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Gelatine (Parliamentary Questions)

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the hon. Member for Wakefield can expect answers to his questions for answer on 4 June, 19 June and 25 June in respect of gelatine. [38092]

Mrs. Browning: I have replied to the hon. Member for Wakefield's questions in respect of gelatine on 18 July, columns 638, and 24 July, column 628.

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Equines

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many equines were exported for slaughter for food in the past year; and if he will make a statement. [36684]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 18 July 1996]: I very much regret that my hon. Friend has had to wait so long for a reply.

No equines were exported for slaughter for food in the past year.

EU Standing Veterinary Committee

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the minutes of the meeting of the EU Standing Veterinary Committee of 9 and 10 October 1990. [37867]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: I have deposited in the Library of the House the report of this meeting as issued to member states by the EC Commission.

Beef

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the independence of the members of the EU Committee of Experts nominated to examine United Kingdom proposals on beef. [37487]

Mrs. Browning: The Government have no reason to question the independence of the members of the various EU expert scientific committees on BSE.

Isle of Wight (Coastal Erosion)

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what studies his Department has evaluated in respect of ways of stabilising the cliff erosion alongside the military road on the Isle of Wight; [36029]

Mr. Boswell: It is the responsibility of the Isle of Wight council, as the coastal protection authority, rather than the Ministry, to commission and evaluate any such studies which they consider to be necessary. At this stage, the Ministry has received no formal representations from the council about funding works to protect the military road. If any works were designed solely to protect a road, funding would be the responsibility of the relevant highway authority and grant aid would not be available from this Department.

Live Domestic Animal Imports

Mr. Robert G. Hughes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those countries which currently accept imports from the United Kingdom of live domestic animals. [39704]

Mrs. Browning: So far as we are aware, the following third countries, territories, states and so on, are willing to accept cats and dogs exported from Great Britain, subject to certain animal health conditions being met.

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Beef Ban

Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will hold discussions with the European Agriculture Commissioner and at the Council of Ministers to ensure that the restrictions that apply in Britain to abattoirs and rendering plants to ban the use of specified bovine offal and to ban the use of meat and bone meal in animal feeding are also applied in European countries. [39839]

Mrs. Browning: The European Commission has already produced proposals which, if adopted, would introduce a Community-wide ban in animal and human food of:


Subject to detailed negotiation on the coverage of the proposal in relation to sheep and goats, the UK is supporting these proposals, which have been referred to the Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee for further consideration.

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As regards the use of meat and bonemeal, there has been a prohibition on the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants throughout the EU since Commission decision 94/381 of 27 June 1994. There is an exemption for member states which can demonstrate that non-ruminant protein is processed separately from ruminant protein which we believe applies to Denmark which has plants dedicated to processing only porcine material.

Pesticides

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of climate changes in the United Kingdom on trends in the use of agricultural pesticides. [40070]

Mrs. Browning: There are many uncertainties in terms of the nature, extent and timing of climate change, the consequent changes in prevalence and behaviour of pests, weeds and diseases and the response of farmers to these changes. However, studies support the view that it is unlikely that climate change will lead to rapid change in the pattern or volume of pesticide use.

The Government continue to fund related research. The Government will ensure that the regulation of pesticides continues to protect people and the environment as pesticide usage alters in response to climate change and other developments.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report from Professor John Krebs on the relationship between tuberculosis in cattle and diseased badgers. [40812]

Mrs. Browning: It is expected that Professor Krebs will report in the early summer of 1997.

Milk Quota Transfers

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of allowance the Intervention Board sets when (a) a lessee and (b) a transferee acquires a multi-lot milk quota transfer from the same (i) leasor and (ii) transferor; and if he will make a statement. [40893]

Mr. Baldry: The Intervention Board has informed milk producers, purchasers and quota agents of its intention to round calculations of permanent butterfat percentages in transfers or leases of milk quota to six places of decimal. This change will take effect from 1 April 1997. In the meantime, transfers and leases presented in multi-lotted form, which the board considers will have the effect of achieving a higher butterfat percentage than would have arisen from a single lot movement of the same quantity, will have the individual transactions rounded to six places of decimal at each stage and the final figure to two places. This measure is necessary to ensure that the butterfat level of the national quota is not distorted in a way which would leave the United Kingdom open to financial correction of its accounts by the European Commission.

16 Oct 1996 : Column: 943

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