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of records by owners and others relating to animals and poultry; and during outbreaks
of specified diseases, the enforcement of special orders relating to the control
of the movement of animals and disinfection of places, vehicles and articles, etc.
As a result of widespread outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in the Midlands
and the North West, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, having designated
three Controlled Areas, declared the whole of England and Wales, and later
Scotland, to be a Controlled Area. In consequence the movement of cloven-footed
animals and animal wastes was only permissible by licence and 20 such licences
were issued in the borough.
Up to the end of 1967, a total of 82 Special Orders was made designating
Infected Areas. In order to control what was the worst outbreak of the disease ever
experienced in the United Kingdom many thousands of animals were destroyed.
No Orders were issued during 1967 for areas affected with swine fever but
several orders made in 1966 were still in force during the early part of the year.
Fourteen movement licences giving notice of animals being moved into the borough
were received.
No cases of notifiable disease in animals occurred within the borough during
the year.
The Diseases of Animals (Waste Foods) Order, 1957, requires licensing where
plant and equipment is used for the boiling of waste foods for animal feeding. There
are 16 pig keepers within the borough and their premises are inspected periodically
by the public health inspectors. Only three of these use plant and equipment for
the boiling of waste foods and are duly licensed.
The Riding Establishments Act, 1964, empowers a local authority to inspect
premises used as a riding establishment and to license them if satisfactory. Riding
Establishment means any stables or other premises whatsoever at which horses are
kept for the purpose of being let out on hire for riding or of being used in providing,
in return for payment, instruction in riding.
It is an offence for any person to let out on hire or use for providing instruction
any horse in such a condition that its use for that purpose will be likely to cause
suffering to the horse, or to keep a horse for these purposes in so neglected a state
or in such conditions that suffering is, or is likely to be, caused to the horse.
There were five licensed riding establishments in the borough at 31st December,
1967.
Under the Pet Animals Act, 1951, no person may keep a pet shop without an
annual licence granted by a local authority; the licence contains conditions relating
to suitable accommodation, provision of food and drink, avoidance of sale of
mammals at too early an age, prevention of infectious disease and fire precautions.
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