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Bovine Tuberculosis

Mr. Temple-Morris: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken in the United Kingdom to research into and eradicate the disease of bovine tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement. [33348]

Mrs. Browning: Our extensive research programme includes work on improved diagnostic testing of cattle, disease transmission studies, development of badger vaccines, computer modelling of the effect of badger control strategies, badger disruption studies, strain typing of mycobacterium bovis and antigen research.

All cattle herds are regularly tested using the tuberculin skin test. Reactors and dangerous contacts are compulsorily slaughtered and compensation paid. Movement restrictions are applied to affected herds and contact animals are traced. Post mortem examination of the carcases and laboratory examination of samples are carried out. The carcases of all cattle slaughtered for human consumption are routinely inspected for lesions of tuberculosis.

In Great Britain, where badgers are considered to be the cause of disease in cattle, a badger removal operation is undertaken by MAFF's wildlife unit unless the owner of the cattle declines.

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 103

We have been considering the views of interested parties about the future of our bovine tuberculosis control policy for Great Britain and expect to be able to take a decision shortly.

Mr. Temple-Morris: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current incidence of bovine tuberculosis; and what research is being done into the relationship of the bacterium mycobacterium bovis and its human counterpart. [33374]

Mrs. Browning: In 1995, the number of new confirmed herd breakdowns in Great Britain was 449 and positive reactors were confirmed in 713 herds in Northern Ireland.

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency is developing typing techniques for distinguishing M. bovis and M. tuberculosis strains. It is sharing research with other groups, including the Medical Research Council tuberculosis unit, to look at common components of the two organisms which could be useful as vaccine candidates and diagnostic reagents. The agency is also monitoring the considerable research work worldwide on mycobacteria in general.

Slaughtered Cattle

Mr. Biffen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of cattle slaughtered and incinerated in respect of the BSE scheme in the latest available four weeks have been grass-fed. [33601]

Mr. Baldry: Statistics on cattle slaughtered and incinerated under the over 30-month slaughter scheme are not collected on the basis of the rearing method of the animals.

Dietary Supplements

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the European Commission to publish the consultation document on dietary supplements; and if he will make a statement on the steps which he has taken to date to promote to other European Governments his policy on access to dietary supplements. [34003]

Mrs. Browning: The timetable for the production of the proposed discussion document on vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements is in the hands of the European Commission. We do not yet know when it will be issued.

Mr. Wigley: 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 plans he has to consult interested consumer and practitioner organisations about using the recommendations of that report as the basis for negotiations within the European Union in connection with the forthcoming consultation document on dietary supplements. [34004]

Mrs. Browning: 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 relating to the safety of dietary supplements. We have no

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 104

plans to consult interested parties on the recommendations of the Shrimpton report, which was commissioned by industry and not by Government.

Beef Consignments (Greece)

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his Department has taken with regard to consignments of beef not originating from the United Kingdom, but owned by United Kingdom companies, which have been impounded by the authorities in Greece since March; and if he will make a statement. [33878]

Mrs. Browning: My officials have been in regular contact with the Greek authorities, both directly and through the British embassy in Athens, with the aim of releasing such consignments at the earliest opportunity. The latest contact was on 14 June when we wrote to the Greek Ministry of Agriculture. The exporters concerned have been kept informed of developments.

Central Science Laboratory

Mr. Anthony Coombs: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets have been set for the Central Science Laboratory in 1996-97. [34663]

Mr. Douglas Hogg: The Central Science Laboratory is relocating to a new purpose-built laboratory in York during 1996-97 with the subsequent closure of a number of existing sites. This will result in exceptional one-off costs and disruption which I have taken into account in setting the following demanding but realistic strategic targets for 1996-97:

Financial
94 per cent. recovery of full costs after allowing for relocation costs;
to comply with budgetary controls resulting from the public expenditure survey and the supply estimates.
Efficiency
1 per cent. improvement in utilisation of productive time;
to achieve a ratio of 54 per cent. overheads to total costs by 31 March 1997.
Service deliver
At least 90 per cent. of work completed to time and within budget;
achieve a mean score of 3 on a scale of 0 to 5 for the assessment of customer satisfaction using the established methodology.

Animal Feedstuffs

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports he has received that feed infected with meat and bonemeal has been fed to cattle in England and Wales over the past 30 months. [31382]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 June 1996]: Epidemiological investigations carried out following the occurrence of BSE in animals born after the feed ban suggested that exposure was likely to be from a feed-borne source due to accidental cross-contamination of feeding stuffs with meat and bonemeal. No animal currently infected with BSE has been born within the last 30 months and the occurrence of current BSE cases does not therefore provide any evidence to date of exposure of animals to infected feed over this period. Cases arising in older animals could well be due to exposure in earlier periods.

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 105

Following recommendations from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee in March of this year, we took steps to reinforce existing legislation so as to prevent cross-contamination of cattle rations with meat and bonemeal, which until then could legitimately be used in pig and poultry feed. From 29 March, the sale of any mammalian meat and bonemeal or any feeding stuff containing meat and bonemeal for feeding to farmed animals was prohibited and from 4 April it has been an offence to use any mammalian meat and bonemeal or feed containing it for feeding to farmed animals.

As announced on 10 June, we now intend also to make it an offence from 1 August for any mammalian meat and bonemeal or feed containing it to be present on farms, at feed mills or at feed merchants.

Next Steps Agencies

Ms Jowell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of people employed by each of the next steps agencies under his Department's control; how many of those employees are women; and at what civil service or equivalent grades they are employed. [32728]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 20 June 1996]: Responsibility for this matter is delegated to agency chief executives, and I have asked them to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning staffing levels has been passed to me for reply in respect of this Executive Agency. (32728)
The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established as an Executive Agency of MAFF on 1 April 1995 and took over from local authorities responsibility for enforcing meat hygiene, inspection and animal welfare legislation in licensed fresh meat premises. The majority of MHS staff are meat hygiene inspectors and Official Veterinary Surgeons.
The MHS currently employs 677 meat inspectors (520 red meat; 157 poultry meat) and 5 meat technicians on a full time basis. In addition it utilises 114 inspectors (106 red meat; 8 white) and 47 technicians on fixed term contracts of 100 weeks duration. There is also a pool of 236 inspectors (217 red; 19 white) and 10 technicians used on a casual basis. As you will appreciate, these last two sets of figures in particular fluctuate according to demand. These inspection staff are supervised by Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs). The MHS directly employs 37 OVSs and in addition contracts out work to 110 full time equivalent vets to supplement them. 7 vets are also utilised on a casual basis.
In addition the MHS employs 75 managerial and administrative staff on a permanent basis and 21 on fixed term contracts of 100 weeks.
150 of the above staff are women. 109 are employed as either meat technicians, inspectors or official veterinary surgeons and 41 as managerial and administrative staff. Of the Civil Service grades, the MHS employs 1 female Grade 6, 4 HEOs and 8 EOs.

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 106

Letter from G. K. Bruce to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, on behalf of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, to your Question about the employment of women in the agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)
As at 13 June 1996 there were a total of 212 people employed within the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Of these, 102 are women. The female staff are employed in the following Civil Service or equivalent grades:

	Number
Grade 7 (PSO)	3
SSO	9
HEO/HSO	31
EO/SO	17
ASO	8
AO	11
PS	4
AA	16
Typist	3
Total	102

Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about staff numbers as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)

On 1 June 1996 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate employed 100 full time and 15 part time staff. Women were employed in 58 full time and 8 part time posts in the following grades:

	Full time	Part time
G6	--	1
G7	5	--
SRO II	1	--
RO	4	--
SSO	3	1
SEO	1	--
HSO	1	--
HEO	4	--
EO	9	1
AT	1	--
AO	13	2
AA	8	2
Typing Manager	1	--
PS	3	--
Typists	3	1
SGB II	1	--
Total	58	8

Letter from P. I. Stanley to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question about the number of women employed in his Department's executive agencies and their grades in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)
The total number of staff employed at CSL is 711, of which 326 are women. These figures include staff employed on a permanent, fixed-term or casual basis. The following chart shows details of numbers employed by Civil Service grade (or its equivalent).

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 107

Grade	Total number	Number of women
AA	91	70
AO	180	103
EO	187	90
HEO	124	46
SEO	69	14
G7	38	2
G6	18	1
G5	3	0
G3	1	0
Total	711	326

Letter from Phillip Needham to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply direct to your Parliamentary Question in which you ask what is the total number of employed by each of the Next Steps Agencies under his Department's control; how many of those employees are women; and at what Civil Service or equivalent grades they are employed. (32728)
The information for ADAS is as follows:
Total number of staff employed: 1,852
Total number of women employed: 667
Women employed at Civil Service or equivalent grades:-
AA
AO
ASO
ASTLIB
CONS
CRAFT
EO
G6
G7
GFW
GO
HEO
HMCO
HSO
LIB
MCO
MCTG1
PS
PTO
SCS(M)
SCS(W)
SCS(WD)
SEC
SGBII
SGBII(C)
SO
ST
TL
TM
SCS(MD)

Letter from T. W. A. Little to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on employees in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. (32728)
The information you ask for, as at 13 June 1996, is set out below. This relates only to permanent staff.

25 Jun 1996 : Column: 108

Grade(9)	Total staff	Female staff
3	1	--
5	3	--
6	14	1
7	41	3
SEO	125	38
HEO	78	26
EO	153	69
AO	356	230
AA	278	190
Total	1,049	557




(9) Including equivalent scientific grades.

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