Dear SofS, the Port of Dover has according to recent reports intercepted over 40 tonnes of illegal meat imports entering the UK, in January alone. In reality this is just the tip of the iceberg. The livestock sector which I represent, is extremely vulnerable should this illegal meat be discarded and cause an outbreak of exotic disease, such as foot and mouth disease. It also means that consumers are being misled thinking they may be buying British, or this meat may not be even fit for human consumption. What is your department doing to prevent this illegal trade and secondly can you guarantee we will have, as promised the multi species livestock information service for cattle released this year and sheep from 2027, so that we can effectively trace our livestock should the unthinkable happen? This has been worked on for 9 years and has reportedly cost the Department over £100m to date.