuts off before the authority addresses the costs of veterinary inspections, certification, or government grants.

Data Disclosed

• 4031 live cattle exported in 2023
• 15,749 live sheep exported in 2023
• £2million government grant
• 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• 2024-04-18
• 2024-05-16

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held by the public authority (held by individual farmers)
• Request seeks opinion rather than recorded information
• Section 9(5)(a)(iii) of the Freedom of Information Act (adequate description)
• Section 9(5)(b)(ii) of the Freedom of Information Act (capable of subsequent reference)
• Section 11(3)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act (practical refusal reason)

Original Request

In 2023 , 4031 live cattle and 15,749 live sheep were exported from the Isle of Man. At the same time, the IOM Government owned Meat Plant (abattoir) made substantial losses requiring a £2million government grant. Please can you confirm the following: 1. What was the approx monetary value of the 4031 live cattle exported from the Island last year? 2. What was the approx monetary value of the 15,749 live sheep exported from the Island last year? 3.Why is it necessary for so many live Manx cattle and sheep to be exported when there is a meat plant on the Island? 4. All livestock exports are legally supposed to be subject to pre-export veterinary inspection and a certification process. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of all such pre-export veterinary inspections? 5. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of the pre-export certification process? 6. What is the maximum permitted time for farm livestock to be held within livestock wagons? 7. When ferry sailings are cancelled or substantially delayed e.g. due to bad weather, what happens to livestock already loaded within livestock wagons (e.g. are they removed and/or subject to further veterinary inspection)? 8. What is the total taxpayer subvention (government grants) received by IOM Meat Plant over the last 5 years ( i.e. the five years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)? 9. How much were Board members of IOM Meats paid in the last financial year? 10. Is the Island's food security threatened by the high number of live farm animal exports?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im Our ref: 3809407 16 May 2024
Dear ### We write further to your request, received 18 April 2024, which states: "In 2023, 4031 live cattle and 15,749 live sheep were exported from the Isle of Man. At the same time, the IOM Government owned Meat Plant (abattoir) made substantial losses requiring a £2million government grant. Please can you confirm the following: 1. What was the approx monetary value of the 4031 live cattle exported from the Island last year? 2. What was the approx monetary value of the 15,749 live sheep exported from the Island last year? 3. Why is it necessary for so many live Manx cattle and sheep to be exported when there is a meat plant on the Island? 4. All livestock exports are legally supposed to be subject to pre-export veterinary inspection and a certification process. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of all such pre-export veterinary inspections? 5. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of the pre-export certification process? 6. What is the maximum permitted time for farm livestock to be held within livestock wagons? 7. When ferry sailings are cancelled or substantially delayed e.g. due to bad weather, what happens to livestock already loaded within livestock wagons (e.g. are they removed and/or subject to further veterinary inspection)? 8. What is the total taxpayer subvention (government grants) received by IOM Meat Plant over the last 5 years (i.e. the five years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)? 9. How much were Board members of IOM Meats paid in the last financial year?

1. Is the Island's food security threatened by the high number of live farm animal exports?"

Our response to your request is as follows:

1. What was the approx monetary value of the 4031 live cattle exported from the Island last year?

2. What was the approx monetary value of the 15,749 live sheep exported from the Island last year?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. To offer advice and assistance the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act (the Act) is to enable persons to obtain access to information held by a public authority.

To offer advice and assistance, the approximate monetary value of live cattle and live sheep exported would be held by individual farmers.

1. Why is it necessary for so many live Manx cattle and sheep to be exported when there is a meat plant on the Island?

2. Is the Island's food security threatened by the high number of live farm animal exports?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because your request asks for an opinion and it does not seek the disclosure of recorded information.

To offer advice and assistance, when submitting a request for information under the Act, an applicant is required under section 9(5)(a)(iii) to provide an adequate description of the information they are interested in and section 9(5)(b)(ii) that this should be capable of subsequent reference. Where an adequate description is not provided, or we are unable to reference this to information we hold, then a public authority may refuse a request on the grounds that a practical refusal reason applies under section 11(3)(c) of the Act (request does not comply with section 9 of the Act).

1. All livestock exports are legally supposed to be subject to pre-export veterinary inspection and a certification process. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of all such pre-export veterinary inspections?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

To offer advice and assistance the veterinary inspections are undertaken by private veterinary surgeons who act as official veterinarians paid by the exporter. There is therefore no cost to the Department.
5. What was the cost to the taxpayer in 2023 of the pre-export certification process? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.
To offer advice and assistance the Department charges exporters for producing export health certificates. There is no cost to the taxpayer as Officer time spent producing the certificates is recuperated from these charges.
6. What is the maximum permitted time for farm livestock to be held within livestock wagons?
7. When ferry sailings are cancelled or substantially delayed e.g. due to bad weather, what happens to livestock already loaded within livestock wagons (e.g. are they removed and/or subject to further veterinary inspection)? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. The information that you have requested is available on the Department website here:
https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/agriculture/livestock-transport- regulations/#:~:text=It%20covers%20all%20animals%2C%20both,or%20undue%20 suffering%20to%20them
8. What is the total taxpayer subvention (government grants) received by IOM Meat Plant over the last 5 years (i.e. the five years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. The information that you have requested has been published in a previous Freedom of Information request. The information can be found by searching FOI case
3352133 here: https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search
9. How much were Board members of IOM Meats paid in the last financial year? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. To offer advice and assistance the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act (the Act) is to enable persons to obtain access to information held by a public authority. Isle of Man Meats is not identified as a public authority listed in Schedule 1 of the Act. You may wish to contact Isle of Man Meats directly who may be able to assist with your request. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on: 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested. In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.