Subject to subsection (4), a person shall not, either by himself or by any servant or agent of his, take or send or attempt to take or send a horse out of Northern Ireland to any place outside the British Islands except under the authority of a licence granted by the Ministry.

The fee for a licence under this section shall be of such amount as the Ministry with the approval of the Ministry of Finance may by order, subject to affirmative resolution, prescribe.

A licence under this section shall not be required in respect of the export from Northern Ireland of a horse where the Ministry is satisfied that the horse has been taken or sent to Northern Ireland for a limited period for the purpose of breeding, riding or exhibition, or of a horse where the Ministry is satisfied that it is being taken or sent out of Northern Ireland for any of those purposes.

Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary convictionF1. . . to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to a fine not exceedingF1 level 4 on the standard scale or to bothF1. . . .

The powers of the Ministry under this section shall be in addition to and not in derogation of the powers exercisable by it under the Diseases of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1958 [1958 c.13] .