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Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of cats suffering from spongiform encephalopathies have been reported to his Department in each of the last five years; and what research his Department has evaluated relating to future trends in the incidence of such diseases. [28590]
Mrs. Browning: The following table shows the numbers of cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy recorded in the United Kingdom until 8 May 1996:
| Number of cases | |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 13 |
| 1991 | 12 |
| 1992 | 10 |
| 1993 | 11 |
| 1994 | 16 |
| 1995 | 8 |
| 1996 | 1 |
Epidemiological studies are in progress but are incomplete. With the exception of one cat thought to be born in October 1990, none of the cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy confirmed in the United Kingdom are believed to have been born after the ban, in September 1990, on the use of specified bovine offals in animal feed.
These investigations are complicated by the difficulty in obtaining lifetime feeding and breeding histories for cats. This makes predicting the future trends difficult, although, at present, the shape of the epidemic appears to be similar to that of BSE.
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Plympton Market
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will reopen the Plympton market as a collecting centre for the culling scheme. [29071]
Mr. Baldry: I understand that an application for approval of Plympton market under the scheme is being considered by the intervention board at the moment.
Fishing Grants
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average length of time taken to process applications for grants awarded in England and Wales under the provisions of the fishing vessels (safety improvements) (grants) scheme each year from 1990 to 1995. [29153]
Mr. Baldry: The Sea Fish Industry Authority administers the fishing vessels (safety improvements) (grants) scheme on behalf of the Government. It does not keep detailed historic records of the time taken to deal with individual applications, but I understand that the average time taken to deal with an application, from receipt to formal approval, is estimated at four weeks.
Tanning Industry
Mr. Key: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial support will be provided to the tanning industry in the financial year 1996-97. [25135]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 16 April 1996]: It is not the Government's intention that financial assistance should be specifically targeted at the tanning industry in this financial year.
Beef Heads
Mr. Key: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial support will be provided to plants licensed to process beef heads in the financial year 1996-97. [25134]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 16 April 1996]: The Government sympathise with the cattle and head deboners whose traditional business has disappeared as a result of measures introduced on 29 March. However, as Ministers have made clear on a number of occasions, the purpose
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of the financial assistance which has been made available to the slaughtering sector is to provide market support to keep the essential links in the beef supply chain operating while companies adjust to the changed market circumstances. It is not our policy to use public funds to compensate businesses for losses incurred. Against this background, we have concluded that no financial assistance can be offered to plants licensed to process beef heads, except the support available to all licensed slaughterhouses and licensed cutting premises in respect of unsold beef stocks.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to improve the welfare of animals; and if he will make a statement. [27571]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 9 May 1996]: We have action in hand across a wide range of animal welfare issues. For example, we are now developing our plans to implement the important new EU rules on the welfare of animals in transit which were secured by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in June 1995; we are pressing hard, in the EU negotiations on the welfare of calves which we ourselves got brought forward, for an end to the veal crate throughout Europe; and we shall be pressing at the intergovernmental conference for a protocol to be added to the treaty, placing a legal obligation on the Community institutions to pay full regard to animal welfare when exercising their powers in relation to agriculture, transport, research and the single market.
Sea Empress Incident
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information has been requested by the Environment Agency from his Department about the Sea Empress oil spillage; when that information was requested; and if he will place a copy of his Department's reply in the Library. [28864]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 10 May 1996]: Primary responsibility for fisheries matters in relation to the Sea Empress oil spillage rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. I refer the hon. Member to his reply of 10 May 1996, Official Report, column 301-02.
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures are taken to ensure that an animal rejected by a local veterinary inspector as
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unfit to travel on an export journey is not transported in Great Britain in a way which may cause it unnecessary suffering. [28627]
Mrs Browning [holding answer 10 May 1996]: There is a considerable variety of circumstances in which local veterinary inspectors may reject an animal as unfit for an export journey, and there is no basis for specifying a follow-up procedure which would be applicable in all cases. However, if an animal is unfit to travel, anyone who transported it, except in accordance with the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, would be committing an offence.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many bovines were exported during 1994 and 1995 to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) France, (d) Spain, (e) Italy, (f) Belgium, (g) Netherlands and (h) Greece. [28625]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 May 1996]: Exports of bovine animals from the United Kingdom for 1994 and 1995 as recorded in the overseas trade statistics are as follows:
| Number of head | 1994(18) | 1995(18) |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Republic | 1,313 | 668 |
| France | 238,080 | 234,013 |
| Spain | Nil | Nil |
| Italy | Nil | 119 |
| Belgium-Luxembourg | 79,372 | 56,385 |
| Netherlands | 160,803 | 138,257 |
| Greece | Nil | Nil |
(18) Data provisional.
These overseas trade statistics record exports from the United Kingdom but not trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, figures collated from the computerised animal movement--ANIMO--database, which records animals certified for export, show that 18,340 and 25,044 bovines were exported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in 1994 and 1995 respectively. These figures remain provisional, and subject to amendment.
Animal Feed
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure there is an obligation on manufacturers of animal feed to declare a full list of ingredients. [28872]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 May 1996]: Ingredients of compound animal feed must be declared either in full or by category. The Government are currently exploring whether the relevant EC directive should be changed.