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Benefits Agency (Wales)

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the number of customer visits to each of the current Benefits Agency offices in Wales in each of the past three years. [5949]

Mr. Roger Evans: This is an operational matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Hanson, dated 3 December 1996:


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Income Support

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the total cost of abolishing the 16-hour rule in income support; and if he will break this down into its constituent parts. [6268]

Mr. Forth [holding reply 2 December 1996]: I have been asked to reply.

We estimate that the cost in benefit expenditure of abolishing the 16 guided learning hours limit for people undertaking education and training while receiving jobseeker's allowance could be between £500 million and £1,250 million a year. This is based on the assumption that any student other than those undertaking full-time courses in higher education could be eligible for JSA.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Environmental Auditing

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 98, regarding examples of improving efficiency through environmental

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auditing, if he will list the principal elements in his Department's green housekeeping strategy; and if he will make a statement. [7183]

Mr. Boswell: The principal elements of the Department's green housekeeping strategy cover recycling, waste management, pollution prevention, vehicles, energy efficiency, water conservation, procurement, heritage conservation, the built environment and the natural environment on the MAFF estate. The strategy also provides for a management structure, for monitoring and for raising staff awareness on green housekeeping issues.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 98, regarding examples of improving efficiency through environmental auditing, if he will list (a) those departmental sites where a specific environmental audit will shortly take place and (b) the expected start and completion dates of the audit; and if he will make a statement. [7184]

Mr. Boswell: The audits will concentrate on the Department's laboratories. Officials are preparing tender documents as part of the competitive tendering process. It is not expected that a contract will be let until the spring and the results should be available in the autumn of 1997.

BSE and CJD

Mr. Barron: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the risks of transmission to humans of BSE or its human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease variant through (a) milk, (b) cheese, (c) butter, (d) yoghurt and (e) cream. [7138]

    (2) what evidence he has evaluated that BSE or its human Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease variant cannot be transmitted to humans through dairy products; and if he will make a statement; [7139]

    (3) what assessment he has made of the relative risks of transmission to humans of BSE or its human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease variant through (a) dairy products, (b) muscle meat and (c) animal offal. [7137]

Mrs. Browning: Links between nvCJD and CSE have not yet been scientifically established. Nevertheless, in considering issues of public health, we have always proceeded on the precautionary principle that BSE could pose a risk to public health.

In the case of dairy products, the primary perceived source of infectivity would be the raw material, milk, or any additional material of bovine origin used in the manufacture of the product. Experiments to detect infectivity in milk of clinically affected cows have been carried out using either intracerebral or oral exposure of susceptible mice. All results, which were negative, have been published in scientific journals and in information provided to the House from time to time.

The information has been made available to the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee--SEAC-- and other expert groups--the World Health Organisation and OIE--who concluded that there was no justification for additional measures beyond the exclusion of milk from a known BSE suspect from the human and animal food chains. In March this year, and subsequently,

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when it has reviewed the measures in place to protect public health, SEAC has not considered it necessary to extend measures relating to milk and milk products.

In the context of additional materials used in the manufacture of milk products, SEAC has also considered the safety of rennet, and did not believe that it presented a risk to human health.

Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, columns 47-8, if he will set out the factors which led him to conclude that exposure to BSE was the most likely explanation for the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. [6988]

Mr. Horam: I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the statements made by me and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 20 and 25 March 1996, accepting advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee--SEAC. The advice from SEAC is set out in its statements of 20 and24 March 1996, copies of which are available in the Library.

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