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Windsor Castle
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 17 January, Official Report, columns 625-26, if she will list the name
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of each of the 13 military knights in residence at Windsor castle, their rank at the end of military service and the principal ceremonial duties they undertake. [11565]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 29 January 1996]: There are normally 13 military knights at Windsor, although at present only 12 of the appointments are held. They are as follows:
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 18 January 1996, Official Report, columns 625-26, from what sources the balance of £25.2 million for that restoration of Windsor castle will be found. [11564]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 29 January 1996]: The balance will be met from the net surplus from visitor admissions to the state rooms at Buckingham palace and the precincts at Windsor castle.
1. Major General P. A. Downward--Governor
The military knights undertake ceremonial duties at St. George's chapel on Sunday mornings, the Queen's official birthday, Garter day, St. George's day, the quarterly obit services and state visits when held at Windsor.
2. Brigadier A. L. Atkinson
3. Brigadier J. F. Lindner
4. Major W. L .Thompson
5. Major L. W. Dickerson
6. Major J. C. Cowley
7. Lieutenant Colonel N. L. West
8. Major G. R. Mitchell
9. Lieutenant Colonel R. Tamplin
10. Major P. H. Bolton
11. Brigadier T. Hackworth
12. Major R. J. Moore
EC Dairy Regime
Sir Roger Moate: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in pounds sterling and ecu, the EC expenditure on the dairy regime in the latest year for which figures are available in each member state showing the average support per cow in each state and the European average. [10673]
Mr. Baldry: The information requested is set out in the table:
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Emtryl (Game Birds)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to enforce European Commission regulation EC 1798 banning the use of Emtryl in treating game birds; what penalties he plans to apply to offences against the regulation when it comes into force; and what warnings have been issued to (a) landowners, (b) breeders, (c) owners of shooting rights and (d) others involved against using Emtryl. [11625]
Mrs. Browning: Banning therapeutic products containing dimetridazole, the active ingredient of Emtryl, would have serious health and welfare consequences for turkeys, game birds and pigs. The UK believes that such products can be used safely and, pending discussions with the European Commission, no action has been taken to withdraw the marketing authorisations for them. The use of DMZ for disease prevention, in accordance with EEC directive 70/524, is not affected by these regulations.
The Animals, Meat and Meat Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) Regulations 1991, as amended--the residues regulations--make it an offence to administer substances in annexe IV of the Council regulation to an animal, or to sell for human consumption any meat or meat product containing such a substance, provided the relevant amending Commission regulation is contained in schedule 1 to the residues regulations. The penalties for non-observance of these regulations are set out in regulation 21, which provides for a fine.
The application of the Commission regulation has been the subject of several discussions with game birds, poultry, farming and distribution interests.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the range of hourly rates; and what is the overall average hourly rate charged to abattoirs for the services of official veterinary surgeons. [11892]
Mrs. Browning:
The range of official veterinary surgeon hourly rates provided by the Meat Hygiene Service is from £17.50 to £140 before the application of capping for the 1995-96 financial year, which keeps the normal time rate to a maximum of £35 per hour. Overtime rates are not capped.
The overall average hourly rate charged to abattoirs for OVS services is £32.42.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many local veterinary inspectors there are currently; and how they are (a) selected and (b) paid. [11692]
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Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 25 January 1996]: At 1 January 1995 there were 5,722 local veterinary inspectors. Data for 1 January 1996 have not yet been collated.
Before an LVI is appointed, he/she must be a member of an established veterinary practice. For an initial appointment they must have spent at least three months in the practice. They will be subject to interview and procedural training carried out by MAFF. The initial LVI appointment is provisional for a period of six months during which time a field assessment may be carried out by the divisional veterinary manager or one of his or her veterinary officers. If duties have been carried out satisfactorily, full appointment will be granted at the end of the six months period, otherwise further training must be undertaken.
Where LVIs carry out services directly for the Minister, they are paid in accordance with the scale of fees agreed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the British Veterinary Association. Where an LVI carries out work directly for his/her client, the fee is a private matter between the client and the LVI.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the certification procedures operated by the local veterinary inspectors. [11693]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 25 January 1996]: A working party was set up by senior managers of the state veterinary service in September 1993. This working party was chaired by Mr. Hugh Morris, a divisional veterinary officer.
The terms of reference were to examine existing export procedures in both animal health offices and the field; to make recommendations to policy divisions and senior managers to ensure that high standards of veterinary health certification would be maintained and that there were mechanisms in place to monitor those standards.
The report of the working party, which has become known as the Morris report, was written for internal management purposes and was not intended for publication. It confirmed that the necessary information and instructions were already available. However, some deficiencies were identified both in the administrative procedures in some animal health offices and in the standards of identification and examination of animals by local veterinary inspectors. The report made more than 80 recommendations to correct these deficiencies, including the re-writing of existing instructions to make them more user friendly.
All necessary action has been taken on the major recommendations of the report to ensure that high standards of veterinary export certification are maintained.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for (a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11920]
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Mr. Boswell:
Neither the Ministry, nor its agencies nor the Intervention Board executive agency currently uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for external recruitment or for internal recruitment and promotion. The Ministry is consulting the Employment Service about the steps necessary for approved use of the symbol.
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action his Department has taken to supervise collection centres for intra-Community trade in livestock; [11978]
Mrs. Browning:
Local veterinary inspectors or veterinary officers are present to inspect animals during assembly at collection centres and dealers' premises of consignments for export to other member states. In relation to imports from other member states, dealers' premises are subject to random non-discriminatory checks as provided for under EC rules.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many breeding cattle were imported into the United Kingdom during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9856]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 17 January 1996]: Official overseas trade statistics recorded 3,842 pure-bred breeding cattle as having been imported into the United Kingdom during the period October 1994 to September 1995. Imports of non-pure-bred breeding cattle are not separately available.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are (a) the guidelines, (b) the enforcement procedures and (c) the monitoring arrangements in respect of the certification of live animals for export by local veterinary inspectors. [11690]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 25 January 1996]: Written instructions are issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the form of animal health circulars and in sets of instructions. They are sent to all veterinary practices which have local veterinary inspectors approved for the certification of live animals for export. Notes for guidance of LVIs on completion of an individual certificate may also be issued with the certificate. In addition, it is incumbent upon every local veterinary inspector to follow the ethical guidance concerning veterinary certification given in the guide to professional conduct issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Where there is evidence of statutory or procedural deficiencies, appropriate action is taken, including prosecution by local authorities.
Where an LVI infringes or fails to comply with his/her conditions of appointment, performs duties unsatisfactorily or is guilty of conduct which indicates that suspension or termination of the appointment may be necessary, an investigation will be mounted and the appropriate action taken.
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Where a veterinary surgeon has issued misleading, inaccurate or untrue certificates, the matter may be considered by the disciplinary committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In several cases, the disciplinary committee has held that the issue of inaccurate certificates has amounted to disgraceful professional conduct. The veterinarian's name has been removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons and the veterinarian has been unable to practise.
To monitor the arrangements for veterinary certification, audit visits are carried out by members of the veterinary field service to LVI practices to check that, among other things, the practice has a current set of instructions and that individual LVIs are aware of current procedures. LVIs are required to return copies of completed export certificates to animal health offices. These are checked to see that they have been completed correctly. Apparent errors in certification and non-receipt of copy certificates are followed up with the LVI concerned. Unannounced audit visits are carried out by members of the veterinary field service to check on LVIs carrying out export certification. In addition, certification and consignments of live animals may be checked at the port of export by Ministry staff. Any deficiencies found in certification or procedures are followed up.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to ensure that local veterinary inspectors carry out their duties in accordance with his instructions in animal health circular 94/31 on "Procedures for checking the identification of cattle to be exported to EC Member States", and if he will make a statement. [12164]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 29 January 1996]: Procedures are already in hand to monitor the duties carried out by LVIs in respect of export certification. I refer to my earlier reply today.
(2) what responsibilities his Department has for the supervision of dealers' premises in respect of intra-Community trade in livestock. [11979]
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