Mr. Tim Drea:

I will comment on the question of nitrotain. The figure, which is well documented in the media, is about 225 k of nitrotain. That figure came from the supplier who provided the 6 k that were seized in, I think, 2012. It was imported by a vet who was subsequently prosecuted. The evidence, which is not disputed, was that individual had purchased 225 k of nitrotain over at least ten years. It was over a long period, but it was still approximately 25 k per year, on average.

I do not have the historic data on when that started and finished, but I know it was a ten-year period.

In terms of the Department's follow-up, it was well before my time. I know a little bit about the case. There was one prosecution and there may have been a second. A number of premises were visited. The person who imported the Nitrotain refused to reveal where he had used it. The only evidence I am aware might have existed at the time was certain weak material that investigators tried their best to use to arrive at a point where they could take it further. I had no knowledge of the case beyond that, other than what I know from colleagues who are no longer with our division. A significant effort was made at the time.

There are real evidential problems. If residue, the physical product or something else that has evidential value is not minded that is always a challenge with this type of things in terms of getting to court. The national residue control panel in the Department tests for zilpaterol. Under that plan, I understand that approximately 900 animals are tested, including cattle, sheep, horses and anything that can end up in the food chain. Zilpaterol is one of the things for which tests are carried out. Testing is carried out with a view to identifying food or feed safety issues. We have never found zilpaterol under the national residue control plan. Would we have found it if it had not cropped up in France? I cannot honestly say that we definitely would have found it. The level that was found in that sample would not have indicated a food or feed safety issue. We might not have found it. That is all I have to say on those two issues.