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Specified Bovine Offal
Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the extent to which local control adequately ensures that mechanical recovery of meat takes place with the minimum possible contamination from specified bovine offal; and if he will make a statement. [34108]
Mrs. Browning: Specified bovine materials have to be removed from all cattle at slaughter and are destroyed. In addition, in December 1995 the use of the bovine vertebral column for the production of mechanically recovered meat was prohibited. This was a precautionary measure to prevent a risk of potential contamination of MRM by small lengths of spinal cord accidentally left attached to the vertebral column. This ensures that no specified bovine material can enter mechanically recovered meat, even accidentally.
Farming Population
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the farming population of the European Union. [35779]
Mr. Boswell [holding answer 10 July 1996]: The Community survey on the structure of agricultural holdings in 1993 showed that there were some 15 million farming jobs--excluding casual workers and contractors--in the 12 member states. Some workers will hold jobs on different holdings. Further information is contained in "Statistics in Focus--Agriculture, forestry and fisheries" published by Eurostat.
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Herds
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of herds in the United Kingdom which are closed. [37389]
Mrs. Browning: There are currently no accurate statistics available on the number of closed herds. The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service estimates that the percentage of UK herds that are closed (i) in the beef and dairy sectors are:
Dairy herds 45-55 per cent closed
Beef herds (suckler cows): 5-10 per cent. closed
(i) that is herds which have not brought in any female animals in the last five years.
Internet
Mr. Rowe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure that major publications from his Department are accompanied by a simultaneous electronic release of the text on the Internet. [37228]
Mr. Boswell: MAAF has published a number of documents electronically to coincide with the release of the printed publication. The Department is looking at expanding the range of information which it places on the Internet.
Beef Farmers
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to ensure that beef farmers who have been selling steers, heifers and young bulls since March, receive a share of the £29.4 million agreed for distribution to United Kingdom producers in special difficulties. [36743]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 15 July 1996]: Some £29 million has been allocated to a system of national aid measures. This money will be distributed to beef producers and under the beef marketing payment scheme, according to the number of adult clean cattle sold in the period 20 March to 30 June for slaughter for human consumption. The application period for this scheme closed on 23 August 1991. More than 29,000 claims were submitted in respect of some 450,000 animals throughout the United Kingdom. All of these claims have now been processed and the rate of payment has been fixed at £66.76 per eligible animal. The first payments began earlier this month and it is hoped they will all be completed by 15 October.
Sheep Dips
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the safety and effectiveness of lindane-based sheep dips with particular reference to their performance relative to organophosphorus dips; what conclusions he has drawn from the recent pesticides safety directorate review of lindane (gamma HCH); and if he will make a statement. [37802]
Mrs. Browning: Licences authorising the use of lindane-based sheep dips were revoked in 1984. There has been no application for a marketing authorisation for lindane-based sheep dips since then and no assessment of
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the safety or effectiveness of such veterinary medicines have been undertaken subsequently in the United Kingdom.
The independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides concluded, in February, a very thorough review of the uses of lindane as an agricultural pesticide regulated under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. The Committee recommended that all approvals of lindane for such agricultural uses should continue subject to certain further steps being taken to protect lindane users, improvements to product labelling and the subsequent submission of further data. Ministers in all the regulatory Departments have accepted these recommendations which are being implemented.
Ketamin
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the veterinary anaesthetic drug ketamin is available in the United Kingdom; what safeguards he has issued to ensure that the drug does not become available to young people; and if he will make a statement. [38327]
Mrs. Browning: Ketamine hydrochloride is the active ingredient in three veterinary medicines with current marketing authorisations. It is authorised, for use as an anaesthetic for cats--two products--and sub-human primates--one product. In each of these cases, the product is authorised in the category of veterinary medicine available only on prescription, and as such would be used only under the direct control of a veterinary surgeon. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has published a code of practice for storage and dispensing of medicines by veterinary surgeons which includes a requirement that premises in which medicines are stored and dispensed should be capable of being secured to exclude the public and to deter unlawful entry.
European Fisheries Council
Mr. Harris: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the European Fisheries Council in Luxembourg. [41157]
Mr. Baldry: I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 14 October together with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.
The Council discussed the principles underlying Commission proposals for substantial further capacity reductions in Community fishing fleets in the next series of multi-annual guidance programmes to run from 1997-2002. Most member states expressed concern about the rates of reduction proposed, the way these would impact on particular fleet segments and the consequences for employment and the economy of coastal communities. I also made it clear that the UK could not implement further compulsory fleet reductions while the quota-hopping problem remained unresolved and drew attention to the burning sense of injustice which the present situation caused in the British fishing industry.
It was concluded that further detailed examination of all elements of the Commission proposal would be needed before decisions could be taken. There was, however, general recognition of the need for fishing mortality to be
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reduced to acceptable levels for critical stocks and for this to be done in ways which are appropriate, equitable and soundly based. This would include consideration of policies other than capacity reduction, such as technical conservation and enforcement. It would also include careful assessment of the effects of reductions in fishing activity on the industry and those dependent on it.
The Council also took note of the Commission's report on implementation to date of the existing multi-annual guidance programmes, with the proviso that the figures for a number of member states, including the UK, needed correction, in particular in relation to tonnage measurement.
Ministers had a first exchange of views on the Commission's proposal for new technical conversation measures. There were many reservations about the proposal but general agreement on the need to improve the current measures in order to conserve stocks and reduce discards. It was also accepted that the measures eventually agreed must command the confidence of the industry and therefore be based on sound scientific advice, easily understood and enforceable.
The Council discussed the Commission proposal on satellite monitoring. I pressed for harmonised implementation by all member states and the need to guard against fishermen being unfairly penalised in respect of genuine equipment failures. I also requested that the Commission should explore ways in which satellite monitoring could reduce the regulatory burden on fishermen. In the light of the many detailed concerns raised by member states, it was concluded that the matter should be referred for further detailed examination.
The Council agreed unanimously a proposal consolidating regulations laying down common marketing standards for fish and fisheries products. It makes minor modifications to grading standards. It also provides for the ending of Community financial compensation for lower quality 'B' grade fish with effect from 1 January 2000 and subject to a review after one year.
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