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Kalahari Game Reserve
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the future for the (a) Kalahari game reserve and (b) Kalahari bushmen living in the reserve. [36641]
Mr. Hanley: The future of the central Kalahari game reserve is secure. The Botswana Government have made it clear that the bushmen who live in the reserve may continue to do so if they wish and that there is no intention of forcing any of them to move from the reserve.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of (a) dairy and (b) beef herds in the United Kingdom have had no cases of BSE. [27861]
12 Jul 1996 : Column: 345
Mrs. Browning: Up to 1 July, 40.5 per cent. of dairy herds and 84.6 per cent. of beef herds had never had a case of BSE.
Cattle Slaughter Scheme
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria were used for the selection of abattoirs to carry out the cattle slaughter policy. [35773]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 9 July 1996]: Following consultation between the Intervention Board and representatives of the abattoirs and renderers a list of approved abattoirs for the purposes of the over 30-month slaughter scheme was drawn up on the basis of a number of clearly specified criteria. These were a traditional large scale trade in cows and heavy steers; logistical considerations such as geographical spread; proximity to renderers; a commitment to accepting casualty animals; a commitment to be able to process at least 100 animals a day on days specified for participation; and that they were currently operating and with EC approved status.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from abattoirs prepared to undertake the slaughter of beasts for less than £107.50 per head. [35775]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 9 July 1996]: We have received a number of representations from abattoirs seeking to participate in the over 30-month slaughter scheme on the basis of a lower fee than the £87.50 provisional rate per animal currently being paid to approved abattoirs up to 16 June.
Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with reference to paragraph 8 of S.I. 1242 concerning decommissioning of fishing vessels, if he had the option, under article 8 of European Council Regulation 3699/93, of including permanent transfer of a fishing vessel to a third country or permanent re-assignment for purposes other than fishing in waters of the European Community. [37045]
Mr. Baldry: In the light of experience of decommissioning schemes implemented before 1993 and of the need to protect public funds, United Kingdom Fisheries Ministers decided not to pursue the option available under article 8 of Council regulation EC No. 3699/93 of allowing vessels to be permanently transferred to a third country or permanently reassigned for uses other than fishing in Community waters.
Meat Hygiene Service
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets have been set for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1996-97. [37729]
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Mr. Douglas Hogg: My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have set the following targets for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1996-97. These take account of the recent expansion of the duties of the Meat Hygiene Service in relation to BSE.
Financial Performance
To charge plant operators the full economic cost--calculated in accordance with the relevant charging legislation and accruals accounting--of providing the statutory health inspection and controls at fresh meat premises, taking account of any interim support.
To recover from Government Departments and agencies the full economic costs of providing agreed services or other work undertaken on their behalf.
To comply with budgetary controls resulting from PES and the Supply Estimates as revised in the light of the BSE situation.
Operational
To take all necessary measures to ensure that the slaughterhouse industry fully complies with the legislation applying to specified bovine material.
To achieve an overall 3 per cent. improvement in the ratios of overhead to total costs, compared with 1995-96.
To ensure the animal welfare and slaughter/processing provisions are enforced fully in all slaughterhouses including when operating under the calf processing scheme and the over 30 months cattle slaughter scheme.
Quality and Delivery of Service
To apply hygiene requirements in such a way as to raise the levels of compliance in both fresh meat and poultry meat slaughterhouses so that two thirds of all slaughterhouses in each category attain a HAS score of at least 65 by the end of 1996-97.
To provide a formal training programme for all MHS meat inspectors, meat technicians and OVSs in animal welfare by the end of 1996-97.
To carry out a customer satisfaction survey to assess service delivery by the end of 1996-97.
Cattle
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle (a) dairy and (b) non-dairy there are in the United Kingdom; and what is their estimated market value. [23213]
Mr. Baldry [pursuant to the reply 4 July 1996, column 522]: According to the census carried out in June 1995, there were 4.7 million cattle in the dairy herd and nearly 7 million cattle in the beef herd. The farm gate value of the total United Kingdom beef production for 1995 was £2.8 billion. It is difficult to estimate the market value of a cow in milk production, which ranges between £500 and £800 for a non-pedigree animal. At a rough estimate, the UK dairy herd is worth around £4 billion.