Control of Rams (England and Wales)

18Control of rams in England and Wales

1

For the purpose of improving the quality of sheep the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries may make regulations for controlling the keeping of rams and uncastrated ram lambs on land in England or Wales of such description as may be specified in the regulations, and, without prejudice to the generality of this subsection, any such regulations—

a

may prohibit persons from permitting to be on any such land as aforesaid in any area specified in the regulations—

i

any ram or uncastrated ram lamb unless it has been approved under the regulations as being suitable for the purpose of breeding from the flocks from time to time on any such land in that area ; or

ii

any ram or uncastrated ram lamb declared, in manner provided by the regulations, to be, in the opinion of the said Minister, not so suitable ;

b

may prohibit persons from permitting any ram or uncastrated ram lamb to be, during such period as may be specified in the regulations, on any such land as aforesaid in any area so specified, except under the authority of a licence granted in that behalf by the said Minister ;

c

may provide for the inspection of rams and uncastrated ram lambs ;

d

may provide for the marking, in accordance with the regulations, of any ram or uncastrated ram lamb inspected under the regulations according as it appears to the person or authority by whom the inspection is carried out to be suitable or unsuitable for the purpose of breeding from the flocks from time to time on land in any area specified in the regulations ; and

e

may provide for requiring the slaughter or castration within such time as may be specified in the requisition of any ram or uncastrated ram lamb which, upon being inspected under the regulations, appears to the person or authority by whom the inspection is carried out to be—

i

of defective or inferior conformation and likely to beget defective or inferior' progeny ;

ii

permanently affected with any contagious or infectious disease ; or

iii

permanently affected with any other disease rendering the ram or lamb unsuitable for breeding purposes ;

and may empower such person or authority as may be specified in the regulations to cause a ram or ram lamb in respect of which default is made in complying with any such requisition as aforesaid to be castrated or slaughtered, and provide for the recovery of the cost incurred thereby from the person in default.

2

Regulations under this section may contain such incidental and supplemental provisions as appear to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries to be requisite or expedient for the purposes thereof, and may make different provision in relation to land in' different areas and different descriptions of rams and lambs.

19Penalties for offences in connection with control of rams

1

If any person permits a ram or lamb to be on any land in contravention of regulations made under the last preceding section, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds, and, if any such contravention in respect of which a person has been convicted continues after the conviction, he shall be guilty of a further offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds for each day on which the contravention so continues.

2

If any person with intent to deceive—

a

forges (within the meaning of the [3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. 27.] Forgery Act, 1913) or uses, or lends to or allows to be used by another person, a licence granted under regulations made under the last preceding section ; or

b

makes or has in his possession a document so closely resembling such a licence as to be calculated to deceive; or

c

alters or defaces a mark placed on a ram or lamb in pursuance of regulations so made ;

he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

3

If any person—

a

places on a ram or lamb, otherwise than in pursuance of regulations made under the last preceding section, a mark prescribed by regulations so made ; or.

b

places on a ram or lamb a mark so closely resembling a mark so prescribed as to be calculated to deceive ;

he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

4

If a person on whom a requisition for the slaughter or castration of a ram or lamb has been duly served under regulations made under the last preceding section fails to comply with the requisition, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, and, if any such failure in respect of which a person has been convicted continues after the conviction, he shall be guilty of a further offence and liable on summary conviction to a further fine not exceeding five pounds for every day during which the failure so continues.

5

If any person, without the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, at any time after any such requisition as aforesaid has been duly served on him under regulations made under the last preceding section removes (otherwise than to a slaughter-house for the purpose of slaughter) the ram or lamb to which the requisition relates, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds in the case of a first offence or twenty pounds in the case of a second or any subsequent offence.

6

If any person obstructs or impedes any person in the exercise of any power conferred upon him by virtue of the last preceding section, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds in the case of a first offence or twenty pounds in the case of a second or any subsequent offence.