Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2012 to Question 92634, whether any of the bodies of deceased working military animals have entered the food chain since 2010.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes a number of steps to ensure that deceased working military animals do not enter the food chain. When an animal dies the body is passed to contractors approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency for disposal in accordance with the appropriate animal welfare, hazardous waste and healthcare regulations. In the case of military horses the MOD retains the horse passport and returns it to the organisation which issued the passport. This is in accordance with the 2009 Horse Passport Regulations