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Rendering Plant, Thruxted

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the past and present disposal methods of the rendering plant at Thruxted, Kent, when dealing with potentially BSE-contaminated materials; if he will undertake an investigation into possible contamination of the environment at Eggringe wood arising from this plant; and if he will make a statement. [31629]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 June 1996]: This Department has not made an assessment of the effluent disposal methods of the rendering plant at Thruxted Mill, Kent which is the responsibility of the Environment Agency.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the potential for materials extracted from specified bovine offal entering the water supply at Eggringe wood, near Thruxted Mill, in Kent. [31630]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 June 1996]: A water treatment plant for effluent from the offals has been installed at Thruxted Mill and it is for the Environment Agency to decide if the disposal of treated water to land complies with the Water Resources Act 1991. This Department has not made such an assessment.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantity of residue from specified bovine offal is being stored at Thruxted Mill in Kent. [31633]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 June 1996]: Approximately 110 tonnes of meat and bonemeal and 90 tonnes of tallow--the resultant material from rendering--is currently stored at Thruxted Mill.

Live Animal Transport

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many notices under articles 15 and 16 of the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994 have been issued since the order came into force by local veterinary inspectors in the vicinity of Dover in respect of animals destined for export through the ports of (a) Brightlingsea and (b) Dover where they have identified sheep, calves or pigs which are unfit to travel; and if he will make a statement. [32509]

18 Jun 1996 : Column: 435

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 12 June 1996]: None. I also refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 13 May, Official Report, columns 379-80, and on 4 June, Official Report, column 436.

Rabies

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a suspected rabid bat in Newhaven recently. [32710]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 June 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the hon. Member for Staffordshire (Mr. Fabricant) on 11 June 1996, Official Report, column 139.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of bats infected with rabies have been confirmed in England during the past five years; how many were among native populations; and how many were suspected of coming from abroad. [32709]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 June 1996]: There has never been a confirmed case of rabies in a bat in England before the case in East Sussex confirmed on 10 June this year.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the species of bat with suspected rabies discovered in Newhaven recently; when the bat was first noticed; by whom; what action was taken; and when it came into the possession of his Department. [32707]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 June 1996]: The bat is believed to have been a Daubenton's bat. It was reported to a local bat conservation society by a member of the public in Newhaven in East Sussex as being weak and unable to fly. It was collected by a wildlife ranger on 31 May who took it to the society's premises in Shoreham in West Sussex that day. The bat was euthanased on 3 June following a display of uncharacteristic aggression, a spontaneous abortion and an apparent epileptic fit. The carcass was posted to the Veterinary Laboratory Agency at Addlestone on 4 June and arrived on 5 June. Routine tests were under taken for rabies. Rabies was confirmed on 10 June following positive test results to a fluorescent antibody test and a rapid tissue culture isolation test. The results of a heminested RT-PCR mouse innoculation test are still awaited.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what strain of rabies is suspected in the bat discovered in Newhaven recently; if the strain is capable of being passed on to humans; how long it will take to confirm the bat was rabid; and what methods are used to confirm rabies. [32711]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 June 1996]: Following positive test results to a fluorescent antibody test and a rapid tissue culture isolation test rabies, European bat lyssavirus strain 2 was confirmed on 10 June. This strain is capable of being passed on to humans. The results of the heminested RT-PCR mouse innoculation test are expected in the week beginning 24 June.

18 Jun 1996 : Column: 436

Mr. Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the bat found in Newhaven and suspected of carrying rabies died. [32717]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 June 1996]: The bat was euthanased on 3 June.

Computers (Millennium)

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [32671]

Mr. Boswell: Work is currently under way in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to assess the impact and likely costs of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by the Department. Initial planning has been undertaken and a project--which covers applications and systems software, as well as hardware, from our suppliers--has been established under the auspices of the Ministry's information technology steering group. Early activities include an assessment of the impact on selected pilot systems, but until this and other related preliminary work has been completed, likely costs cannot be assessed.

Dietary Supplements

Dr. Marek: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has made to the Shrimpton report on "Essential Nutrients in Supplements"; and what assessment he has made of its recommendations relating to consumer choice dietary supplements. [33177]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 17 June 1996]: We have noted this report commissioned by the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers and will take its conclusions into account in considering issues related to the safety of dietary supplements.

Beef Ban

Mr. Marlow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the extent to which the German Government will be able to delay the partial lifting of the beef ban while not being in conflict with EU law; and what mechanisms are available to the German Government to delay the partial lifting of the ban. [33053]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 17 June 1996]: The ban on the export of cattle, bovine semen and embryos, meat from cattle slaughtered in the United Kingdom, certain other products of such cattle and mammalian meat and bonemeal has been lifted in respect of semen, and subject to conditions of production, labelling and supervision, in respect of gelatine, tallow and certain other products. That partial lifting of the ban was done by a Commission decision that is binding on all member states of the European Community. Any member state that fails to give effect to the decision will be in breach of EC law.

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those countries which have banned the import of British beef since 1987. [29036]

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Mrs. Browning [pursuant to the reply, 16 May 1996, c. 580-81]: Commission decision 96/239/EC of 27 March provided that the UK shall not export from its territory meat and meat products obtained from bovine animals slaughtered in the UK. The following information sets out the position on the day before the Commission decision was introduced, identifying separately those countries which, during the period from 1987, have introduced and/or maintained a ban, and those which had introduced, but subsequently lifted, such a ban.

Countries which have maintained a ban:

Algeria
Argentina
Canada
China
Bahrain
Bulgaria
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan (CIS)
Libya
Lithuania
Malaysia
Philippines
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan

Countries which have introduced, but subsequently lifted, a ban:

Chile
Cyprus
Egypt
Kuwait
Lebanon
State of Sarawak (Malaysia)
Mauritius
Morocco
Oman
Poland
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Qatar

Mr. Simpson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food if he will list those non-EU countries which currently ban British beef, indicating in each case the date the ban became effective. [28976]

Mrs. Browning [pursuant to the reply, 16 May 1996, c. 579-80]: Commission decision 96/239/EC of 27 March 1996 provided that the UK shall not export from its territory meat and meat products obtained from bovine animals slaughtered in the UK. The list of third countries

18 Jun 1996 : Column: 438

therefore shows those countries with a ban on imports of British beef on the day before the introduction of the Commission Decision. The month and year when the ban was introduced are shown where available.

Importing country	Date of ban
Algeria	June 1990
Argentina	August 1991
Bahrain	--
Bulgaria	September 1994
Canada	March 1996
China	October 1990
Iran	June 1990
Iraq	October 1994
Jamaica	September 1991
Japan	July 1990
Jordan	September 1990
Kazakhstan (CIS)	August 1993
Libya	November 1990
Lithuania	April 1995
Malaysia	--
Philippines	October 1994
Russian Federation	September 1993
Saudi Arabia	September 1990
Switzerland	June 1990
Syria	August 1990
Taiwan	February 1990
United Arab Emirates	August 1990
Uzbekistan	--

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