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Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the number of cases of bovine TB since 1979. [25378]
Mrs. Browning: In Great Britain, between 1979 and 1995--the latest year for which figures are available--a total of 17,979 cattle were compulsorily slaughtered because they reacted positively to the tuberculin test. This figure includes all cattle which reacted positively to the test whether or not the presence of disease was subsequently confirmed at post mortem or by the culture of samples in the laboratory. In addition, between 1979 and 1994--the latest year for which figures are available--a total of 247 cases of bovine TB were confirmed from slaughterhouses.
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Mr. Bottomley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the incidence of bovine TB since 1979 in areas assessed by his Department to have (a) heavy and (b) light badger populations. [25376]
Mrs. Browning: It is not possible to answer this question in the form requested. Detailed badger population estimates do not exist. However, a national badger survey undertaken between 1985 and 1988, which assessed badger activity and presence of setts within 2,455 randomly selected 1 km squares of land in Great Britain, indicated that badger density was generally higher in south-west England and Wales. The incidence of bovine TB in cattle is considerably higher in Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire and Avon, Wiltshire, Dyfed, Gwent and South, Mid and West Glamorgan than elsewhere in Great Britain; in 1994 the number of new confirmed TB cattle breakdowns in these areas as a percentage of total herds was 1.231 per cent. Elsewhere in Great Britain the number of new confirmed TB cattle breakdowns as a percentage of total herds was 0.049 per cent.
Mr. Bottomley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how often herds are tested for bovine TB. [25375]
Mrs. Browning: Cattle herds everywhere in Great Britain, with the exception of Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Avon, are routinely tested for tuberculosis every four years. Herds in Devon are routinely tested every three years, and herds in Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Avon are routinely tested every two years. Division veterinary managers of the state veterinary service may exercise discretion in setting testing intervals in any areas of Great Britain where cattle herds have suffered a recent TB breakdown or where herds are considered to be at risk; this may result in some herds being tested more frequently than the prescribed testing interval for the region.
Badgers
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the numbers of badgers killed since 1979. [25377]
Mrs. Browning: It is not possible to answer this question in the form requested. However, the total number of badgers captured and destroyed in removal operations carried out by the Department following TB breakdowns in cattle between 1985 and 1995 was 11,260.
Live Animal Transport
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount invoiced to his Department in respect of staff present at Dover lairages to undertake the certification of livestock for export on (a) 13 February, (b) 14 February, (c) 15 February and (d) 16 February. [25355]
Mrs. Browning: The total amount invoiced by the Department in respect of staff present at Dover lairages to undertake the certification of livestock for export between 13 and 16 February was as follows:
| Date | Total invoiced £ |
|---|---|
| 13 February | 1,818.41 |
| 14 February | 1,435.77 |
| 15 February | 2,184.96 |
| 16 February | 350.76 |
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These figures are exclusive of VAT, which was added at the standard rate.
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many animals were rejected as unfit to travel prior to export from the United Kingdom in (a) 1992, (b) 1993, (c) 1994 and (d) 1995. [25431]
Mrs. Browning:
The numbers of bovine, ovine and porcine animals rejected as unfit to travel prior to export from the United Kingdom were as follows:
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who conducted the export certification for consignments of animals at Abbotsland lairage, Capel-le-Ferne in the 48-hour period prior to 9 am on 20 January. [25432]
1992: 28,070
1993: no figures available
1994: 19,619
1995: 8,855.
Mrs. Browning: Export certification for consignments of animals at Abbotsland lairage, Capel-le-Ferne in the 48-hour period prior to 9 am on 20 January was carried out by a local veterinary inspector. The name of the local veterinary inspector is being withheld under paragraph 4g of part II of the code of practice on access to Government information.
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which consignments were certified by Mr. Jonathan Stirling for export where animals were subsequently rejected by Ministry officials, excluding any animals rejected as unfit to travel under the Welfare of Animals During Transport Order 1994, at (a) the port of Dover; (b) Brightlingsea wharf and (c) the port of Shoreham (i) during 1995 and (ii) from 1 January 1996 to 8 March 1996. [25433]
Mrs. Browning: Details of consignments certified by Mr. Jonathan Stirling and subsequently rejected by Ministry officials on veterinary health certification grounds are as follows:
- (a)(i) During 1995 at Dover:
On 27 April 1995, one animal was rejected from a consignment of 203 calves.
On 2 May 1995, two animals were rejected from two consignments totalling 322 calves.
On 14 June 1995, 11 animals were rejected from one consignment of 240 calves.
On 20 June 1995, 35 animals were rejected from 4 consignments totalling 732 calves.
(ii) from 1 January 1996 to 8 March 1996 no animals were rejected.
(b) At Brightlingsea wharf no animals were certified by Mr. Stirling during 1995 or from 1 January 1996 to 8 March 1996.
(c) At the port of Shoreham no animals were certified by Mr. Stirling during 1995 or from 1 January 1996 to 8 March 1996.
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 142
Licensed Veterinary Inspectors
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list (a) the dates on which staff carrying out LVI duties on behalf of the Maison Dieu veterinary practice or welfare services of 3 Whitehall court, London, were involved in discussions with his Department about their performance as LVIs and (b) the names of those involved (i) in 1995 and (ii) between 1 January 1996 and 8 March 1996. [25434]
Mrs. Browning: Records show that in 1995 meetings were held with staff carrying out LVI duties on behalf of the Maison Dieu Veterinary Practice on 14 March 1995, 10 May 1995, 20 June 1995, 13 September 1995, 17 October 1995, 20 December 1995. Telephone discussions were held on 18 April 1995, 4 May 1995, 18 May 1995, 25 May 1995, 14 June 1995, 15 June 1995, 23 June 1995, 29 June 1995, 30 June 1995, 3 July 1995, 25 July 1995, 26 July 1995, 31 July 1995, 1 August 1995, 9 August 1995, 1 November 1995, 10 November 1995, 15 November 1995 and 17 November 1995.
From 1 January 1996 and 8 March 1996 meetings were held with the Maison Dieu veterinary practice on 31 January 1996, 8 February 1996, 22 February 1996 and 6 March 1996. Correspondence was sent on 16 February 1996.
The names of the local veterinary inspectors involved are being withheld under paragraph 4g of part II of the code of practice on access to Government information.
Sir Dudley Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what disciplinary action he is taking against Ministry employees responsible for sending confidential documents relating to other people to integrated administration and control system applicants. [25525]
Mr. Boswell:
Integrated administration and control system documentation, including field data printouts which contain information about the previous year's application, is sent to applicants by an external contractor. This operation is contracted out, in line with central Government policy, in the interests of efficiency. Any disciplinary action as a result of errors in the 1996 mailing of IACS documentation by the contractor's employees is an internal matter for the contractor.
Sir Dudley Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to prevent officials sending other people's forms to integrated administration and control system applicants with particular reference to Warwickshire; and what assessment he has made as to how the errors occurred. [25526]
Mr. Boswell:
About 0.2 per cent. of integrated administration and control system applicants have reported receiving wrongly addressed IACS field data printouts or had field data printouts missing from their IACS package; 18 per cent. of these problems were reported by farmers in Warwickshire representing about 0.04 per cent. of the total mailing. This operation is contracted out in line with central Government policy because its size--some 246,000 A3 original field data printouts and the same number of A4 copies--means that it cannot be handled by the internal resources available
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 143
within the Ministry. The contractor is one of Europe's largest computing/mailing houses, and has carried out this work for the past three years.
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