A COUPLE of months ago, a correspondent, Sir John Ebbs, wrote to lament the fact that EU subsidies were being used to fund a trade in live cattle to the Middle East, where they would then be slaughtered (Letters, November 29).

It was a cruel process causing unnecessary suffering, and taxpayers' money should not have supported it. Sir John was right to complain and to demand that these subsidies were put to an end.

We have now done so. As of January this year, the EU no longer subsidises the export of live animals. This is part of our massive and widespread reform of agricultural spending across Europe.

As a member of the all-party animal welfare intergroup in the European Parliament, I am working towards the replacement of all live animal trade with a trade in meat.

Richard Corbett,

Labour MEP for Yorkshire & the Humber,

Blenheim Terrace, Leeds.

Updated: 11:30 Wednesday, January 11, 2006