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Animal Slaughter
12. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support his Department is offering to the abattoir sector; and if he will make a statement. [27469]
Mr. Baldry: My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 16 April a £110 million package of support for the slaughtering sector. Following consultation, we have revised the operation of the stock purchase element of this scheme, in particular to maximise the help it gives to companies involved in the export trade. I am placing details in the Library.
Farm Animal Welfare
13. Ms Corston: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the welfare of farm animals. [27470]
Mrs. Browning: We continue to receive a high volume of comment on animal welfare issues.
Set-aside
16. Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the benefits to wildlife of the set-aside procedure. [27474]
Mr. Baldry: The Ministry is funding an evaluation of set-aside which examines its impact on plants, insects and birds. Research has shown that set-aside land can support significantly more wildlife than nearby cropped fields.
Dairy Imports
20. Mr. Pike: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of (a) milk and (b) dairy products in the United Kingdom is imported from other EU nations. [27478]
Mr. Baldry: The figures are as follows:
| Imports from EU | Percentage of total UK availability (domestic production plus total imports) |
|---|---|
| Milk | 1 |
| Butter | 22 |
| Cheese | 33 |
| Skimmed milk powder | 11 |
| Full cream powder | 8 |
| Condensed milk | 6 |
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Dairy Sector
21. Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of the fall in domestic consumption of beef and the European Union world-wide ban on British beef exports on the United Kingdom dairy farming sector. [27479]
Mr. Baldry: The crisis of confidence in British beef and the EU ban on UK beef exports will have affected the dairy sector in several ways. Continental markets for surplus dairy calves have been lost completely and markets at home for beef calves and store cattle knocked back. As a result of the export ban, and national measures to keep out of the human food chain meat from animals aged more than 30 months, there is no longer any market outlet for dairy cows which have reached the end of their productive lives. Measures which provide alternative outlets for male pure-bred dairy calves and cattle aged over 30 months have announced by my right hon. and learned Friend on the 28 March and 16 April respectively.
Cattle Slaughter (Costs)
23. Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the average cost of the slaughter and destruction of a cow. [27481]
Mrs. Browning: Meat and Livestock Commission estimates suggest that the average cost is between £55 and £60 per animal.
Common Fisheries Policy
24. Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [27482]
Mr. Baldry: I met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations at its annual general meeting on 3 May when we discussed the common fisheries policy and other current issues.
Arable Area Payments
25. Mr. Tipping: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the value of payments made under the arable area payments scheme in 1995. [27483]
Mr. Baldry: Payments under the arable area payments scheme in the United Kingdom in the 1995-96 financial year are estimated to total £1,304.9 million.
Organophosphates
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research (a) he has commissioned and (b) evaluated which has been carried out into the effect of organophosphates upon (i) humans and (ii) animals. [28095]
Mrs. Browning: Between 1991 and 1994 the national poisons unit, London, was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to conduct studies into the effects on human health from acute exposure to organophosphorus sheep dips. Jointly with the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive, MAFF has also awarded a contract worth £500,000 to the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh to carry out an epidemiological study designed
9 May 1996 : Column: 265
to detect well-defined, predetermined chronic effects in humans of dipping sheep with OP sheep dips. This study is expected to be competed in April 1999.
No current research into the effects of organophosphates on animals is being undertaken by MAFF. Every veterinary medicine must satisfy statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy, and responsibility for undertaking or providing information on the necessary research to meet these criteria rests with applicants for marketing authorisations. That research is evaluated as part of the authorisation process. We have, however, agreed two major research projects, worth £1.2 million over three years, on alternatives to organophosphorus sheep dips.
There is also a very large quantity of published scientific literature on organophosphates, including papers on the effects in animals and humans, which is considered by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate as part of the continuing review of the use of OP sheep dips by the Veterinary Products Committee. References to these are widely available from commercial databases.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses have closed since 1 January 1993 on the grounds that they did not meet the structural requirements of directive 91/497/EEC. [27863]
Mrs. Browning:
No figures are available to show how many slaughterhouses have closed since 1 January 1993 on the ground that they did not meet the structural requirements of directive 91/497/EEC. Slaughterhouses can close for a number of reasons, including commercial pressures arising from the significant overcapacity in the red meat slaughtering industry. In addition, if one operator decides to close, the premises may be taken over by another.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many customers are currently disputing the bills submitted to them by the Meat Hygiene Service; [28335]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 7 May 1996]: I have asked the chief executive of the Meat Hygiene Service to reply.
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Edward O'Hara, dated 9 May 1996:
9 May 1996 : Column: 266
Mr. Stewart:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the United Kingdom of membership of the common agricultural policy. [28403]
Mr. Baldry:
Exchequer expenditure on the common agricultural policy reflects payments in the Untied Kingdom and contributions to expenditure in other member states through our net contribution to the EC budget. Our theoretical share of the cost of the CAP budget for 1996 would be around £3.6 billion after the Fontainebleau abatement is taken into account and assuming receipts estimated at £2.8 billion.
(2) how many customers to date have refused to pay some or all bills submitted to them by the Meat Hygiene Service since the inception of the service. [28334]
As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning the number of customers currently disputing and refusing to pay the bills submitted to them by the MHS has been passed to me for reply. (28335 + 28334)
124 customers are currently disputing the bills submitted to them by the MHS. 125 customers have refused to pay some or all bills since the launch of the MHS on 1 April 1995.
As you may be aware the majority of these outstanding debts relate to payment strikes by some plants in support of the Woodspring Case, a civil action brought by Woodspring District Council against Bakers of Nailsea to recover unpaid meat inspection charges. The Association of District Councils calculated that by the end of the 1994-95 financial year, local authorities would be owed some £2.5 million in unpaid charges. The High Court found in favour of Woodspring Council in 1994, but the case is under appeal and also being considered by the European Court of Justice. A judgement is expected in the autumn of 1996. However, I would like to stress that the MHS continues to provide a 100% inspection service to all customers regardless of whether there is a dispute over the charge for the services. The MHS also allowed for debt arising from the Woodspring Case in its 1995-96 Business Plan. Costs arising as a result of Specified Bovine Material enforcement action by the MHS are paid for by central Government.
The Agency does operate rigorous debt recovery procedures. Invoices which remain unpaid after 21 days and which are not subject to query are passed to the Legal Department of MAFF who issue a warning "letter" before action. The intention is that a summons will be issued 14 days later unless payment has been received in the meantime.
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