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Mr. Gummer : There is no evidence so far that maternal, that is dam to calf, transmission can take place. It does of course in sheep but not in any of the other species which may be affected by spongiform encephalopathy. We are conducting a major study, costing over £5 million, to determine the answer to this question.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what precautions his Department has taken relating to the offspring of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-stricken cattle.
Mr. Gummer : Despite the fact that there is no evidence of maternal transmission, as a precautionary measure any suspect animal that is pregnant must be isolated during and for 72 hours after calving and the placenta and other material burnt or buried. The accommodation used must then be cleaned and disinfected. In addition, as part of the comprehensive epidemiological inquiry into every case of BSE, data are collected in relation to calves of BSE-affected cattle. More generally, the consumer is fully protected because all suspect animals are slaughtered and destroyed and those offals which are most likely to harbour the BSE agent are banned from human consumption even in animals where there is no indication of the presence of BSE.
Fruit
17. Mr. Janman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the contribution of the Kingdom scheme to the marketing of English top fruit.
Mr. Curry : From its formation in 1980 the Kingdom scheme made a valuable contribution to both the promotion and marketing of top fruit.
Agriculture Workers
18. Mr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest average weekly wage for full-time agriculture workers.
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Mr. Curry : Average weekly earnings including benefits for full-time agricultural workers for the 12 months ending in June 1989 were £161.40. These are the latest figures which are available.
58. Dr. Thomas : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time hired workers were employed in agriculture in Worcestershire during 1989.
Mr. Curry : County figures for 1989 are not yet available. The 1988 figures for Hereford and Worcester, taken from the June 1988 agricultural census, are as follows :
Hired workers |Number ------------------------------------------ Full-time |2,949 Part-time |1,293
Moorland Burning
19. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had about burning of moorland to regenerate heather.
Mr. Curry : We have had a number of discussions on conservation and agricultural practice on moorlands.
Ruminant Rations
20. Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what opinions his Department has expressed to other European Community member states concerning the incorporation of meat and bonemeal in ruminant rations.
Mr. Gummer : We have kept our EC partners fully and regularly informed about the probable role of ruminant meat and bonemeal in the development of BSE and the measures we have taken to deal with the problem.
Food Irradiation
21. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received against the introduction of food irradiation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I continue to receive letters about aspects of food irradiation, but no new considerations have arisen that are relevant to the Government's decision. The various issues have been thoroughly analysed and summarised with great clarity in the recent report from the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities.
53. Mr. Churchill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what major food manufacturers or supermarket chains have approached his Department requesting that the present ban on the sale in this country of irradiated foodstuff be lifted.
Mr. Maclean : I have received no such representations direct from food manufacturers or retailers. However, I am aware that the Food and Drink Federation was among those scientific, health, consumer and trade bodies that commend favourably on the introduction of food irradiation in evidence to the recent inquiry by the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities. The report of this inquiry is in the Library of the House.
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79. Mr. Gale : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports from independent scientific committees he has received regarding the safety of food irradiation.
Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin).
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the correspondence on food irradiation he has received has been in favour of its introduction.
Mr. Maclean : The nature of the correspondence does not lend itself to this sort of analysis since many of the letters either raise, or seek information about, particular aspects of the subject.
Green Pound
22. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures are followed to achieve changes in green currency values.
51. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures are followed to achieve changes in green currency values.
Mr. Gummer : Changes to green currencies are proposed by the Commission and agreed by qualified majority in the Council of Ministers.
30. Mr. Moss : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next be discussing the green pound in the Council of Ministers.
Mr. Gummer : The green pound will next be discussed at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 26-27 March.
34. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he will be taking to secure support in Europe for his proposals on the green pound.
Mr. Gummer : I have made it clear to the Commission and the Council that I am seeking a substantial devaluation of the green pound and I will continue to pursue this objective in future negotiations, both in the Council of Ministers and elsewhere.
44. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with other European Community Ministers concerning the future of green currencies.
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with other European Community Ministers concerning the future of green currencies.
Mr. Gummer : I have regular discussions with other Community Agriculture Ministers, in the Council of Ministers and elsewhere. At these meetings I make it clear that I am seeking a substantial devaluation of the green pound at this year's farm price review.
45. Mr. Stevens : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what issues he will raise during his next European Council negotiations on the green pound.
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Mr. Gummer : I shall be pressing for a substantial devaluation at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers.
49. Mr. Alexander : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the president of the National Farmers Union on the current state of the green pound ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The president of the National Farmers Union has made his views on the green pound clear to me on a number of occasions. I have told him that I seek to secure a substantial devaluation of the green pound at this year's farm prices review.
56. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what commitments he has given to the National Farmers Union about his negotiating stance on the green pound.
Mr. Gummer : I have indicated to the House and to the National Farmers Union that I am seeking a substantial devaluation of the green pound at this year's farm price review, and that I am committed to the complete removal of the difference between the green and market rates of exchange of the pound by the end of 1992 at the latest.
80. Mr. Burt : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received against Britain being granted a devaluation of the green pound.
Mr. Gummer : I have received representations from various organisations drawing attention to the consequences of a devaluation of the green pound on food prices.
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will tabulate, for each month since British accession to the European Community, the amount of divergence between British green pound rates weighted according to the value of production of each commodity group and overall exchange rates and the overall weighted impact to date of each divergence on British producer prices.
Mr. Curry : The information, in the form requested, is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to achieve (a) a devaluation and (b) the abolition of the green pound.
Mr. Gummer : I expect to secure a devaluation of the green pound at this year's farm price review. The Council and Commission are agreed that all monetary gaps, including the gap between the green and market rate for the pound, should be eliminated by 1992 at the latest.
Commercial Whaling
24. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding the future of commercial whaling.
Mr. Curry : At present there is a moratorium on commercial whaling. The Department continues to receive many letters about the conservation of whales. We continue to work hard to safeguard this.
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Rhizomania
25. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on rhizomania.
Mr. Curry : The Government remain determined to prevent the introduction and spread of rhizomania, which presents a serious threat to the sugar beet industry. We operate a range of import controls and carry out extensive annual surveys of beet fields. The disease was first identified in 1987 at a farm in Suffolk and two further outbreaks were identified last year in Norfolk. These farms are subject to strict control measures designed to prevent the spread of the disease.
Food Inspectorate
26. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to improve the food inspectorate.
Mr. Maclean : In the context of the requirements of the European Community directive on the official control of foodstuffs and of the Food Safety Bill, currently before Parliament, discussions will be held with representatives of enforcement authorities on any changes needed in the present arrangements for the inspection of foodstuffs.
Equine Exports
27. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of his efforts within the European Community to prevent the export of equines below set minimum values after 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Negotiations on the Community's proposals on welfare conditions for animals in transit are still at a preliminary stage. We have emphasised the importance that we attach to securing proper controls on trade in horses but it is clear that these will be difficult negotiations.
Eggs
28. Mr. Lord : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to assist in the marking of British-produced eggs.
Mr. Gummer : I have informed the industry that it is free to put origin terms on egg packs. As hon. Members will be fully aware, there are comprehensive measures in force in the United Kingdom to combat salmonella. I hope that similar measures will be taken throughout the EEC in the near future. Until then British eggs are subject to the toughest safety regulations in the Community.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any intention of banning the use of melange as a component which is included in raw liquid egg which is pasteurised for industrial use.
Mr. Maclean : Under European Community Council directive 89/437 of 20 June 1989 on hygiene and health problems affecting the production and the placing on the market of egg products, member states are required,
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before 31 December 1991, to bring into force regulations that, inter alia, will prohibit the use of broken eggs in products intended for human consumption.Animal Feed
29. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken to provide more information concerning the ingredients in animal feed.
Mr. Maclean : A recent amendment to the European Community directive on the marketing of mixed feeds will oblige manufacturers to declare the materials used, though further work is necessary within the Community before this provision can be implemented by the member states.
The present regulations already permit manufacturers to give full information about ingredients and farmers who want this information should seek it from their suppliers.
Salmonella
31. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further measures he is taking to assist egg producers whose flocks are found to be infected with salmonella.
Mr. Maclean : As announced in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Mr. Alexander) on 13 February, Official Report, column 200, the scales of values for calculating compensation, where infected flocks are compulsorily slaughtered, have been revised to reflect increases in commercial prices and will be kept under regular review in future.
Eastern Europe
32. Mr. Favell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to visit eastern Europe.
Mr. Gummer : I visited Poland between 25 and 28 February 1990, and plan to go to Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria this month.
33. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he is taking to assist in increasing food production in eastern European countries.
Mr. Gummer : I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) and the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 8 February ( Official Report, columns 1000- 01). I have just returned from a visit to Poland, and shall be visiting Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria next week. Opportunities for visits to other eastern countries are being kept under review.
78. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of ways in which United Kingdom agriculture can respond to the food needs of eastern Europe.
Mr. Gummer : It is clear that British experience and expertise in the agriculture and food sectors can be of great benefit in enabling eastern Europe to meet its food needs. The previous Socialist economies were particularly damaging to food production and I am determined that
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Britain should play its full part in their transformation into the free market. We are already working closely with Poland and Hungary and I hope to visit Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia shortly with a small specialist team. We are also encouraging British business men and farmers to make the most of the opportunities offered by these welcome changes.Silage
35. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what efforts he is making to reduce pollution risks from silage.
Mr. Curry : The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service provides free initial advice to farmers on ways to minimise pollution from silage ; grants of 50 per cent. are available under the farm and conservation grant scheme for the construction and improvement of silage effluent facilities ; and the Government are at present consulting on regulations that would set minimum construction standards for new and substantially reconstructed silage installations and which would provide a power to the National Rivers Authority to require improvements to existing installations ; and the Government will shortly be introducing regulations setting minimum standards for new silage installations.
Beef
36. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the present state of the beef industry.
Mr. Curry : The 1989 June agricultural census showed an increase in the beef breeding herd to its highest level for a decade, for the first time fully offsetting the fall in the dairy herd. The December 1989 census showed a continuation of this trend, with a rise of 9 per cent. over the previous year. These figures indicate that producers' expectations remain high.
Consumer Panel
37. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his consumer panel will have its first meeting.
42. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the operation of his consumer panel.
70. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that consumer opinion is fully taken into account in formulating future food safety policy.
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent arrangements he has made to improve the representation of consumer interests towards his Department.
Mr. Gummer : Following my announcement of 2 November 1989 ( Official Report, columns 317-18 ) we have established a consumer panel made up of ordinary consumers nominated by the main consumer bodies but appointed in an individual capacity. Its terms of reference are :
"To review matters relating to the implementation of food safety policies and to examine particular issues of concern to consumers".
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The first meeting of the panel will take place in London on 12 March 1990. The names of the members are :Mr. Phillip Bell, Edinburgh
Mrs. Dorothy Craig, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mrs. Harriet Kimbell, Guildford
Mrs. Susan Leather, Exeter
Mr. Patrick McCoy, Armagh
Mr. Gareth Morgan, Llanfairpwll, Gwynedd
Mrs. Wilma Mulliner, Weymouth
Mrs. Susan Payne, Bromley
Mrs. Noelle Whamond, Newton Stewart
I expect the panel to lead to a useful dialogue between consumers and Ministers on food safety issues.
We also wish to initiate periodic meetings in which we can bring together the leaders of consumer groups to consider a wide range of complex policy issues going much wider than the food safety issues on which the consumer panel will be concentrating. I am therefore writing today to 15 consumer bodies inviting them to a meeting in the Ministry next month.
We expect that these arrangements will strengthen contacts and enable Ministers to hear a wide range of consumer views directly. They supplement the well-established arrangements for consulting consumer bodies on particular issues and listening to their views.
Sheep Dip
38. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning organophosphorous sheep dips.
Mr. Maclean : A number of hon. Members and others have sought information from me and my Department about organophosphorous sheep dips.
As I told the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 25 January ( Official Report, columns 821-22 ), my Department will begin this year a review of ectoparasiticide product licences which will include licenced organophosphorous sheep dips.
Bottled Water
39. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on nitrate levels in (a) imported bottled water and (b) home-produced bottled water.
Mr. Maclean : No specific limits for nitrates are laid down under the EC natural mineral waters directive. Information available suggests that levels of nitrates in both imported and home-produced bottled water are below the maximum concentration of 50 mg/l set by the EC drinking water directive.
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