| Previous Section | Home Page |
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Institute of Horticulture
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to attend the annual general meeting of the Institute of Horticulture.
Mr. Curry : I have no plans to do so.
Wool Guarantee Scheme
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to leave the existing wool guarantee scheme in place until 31 December 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : It remains the Government's intention to terminate the wool guarantee scheme as soon as parliamentary time permits. My right hon. Friends and I have however decided that the guarantee will continue to operate for the 1992-93 clip year which begins on 1 May 1992. The level of the guaranteed price for 1992-93 will be considered and announced in due course.
Column 505
Drift Nets
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further measures he is taking to ensure that drift nets have warning devices attached to deter mammals such as dolphins.
Mr. Curry : Research is being undertaken in the United Kingdom and throughout the world by scientists and fishermen to find ways of avoiding the accidental catches of dolphins. This Department is keeping in close touch with such investigations and is currently reviewing what further study might be made.
Sheep Dip
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received, since 1 July about the effects of organo-phosphorous sheep dips on farmers and others ; what is his latest estimate of the medical evidence ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : We have received further representations from hon. Members, individual farmers, interested organisations and members of the public about the effects of organophosphorous sheep dips on farmers and others. All the available information including medical evidence, will be taken into account by the Veterinary Products Committee, as part of its current review of existing licensed organophosphorous sheep dip products. The review will be completed later this year.
Blue Ear Disease
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 16 October, Official Report, column 153, how many pig premises under movement restrictions as a result of suspicion or confirmation of blue ear disease have since had restrictions lifted.
Mr. Maclean : Under the arrangements implemented on 16 October movement restrictions are to be kept in place on premises with suspected or confirmed cases for eight weeks following the disappearance of the clinical signs of the disease.
Twenty five premises have been free of clinical symptoms for eight weeks or longer and have therefore been released from movement restrictions.
Meat Imports
Mr. Moss : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the results of tests for clenbuterol undertaken on meat into the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic.
Mr. Maclean : In July 1991, traces of clenbuterol were found in a sample of bovine liver imported from the Irish Republic taken as part of the Ministry's routine surveillance arrangements for residues of veterinary medicines in imported meat. As a result of this finding, the Ministry immediately initiated a special survey of bovine muscle, kidney and liver entering the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic.
The results of this survey are now available. A total of 93 samples were obtained between late July and early
Column 506
September. Two samples of bovine kidney and one of bovine muscle were found to contain detectable residues of clenbuterol. In addition, a total of 66 archived--stored--samples of bovine muscle and kidney originating from the Irish Republic and taken during June 1990 and July 1991 were also examined for the presence of clenbuterol residues. Two kidney samples were found to contain detectable residues of clenbuterol. In this period, no samples of bovine liver, which is the preferred tissue for analysis for clenbuterol, were obtained.Screening and confirmatory testing of samples was carried out at the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland's--DANI--veterinary science laboratory in Belfast. Details of the positive analyses are set out in the table. Further confirmatory tests on positive samples were carried out at the MAFF food science laboratory, Norwich. These confirmed the presence of clenbuterol in four of the five samples. In one case, insufficent sample was available for confirmatory analysis.
Clenbuterol concentrations in Irish bovine tissues
Summary of positive test results
(mug/kg) (parts per billion)
DANI
Date of import |Tissue |Screen test |Confirmatory
|test
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh meat samples
3 August 1991 |Muscle |0.7 |5.2
17 August 1991 |Kidney |1.1 |2.5
17 August 1991 |Kidney |>5.5 |12.9
Archived samples
2 June 1990 |Kidney |>9.0 |13.9
28 July 1990 |Kidney |1.1 |2.6
I have expressed to the Irish Minister of Agriculture, Mr. O'Kennedy, my concern at this evidence of clenbuterol contamination of exports of meat from the Irish Republic. We have also discussed this issue with the Irish authorities at official level. Mr. O'Kennedy has left me in no doubt of the seriousness with which he views this problem, and of his determination to deal with it. Strict controls have been introduced in the Irish Republic on the distribution of veterinary medicines and a major seizure of clenbuterol has been made. Substantially increased penalties for the illegal use of veterinary medicines have been approved by the Government in the Irish Republic and legislation giving more effect to these will be introduced soon. More comprehensive testing for clenbuterol is being introduced at meat plants in the Irish Republic. I welcome these measures as a clear demonstration that the Irish authorities are doing everything they can to stamp out the use of illegal animal medicines.
We are also taking further action in the United Kingdom. A consultation document was issued in July proposing the establishment of statutory maximum residue limits--MRLs--for a range of veterinary medicines, including clenbuterol, under regulations to be made under the Food Safety Act 1990. These will make it an offence to present an animal for slaughter or to sell meat containing residues exceeding the prescribed MRLs. Subject to approval from the EC Commission we plan to bring these regulations into force shortly. At the same
Column 507
time, we are continuing our monitoring of meat imports from the Irish Republic, and we will be maintaining our close liaison with the authorities there.The Department of Health advise that if humans were to consume meat contaminated with clenbuterol residue the main effects, if any, would be on the heart. If large amounts were ingested, palpitations and increased pulse rate might occur. There is no evidence of any cases of illness in the United Kingdom.
Priorities Board Report
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received a report from the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food.
Mr. Gummer : The Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food has submitted its progress report to the Agriculture Ministers and the chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. The sponsors are grateful for the work which Dr. Brian Smith and the members of the board have put into their report. This is the first report since the board was reconstituted in 1990. It includes the comments of its advisory sectoral
groups--ASGs--covering arable crops, the environment, food, horticulture, monogastrics and ruminants. The ASGs bring together representatives of the main R and D funding bodies from the public sector and industry, consumer and environmental interests. The report sets out the progress of the board and the new ASGs. It identifies the future topics that the ASGs will be concentrating on, including :
Animal Welfare (including housing and management systems) ; Animal health ;
Funding of grassland and forage research by industry ;
Novel crops and alternative uses for arable crops ;
Effectiveness of Technology Transfer in the Horticultural Industry ;
Allocation of public funding to the different sectors of the Food Safety R and D programme ;
Public funding of research into energy conservation, waste treatment and water quality in the food industry ;
Effect of availability of qualified specialists on Environmental R and D.
The sponsors have agreed that the report should be published. This is now being arranged and advance copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
Private Security Firms
Mr. George : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value of all contracts for each financial year since 1984-85.
Mr. Curry : Seven private security firms are currently employed. One firm provides 10 guards under three contracts, another five guards under two contracts and the rest each supply one guard. Contracts are not necessarily
Column 508
made by financial years but our calculation of the total value of all the contracts in each financial year is as follows :
|£'000
--------------------
1984-85 |170
1985-86 |277
1986-87 |297
1987-88 |312
1988-89 |329
1989-90 |358
1990-91 |469
In keeping with normal commercial practice it would not be appropriate to give the value of each individual contract.
Fish
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the health of (a) freshwater fish in rivers, waterways and lakes and (b) seawater fish in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Curry : Fish populations in the United Kingdom enjoy a relatively high health status and we are free of the most serious fish diseases. We have taken action under the Diseases of Fish Acts to protect and maintain this position ; and will continue to do so under a new Community directive, recently agreed, and coming into effect on 1 January 1993.
Animal Feed
Mr. Ward : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to make it a requirement that all animal feed suppliers should comply with BS5750.
Mr. Maclean : We wholeheartedly support improved quality control in the animal feed industry and applaud those companies who are obtaining the BS 5750 certificate. It would not however be appropriate to make compliance mandatory.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures for the number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each month of 1990 and 1991, giving the number of cases in each month where the animal was (a) three years of age and under and (b) over three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested for cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy confirmed in Great Britain in 1990 and 1991, listed by month of onset of clinical signs is as follows :
Column 507
Number of comfirmed cases
Month of onset of |Total |3 years |Over three |Unknown
clinical signs |and under |years |age
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990
January |781 |14 |749 |18
February |1,252 |14 |1,200 |38
March |1,131 |5 |1,095 |31
April |1,001 |8 |950 |43
May |997 |12 |959 |26
June |965 |6 |934 |25
July |1,068 |10 |1,022 |36
August |1,171 |15 |1,113 |43
September |1,256 |23 |1,181 |52
October |1,252 |28 |1,169 |55
November |1,367 |20 |1,276 |71
December |1,696 |15 |1,632 |49
1991
January |1,664 |22 |1,563 |79
February |1,625 |11 |1,573 |41
March |1,791 |9 |1,719 |63
Blue Ear Disease
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the counties where pigs have been found to be carrying the virus causing blue ear disease while at the same time showing no signs of the disease ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Pigs in North Yorkshire and Humberside have been found to be carrying the virus causing blue ear disease while at the same time showing no symptoms.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of pigs that have been tested for blue ear disease either by his Ministry or by private veterinarians ; how many of these tests were found to be positive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Up to 21 October blood samples from 690 pigs in Great Britain have been tested for blue ear disease at the central veterinary laboratory. A total of 436 pigs were found to be positive.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new information he has about the transmission of blue ear disease in the pig population ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 16 October, Official Report, column 153.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce a slaughter policy to control blue ear disease ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I have no plans to introduce a slaughter policy which would serve no useful purpose as a disease control measure.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 15 October, Official Report, column 148, by giving details of the counties where restrictions have been imposed to control blue ear disease ; whether the disease has been confirmed ; and how many cases there are in each county up to the week beginning 21 October ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested is as follows :
Column 510
County |Number of|Number of
|holdings |confirmed
|cases
----------------------------------------------
Humberside |47 |17
North Yorkshire |4 |2
Warwickshire |1 |1
Lincolnshire |2 |1
Surrey |1 |0
|------- |-------
Total |55 |21
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he took to prevent blue ear disease from entering the United Kingdom from countries which already had been known to have the disease in their own pig populations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Information on the steps taken to try to prevent the introduction into the United Kingdom of blue ear pig disease is set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 16 October, Official Report, column 153.
Dolphins
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 15 October, Official Report, column 148, whether each of the dolphins caught in drift nets died or was returned to the sea ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Regrettably the five dolphins were dead when the nets were hauled on board. The fishermen themselves have been looking at ways to avoid dolphin catches ; the current tuna fishery season is now over. I shall be pressing for a limitation on drift nets at the Fisheries Council on 28 October.
Equines
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the European Council of Ministers further to consider United Kingdom minimum values legislation on the export of horses, ponies and other equines ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer [pursuant to the reply, 18 July 1991, c. 282] : The Agriculture Council reached agreement yesterday on a directive setting welfare conditions for the
Column 511
transport of all types of animal in the Community. It introduces comprehensive welfare safeguards for the first time in this area. The directive establishes controls on the long distance transport of animals about which there has been so much concern. Animals will have to be rested, fed and watered at appropriate intervals. Before the directive comes into force the Council will address the issue of an overall limitation of journeys. This will be particularly relevant to the transport of animals for slaughter. There will also be a comprehensive system of documents to accompany vehicles for control purposes, and for long journeys transporters will have to draw up journey plans specifying the arrangements for resting, feeding and watering. Equivalent rules will apply to imports from third countries. There will be a Commission inspectorate to ensure uniform enforcement of the rules.The issue of trade in horses has been of major concern to the United Kingdom in these negotiations. The agreement provides that national rules will remain applicable for horses and our national arrangements will therefore continue. The Council has agreed to return to this issue at a later stage with a view to setting additional welfare safeguards for all transport of horses in the Community.
The United Kingdom has also secured agreement that the problems of trade in wild birds will be addressed further by the Council, with a view to setting additional welfare safeguards.
Overall this represents a very satisfactory result in an area which is very controversial throughout the Community.
Nephrops
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider a ban on the use of twin netting for the catching of nephrops by Scottish fishermen ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply. Fisheries Departments will shortly issue a consultation paper on the conservation of nephrops. This consultation paper will cover various options for conserving nephrops stocks, including a suggestion from parts of the industry to ban the use of twin and multi-rig trawls. Ministers will consider these various options in the light of responses to the consultation paper.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total catch of nephrops landed in Scotland in the years 1988, 1989 and 1990, and the total catch landed so far in 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply. The total landings of nephrops into Scotland by all vessels are as follows :
Year |<1> Tonnes --------------------------------- 1988 |19,218 1989 |18,080 1990 |16,946 1991 |<2>14,291 <1> Standard landed weight <2> Landings on the central computer on 14 October 1991.
Column 512
ENERGY
Coal Mining
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list the commencement dates for the respective sections of the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is planned to bring the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991 into force on 30 November. There will be one transitional provision deferring for one year the obligation on developers to notify British Coal of their plans in areas where the developer would not necessarily be aware of the obligation to do so. This transitional period will give British Coal time to identify all the relevant areas and to publicise the obligation on developers.
Landfill Gas Schemes
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the landfill gas schemes (a) currently in operation and (b) being proposed in England.
Mr. Moynihan : I am aware of 37 landfill gas schemes currently in operation. They are at the following sites :
Arlesey
Brogborough
Beenham
Wapsey's Wood
"L" Field Stewartby (two schemes)
Witton
Chesterfield
Ridgeway
Heathfield
Aveley (two schemes)
Pitsea
Adswood
Stretford
Stone (three schemes)
Cuxton
Appley Bridge and Parbold (three schemes)
Withnell Quarry
St. Helens
Enderby Warren
Bidston
Otterspool
Brodsworth
Stairfoot Quarry
Maltby
Meriden
Judkins Quarry
Allsopps Hill
Hailstone Quarry
Warnham
Darrington
Normanton
I am aware of a number of proposals for new schemes. However, the details of such proposals are commercially confidential.
| Next Section
| Home Page |