Interpretation

2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In these Regulations—

“authorised officer” means an inspector appointed by the Department for the purposes of the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and any other officer of the Department authorised by it to exercise functions under these Regulations;

“the Commission Decision” means Commission Decision 98/272/EEC(2) on epidemio-surveillance for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies;

“the Department” means the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland;

“the disease” means bovine spongiform encephalopathy;

“feeding stuff” has the meaning assigned to it by section 66(1) of the Agriculture Act 1970(3);

“Official Elisa test” means the test required to be carried out in accordance with Commission Decision 94/474/EEC concerning certain protection measures relating to bovine spongiform encephalopathy as amended by Commission Decision 95/287/EEC(4);

“premises” includes any structure or vehicle and premises occupied as or contiguous with a dwelling; and

“protein” means any proteinaceous material derived from a carcase, except—

(a)

any milk product;

(b)

dicalcium phosphate derived from bones;

(c)

dried plasma or any other blood product;

(d)

gelatin; or

(e)

amino acids produced from hides and skins by a process which involves exposure of the material to acid of a pH lower than 2 followed by alkali of a pH greater than 11 and heat treatment at a minimum of 140 161 C for 30 minutes at a pressure of 3 bar.

(3) Other expressions in these Regulations which are also used in the Commission Decision have the same meaning as in that Decision.

(4) These Regulations are without prejudice to the powers conferred by or under the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 on inspectors appointed by the Department for the purposes of that Order.

(2)

O.J. No. L122, 24.4.98, p. 59

(3)

1970 c. 40; the definition of feeding stuff in section 66 was substituted by regulation 20 of the Feeding Stuffs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (S.R. 1995 No. 451); and regulation 3 of those Regulations prescribes descriptions of animals for the purpose of the definition

(4)

O.J. No. L194, 29.7.94, p. 96 as amended by Commission Decision 95/287/EEC (O.J. No. L181, 1.8.95, p. 40)