| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Pension Funds
Mr. Hall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums were received by the Exchequer from the pension funds of each Government asset prior to privatisation of that asset. [10630]
Mr. Jack: No sums have been received prior to the privatisation of any public sector industry, but in three cases a pension fund surplus, or part of it, has been, or is being, paid to the Exchequer after privatisation. In the case of the National Bus Company, a £120 million surplus on its pension schemes was paid to HM Treasury in 1990, two to four years after the privatisation of the various NBC subsidiaries. In the case of the British Coal Corporation pension fund, a first payment of £39.5 million was received in 1996--more than a year after privatisation; in the case of Harland and Wolff, which was privatised in 1989, it was agreed that Harland and Wolff Holdings plc would repay to the Department of Economic Development a £6.5 million pension fund surplus: £1.15 million has been repaid to date.
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 285
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Cattle Cull
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans there are for the future disposal of cattle slaughtered to comply with the EC instructions. [10341]
Mr. Baldry: It is not clear to which specific EC instructions the question refers. However, in the context of the Government's BSE eradication programme, all BSE suspect animals are slaughtered on farm and sent for direct incineration in incineration plants contracted to the Ministry. Cattle purchased under the over-30-months scheme are slaughtered in compliance with Commission regulation 716/96 which requires the carcases to be disposed of by incineration or rendering and destruction.
The Government announced on 16 December 1996 that the selective cull would go ahead and the disposal of any animal slaughtered under this scheme will be in compliance with regulation 1484/96, which also requires incineration or rendering and destruction.
Ministerial Leave
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many days of leave he plans to take during the Christmas Adjournment; [9811]
- (2) how many days leave he has taken in the Easter, Whitsun and summer Adjournments; and how many days leave he took during the time in which Parliament was prorogued this year. [9810]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 January 1997, Official Report, columns 12-13.
BSE
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's proposals in respect of the crates used for the storage and transportation of animal carcases in the BSE eradication programme. [9891]
Mr. Baldry: Crates are used only for the transportation and storage of over-30-months scheme carcases going into or out of cold storage.
When carcases are removed from cold stores the operators have been instructed to store the crates safely pending destruction.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what methods of incineration are currently being (a) used and (b) experimented with in connection with the BSE eradication programme. [9892]
Mrs. Browning:
Current incineration methods include burning carcases in dedicated incinerators and meat and bonemeal in a high-temperature waste incinerator. Other possibilities under consideration include the burning of MBM and tallow for energy recovery in power stations.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture,
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 286
Fisheries and Food what payments have been made to date to slaughterers in connection with the BSE eradication programme. [9895]
Mr. Baldry:
As at 6 January, £57,753 million has been paid in slaughter fees to abattoirs participating in the over-30-months slaughter scheme.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been the total consultancy costs to date associated with the BSE eradication programme; and what are the projected costs. [9896]
Mr. Baldry:
Consultancy costs associated with the current BSE eradication programme and incurred by MAFF have amounted to £3,386,693 to date in the current financial year. This includes work in respect of the rendering industry, slaughterhouses, cutting plants and unsaleable stocks. IBEA has incurred costs of £150,000 in respect of the over 30-month scheme.
At the present time, the projected future costs of MAFF and IBEA amount to £1,925,000. The above costs do not include the costs of implementing the cattle traceability system.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many grain stores have been converted for storage of animal by-products associated with the current BSE eradication programme; and what has been the cost to date. [9898]
Mr. Baldry:
Three government-owned warehouses have been converted to cold stores at a cost of £3 million. When no longer required in connection with BSE-related schemes the stores will provide cost-effective storage for intervention beef and butter.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to date of the storage of non-frozen beef as meat or bonemeal and tallow; and what quantities are currently in storage awaiting disposal under the BSE eradication programme. [9899]
Mr. Baldry:
As at 5 January, storage payments amounting to £4,316 million had been made. As at 30 November 1996, the quantities of meat or bonemeal and tallow in store were 114,530 tonnes and 80,128 tonnes respectively.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to date of long-term rental agreements for cold stores under the BSE eradication scheme; and how many cold stores are currently available to his Department. [9900]
Mr. Baldry:
The total cost to date of long-term rental agreements for cold storage is £28.2 million. There are currently 41 cold stores available in the Department.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to date of (a) thawing, (b) disposal of crates, (c) cleaning and sterilising of cold stores and (d) other on-costs not covered by storage charges in respect of carcase disposal under the BSE eradication scheme. [9901]
Mr. Baldry:
There has been no expenditure to date on the items listed at (a), (b) and (c). Expenditure in respect of other on-costs not covered by storage charges was £75,700 as at 5 January.
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 287
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to date of the refrigerated transportation to cold stores of animals culled as part of the current BSE eradication programme. [9902]
Mr. Baldry:
As at 5 January, £1.991 million had been paid for refrigerated transportation of cull carcases to cold stores.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to public funds of carcase transportation to renderers under the BSE eradication scheme; and how many carcases are currently awaiting transportation. [9903]
Mr. Baldry:
The cost of transport from the abattoir to the rendering plant is included in the fee paid to the rendering plant and is not separately identifiable. Carcases are transported either to cold stores or direct for rendering on the day that the animals are slaughtered so none are awaiting transportation from abattoirs.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the disposal of the (a) blood, (b) run-off from thawed-out carcases and (c) water used for cleaning and sterilising stores and vehicles, associated with the current BSE eradication programme. [9894]
Mr. Baldry:
Under the over 30-month scheme blood must be destroyed or be controlled in such a way that it does not enter the human or animal food chains and cannot be used in cosmetic for pharmaceutical products. The Intervention Board has introduced arrangements for the collection and disposal of blood from OTMS cattle slaughtered in Great Britain and is making similar arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Limited trials have taken place on the rendering of frozen OTMS carcases. Most involved the crushing of material prior to immediate processing. The results of these trials are being evaluated.
There are various controlled disposal routes for water used for cleaning and sterilising stores and vehicles including sewerage treatment works, soil injection and mains drainage following on-site treatment.
Mr. Banks:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safety measures are currently available to those engaged in the handling and disposal of carcases associated with the BSE eradication process; and what safety monitoring is in place. [9897]
Mrs. Browning:
General guidance for all occupational groups who may be exposed to the agent of BSE was published in August 1996 by the Health and Safety Commission, the Department of Health and the Ministry following a review of existing guidance material on BSE. This new guidance includes those involved in the handling and disposal of carcases under the Government's BSE eradication programme. the guidance, prepared by the independent Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, recommended the maintenance of high standards of hygiene when working with cattle and advised on new methods of working to avoid or minimise
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 288
exposure to tissues of cattle that may carry the BSE agent. These precautions are considered prudent although there is no evidence of any risk to those in occupations in which exposure to the BSE agent may occur. To date approximately 2,500 copies of the guidance have been distributed and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |