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Spongiform Encephalopathies

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each publicly supported committee, sub-committee or other body whose responsibilities include spongiform encephalopathies (i) the remit, (ii) the members, with details of their expertise and the date of their appointment and (iii) for each body each research project that has been recommended by such a body for Government funding, together with the amount of money allocated. [20889]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 18 March 1996]: There are a number of publicly supported committees on spongiform encephalopathies. I am placing in the Library of the House details of the committees which are listed by the organisation or Department responsible.

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Beef Consumption

Mr. Marlow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of beef consumption in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Belgium and (f) Holland in each of the last six weeks. [25921]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 April 1996]: According to a consumer survey conducted on behalf of the Meat and Livestock Commission, overall beef consumption in the UK in the four weeks to 7 April was down 20 per cent. on the same period last year; down 26 per cent. in the four weeks to 5 May; down 27 per cent. in the four weeks to 2 June; and down 24 per cent. in the four weeks to 30 June, the latest available figure.

For other member states, precise information on beef consumption is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that beef consumption in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Holland, and across the EU, is well below normal levels.

Quarantine Kennels

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 528, what progress he has made in respect of a standard of animal care in quarantine kennels; and if he will make a statement. [32809]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 17 June 1996]: I held a meeting on 13 May with representatives of the Quarantine Kennels Owners Association and the Quarantine Kennels Professional Association. A follow-up meeting between the associations and my officials was held on 13 June. We agreed that I would write to authorised quarantine kennels inviting those running them to undertake to abide by the Agriculture Departments of Great Britain's voluntary code of practice on the welfare of dogs and cats in quarantine premises. State veterinary service staff would check compliance with the code during their regular visits. Premises in respect of which an undertaking is given to comply with the code, and where we are satisfied that they are doing so will be identified as such in the Government's literature for potential importers.

Computerised Cattle Database

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with National Milk Records about the development of a national computerised cattle database as part of the bovine sponiform encephalopathy eradication programme. [32935]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 17 June 1996]: My officials are in regular contact with representatives of National Milk Records concerning animal identification and traceability. National Milk Records is also represented on the joint industry/Government working group on animal identification and this group is being involved in plans for the introduction of a national cattle movement database.

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he has made of computerised cattle databases in other European Union member states. [32940]

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Mrs. Browning [holding answer 17 June 1996]: In developing plans for the introduction of a national cattle movement database in Great Britain, we are looking at the databases in Northern Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Cattle Disposal

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the distortion of the market caused by the discrepancy between liveweight and deadweight arrangements under the cattle disposal scheme. [28870]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 10 May 1996]: We have received a number of representations about the effect on marketing patterns of the coefficient for converting payments from liveweight to a deadweight basis under this scheme. Any change to the rate is a matter for the European Commission.

Contaminated Feed

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department last received representation from the French authority about continued export of contaminated feed to that country. [35669]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 4 July 1996]: The UK told the Commission and other member states of the steps it was taking to prohibit the use of ruminant MBM in ruminant feed in 1988, but it was for other member states to introduce similar domestic restrictions on the use of a material in free circulation and for the Commission to regulate intra-Community trade in this material. At that time MBM could legitimately be exported to other member states as under single market rules it was in free circulation for use in pig and poultry feed.

Organophosphates

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into links between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the use of organophosphates in cattle; and what conclusions have been reached. [35776]

Mrs. Browning: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Duncan Smith) on 23 July 1996, Official Report, column 262.

Rabies

Mr. Gale: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is able to certify the United Kingdom as a rabies-free country. [36877]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 15 July 1996]: Yes. The recent isolated case of European bat lyssavirus 2 does not affect our international status as a rabies-free country. The international zoosanitary code of the office international des epizooties--OIE--defines a rabies free country as one in which

"no case of indigenously acquired rabies has been confirmed in man or any other species during the past two years; however this status would not be affected by the isolation of European Bat Lyssavirus (EBL1 or EBL2)."

Although following the bat rabies case it was not possible to sign official veterinary certification for exports

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for dogs and cats and some other rabies susceptible animals to some countries, this was because the official certification they required contained health assurances on rabies which, because of their specific wording, could no longer be met. All these countries have now been contacted and trade has resumed with those countries to which we export significant numbers of such animals. We are continuing to press those countries which have so far failed to respond.

Environmental Management

Sir Peter Emery: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what programmes his Department has introduced to promote good environmental management by farmers; and how many similar programmes were in existence in 1979. [37634]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 18 July 1996]: The Department has numerous programmes in place to promote good environmental management.

These include: free one-to-one advice and publications on pollution and conservation; voluntary incentive schemes to promote environmentally friendly farming and public enjoyment of the countryside; measures to supplement statutory controls on pesticides, including an advisory pesticides forum on responsible pesticide use and a pesticides minimisation initiative; and capital grants for certain works to benefit the environment.

The Department also has an extensive research and development programme to underpin these programmes.

Further details are given in chapters 2, 3 and 7 of MAFF's 1996 departmental report, which is available in the Library of the House.

The Department has greatly expanded its environmental programmes since 1979, in particular through the introduction of voluntary incentive schemes which date from the mid-1980. Voluntary schemes to ensure the safety and efficacy of pesticides were replaced by statutory arrangements in the mid-1980s.

Live Animal Exports

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what United Kingdom authority has responsibility for statutory regulations governing live cargo while at sea; and at what point that responsibility ceases when animals are transported across the North sea. [38413]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: A considerable number of provisions, including EU regulations cover controls on the transport of animals, their welfare, and the responsibility for enforcement. Some requirements are placed on the member state of departure, which may be extended if the vessel or aircraft concerned is owned by nationals of that member state, and some on the receiving member state. Within each member state it may be a matter for national government, in one form or another, or a local authority to enforce. All these factors would have to be considered, as would the nature of any breach, when deciding respective responsibilities on journey across the North sea.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list all export health certificates used for trade between the United Kingdom,

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Northern Ireland and EU member states between 1991 and 1996 until the implementation of the beef export ban for cattle exported (a) for further fattening and (b) for slaughter; [38417]

(2) what certification is required in respect of cattle exported from (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland for immediate slaughter. [38418]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: The certificates used for exports between 1991 and 1996 specifically for (a) production cattle (further fattening) and (b) slaughter cattle from Great Britain to another member state were certificates EC 56 and EC 57 respectively. These and the equivalent certificates for exports from Northern Ireland were based on the model certificates laid down in directive 64/432. As a result of the export ban no cattle are currently exported from the United Kingdom.

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