Stormont Refuses to Allow Discussion of Horse Meat in Assembly Chamber
12 February 2013
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:“The public will doubtless find it bizarre that while the horse meat scandal is a prominent story in every current affairs programme and on the front of most local and national newspapers Stormont has refused to allow an urgent oral question on the issue. This would have ensured that the Minister would have provided the whole House – and the general public – with an explanation of what exactly has been going on.
“The issue has been given added urgency by claims that 70,000 horses from Northern Ireland are unaccounted for.
“It is hard to imagine an issue which is of greater concern both to the public and our biggest employer – the agriculture sector.
“I find it incredible that the Speaker did not deem the issue worth an urgent oral question. Standing Orders state that “a question for urgent oral answer may be taken if, in the opinion of the Speaker, it is if an urgent nature and relates to a matter of public importance.”
“How this issue does not fit the criteria is, frankly, a mystery to me! This refusal is compounded by the fact that not a single statement on the crisis has been made to the Assembly this week.”
Note to editors
The question which Mr Allister tabled and which was refused is as follows:
To ask DARD, given reports of 70,000 horses unaccounted for, what confidence can the public have in the department's horse passport system.
