Article 12
1.—(1) The licensee must ensure that any person entering the licensed premises is made aware that the premises are licensed under this Order, whether by means of a system of notices or otherwise.
(2) The licensee must provide the following at exits from the animal area and at any loading and unloading bay —
(a) footbaths containing approved disinfectant; and
(b) facilities for removing from footwear mud, animal excreta and any other contaminants derived from animals prior to use of the footbaths.
(3) The licensee must provide facilities on the licensed premises for changing, cleansing and disinfecting clothes and disposing of disposable clothes.
(4) The licensee must—
(a) ensure that animals are unloaded from, and loaded onto, vehicles only in the animal area; and
(b) ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that animals do not leave the animal area except on a vehicle.
(5) In the case of an animal gathering to which the time limits in articles 9 and 10 apply, the licensee must ensure that —
(a) no animal is brought on to the premises before the start of the animal gathering; and
(b) every animal is removed from the premises by the end of the animal gathering.
2.—(1) No person may enter licensed premises wearing outer clothing or footwear visibly contaminated with mud, animal excreta or any other contaminant derived from animals.
(2) If a person in the animal area is wearing outer clothing or footwear visibly contaminated with mud, animal excreta or any other contaminant derived from animals, on leaving the animal area he or she must immediately cleanse that outer clothing or footwear of gross contamination (unless it is to be disposed of) and either—
(a) disinfect it;
(b) change into clean clothing or footwear;
(c) dispose of it; or
(d) leave the licensed premises.
(3) If a person outside the animal area is wearing outer clothing or footwear visibly contaminated with mud, animal excreta or any other contaminant derived from animals, an inspector may serve on him or her a notice giving him or her the option of immediately-
(a) cleansing his or her outer clothing or footwear;
(b) changing into clean clothing or footwear;
(c) disposing of disposable clothing or footwear; or
(d) leaving the licensed premises.
3. Any person leaving the animal area must, using the facilities provided, remove mud, animal excreta and any other contaminant derived from animals from his or her footwear and then disinfect that footwear in the footbath provided containing approved disinfectant.
4.—(1) No person may bring on to or take from the licensed premises any vehicle or equipment carried with that vehicle that is visibly contaminated with animal excreta or any other contaminant derived from animals.
(2) This paragraph does not apply to any vehicle or equipment carried with that vehicle coming on to the licensed premises —
(a) if the excreta or other contaminant is only from animals being carried on the vehicle at the time it is brought on to the licensed premises; or
(b) solely for cleansing and disinfection, if taken directly to the cleansing and disinfection facilities immediately upon arrival.
(3) This paragraph does not apply to any vehicle or equipment carried with that vehicle leaving the licensed premises—
(a) if the excreta or other contaminant is only from animals which have been unloaded from the vehicle on the licensed premises; or
(b) if the excreta or other contaminant is only from animals which were loaded on to the vehicle on the licensed premises.
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order revokes and re-enacts, with amendments, the Animal Gatherings (Wales) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1803 (W.191)). The amendments are as follows.
First, where a series of animal gatherings that are held on premises with a paved animal area last no longer than 48 hours in total, those gatherings will be treated as one animal gathering (article 7(6)). Secondly, article 8 provides that a licensee may apply to the Welsh Ministers to allow sheep at a sheep autumn breeding sale to have access to areas outside the paved animal area and for permission to hold further animal gatherings within 27 days of that sheep autumn breeding sale. Thirdly, paragraph 1(2) of the Schedule requires the licensee to provide facilities for removing mud, excreta and other contaminants from animals from footwear, in addition to providing footbaths. Paragraph 3 of the Schedule requires any person leaving the animal area to use those facilities before using the footbath containing approved disinfectant. Fourthly, paragraph 2(1) of the Schedule provides that no person may enter licensed premises with outer clothing or footwear that is visibly contaminated with mud, in addition to animal excreta or any other animal contaminant specified in the 2004 Order.
Article 4 provides that this Order does not apply if all the animals brought to an animal gathering are owned by the same person and come from premises authorised as a sole occupancy group under the Disease Control (Wales) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/1966 (W.211)) and if the gathering takes place on premises owned or occupied by the owner of the animals.
Article 5 requires a licence for animal gatherings. Article 6 specifies that an animal gathering can only take place 27 days or more after the last animal left those premises and those premises and equipment on the premises has been cleaned of visible contamination. If the gathering takes place on paved premises, article 7 makes provision for the cleansing and disinfection of those premises and enables a gathering to take place inside the normal time limits. Article 9 imposes a 48 hour time limit on animal gatherings for the purpose of sale on paved premises and sheep autumn breeding sales and onward consignments on any premises. Article 12 and the Schedule impose duties on persons attending an animal gathering. Article 13 imposes restrictions following an animal gathering. Article 14 deals with enforcement.
Breach of the Order is an offence under section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981, punishable in accordance with section 75 of that Act.
A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.