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Quarantine
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his plans for a green paper on quarantine. [17818]
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish details of his review of the current quarantine regulations. [17832]
Mrs. Browning: The Government's review of the current quarantine regulations is continuing, and further analysis is needed before it can be finalised.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 20 February, Official Report, column 660, on quarantine premises (1) if he will list the four premises which have indicated that they do not wish to comply with the voluntary code of practice at this stage; [17842]
- (2) if he will list the premises inspected by the State Veterinary Service, indicating which have complied with the standards required for the voluntary code of practice.[17843]
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 327
Mrs. Browning: As soon as the programme of inspections has been completed a list of premises complying with the code will be included in the literature sent by Agriculture Departments to prospective clients of quarantine premises. I will place a copy of the literature in the Library of the House.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 20 February, Official Report, column 660, if he will list the ports and airports which have facilities for holding animals prior to them being taken into quarantine. [17844]
Mrs. Browning:
Animals may be landed only at the following ports and airports prior to their being taken into quarantine:
Ports
Dover Eastern Docks
Harwich, Parkeston Quay
Hull
Portsmouth
Southampton.
Airports
Birmingham
Edinburgh
Gatwick
Glasgow
Heathrow
Leeds
Manchester
Prestwick
Belfast.
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy as regards the export of live farm animals for slaughter or further fattening in non-EU member states whose welfare standards do not match Community standards; and if he will make a statement. [17827]
Mrs. Browning: We have a long-standing policy of permitting the export of animals for further fattening, or slaughter only to those countries with standards at least equivalent to those in force within the European Union on the protection of animals during transport and at slaughter.
Sheep Scab
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the outbreaks of sheep scab in each month from 1993 to date. [17813]
Mrs. Browning: Official recording of the number of outbreaks of sheep scab was discontinued after deregulation of compulsory controls in 1992.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what progress he has made towards implementing compulsory treatment for sheep scab; and if he will make a statement; [17814]
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 328
Mrs. Browning: The public consultation on draft legislation to introduce new measures to deal with sheep scab ended on 7 February 1997 and the comments received are now being considered. The proposed new measures would enable local authorities to deal with sheep scab on common or open grazing and will introduce criminal offences for failing to treat animals affected with sheep scab and for moving affected animals.
The proposals do not include a re-introduction of compulsory national treatment.
Sheep scab remains within the meaning of "disease" in section 88 of the Animal Health Act 1981 and is therefore still technically notifiable to a police constable. However, our proposals do not include making sheep scab notifiable to the Ministry or local authorities.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent research he has commissioned into parasiticides. [17816]
Mrs. Browning:
The focus of research commissioned into parasiticides in respect of animal health is on sustainable disease control and research to develop alternatives to pharmaceutical control. The main sponsor for research of this kind in relation to helminths is the Scottish Office Agriculture Environment and Fisheries Department which is currently funding the following significant programme of research on nematode parasites in livestock--mainly sheep.
Full details of its research is published in its "Programme of commissioned research and development 1996-97" obtainable from SOAEFD's scientific advisor's unit at Pentland house, Edinburgh.
In addition, the Central Veterinary Laboratory has just finished a three-year project to determine the effects of counter selection on reversion to anthelmintic susceptibility. A further small project is currently being funded to validate a commercial product to enable farmers to detect anthelmintic resistance. Beginning in 1997-98, a three-year project at CVL aims to develop a means of predicting whether anthelmintic resistance is likely to appear on a farm.
A major project at Compton is investigating immunity to coccidia which should eventually facilitate the development of immunological means of control if significant resistance does develop.
To mitigate development of resistance by sheep scab mites, MAFF is also supporting research aimed at controlling sheep scab other than by pharmaceutical means. Other MAFF research relating to developing alternatives to parasiticides includes work involving livestock flies.
Surveillance on anthelmintic resistance is ongoing via MAFF's Veterinary Investigation Service.
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 329
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many piglets of less than 12 weeks of age were exported for production or breeding during 1996; [17839]
(3) how many pigs were exported for slaughter during 1996. [17840]
Mrs. Browning:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 24 February 1997, Official Report, columns 76-77.
8. Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next plans to meet the Taoiseach to discuss the political situation in Northern Ireland. [16367]
Sir Patrick Mayhew:
I have no plans to seek a meeting.
I have frequent meetings with Mr. Spring, which I value.
9. Miss Hoey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact on tourism in Northern Ireland of the airport tax. [16368]
Mr. Ancram:
It is right to consider the impact of fare levels on tourism. Since the duty was first introduced in 1994, Northern Ireland has experienced record tourism figures.
11. Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress his Department has made in developing new markets for beef which was previously exported. [16370]
Sir Patrick Mayhew:
Since the ban on the export of beef was imposed, the Government have assisted the industry's marketing effort by setting up a red meat strategy group supporting promotions at UK and international exhibitions, making presentations on the traceability and quality of Northern Ireland beef to retailers and encouraging the development of marketing partnerships between producers, processors and retailers. The Northern Ireland Livestock and Meat Commission received £250,000 of EU money for marketing.
12. Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the trends in long-term unemployment in Northern Ireland. [16371]
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 330
Mr. Ancram:
At 9 January 1997, there were 34,441 long-term unemployed in Northern Ireland, a reduction of 8,297, or 17.8 per cent., compared with a year earlier.
14. Mr. Simon Coombs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to celebrate the millennium in Northern Ireland. [16373]
Mr. Ancram:
The Government's aim is to ensure that people throughout the community can be involved and participate in both local and UK-wide events. No specific plans have yet been finalised.
£110,000: Biological properties of nematode resistance
£730,000: Host response to challenge
£210,000: Control strategies.
(2) if the consignment of piglets exported on 24 January on the MV Cap Afrique was accompanied by an export health certificate as worded in model 111 of the annexe to Council directive 64/432/EEC; [17838]
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