You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Food Hygiene

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken to implement the recommendations of the hygiene advisory teams report by William Swann; what was the total cost of producing this report; and to which industry bodies it was circulated. [19662]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 11 March 1997]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statements made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 6 March 1997, Official Report, columns 1023-35, and 12 March 1997, Official Report, columns 372-85. The review was carried out by the hygiene advice teams, made up of one official veterinary surgeon and one meat hygiene inspector. It involved visits to all licensed plants, producing a written report and agreeing an action programme for each plant. A summary report was produced. The total cost was £436,000.

The final report was made available at the meeting of the Meat Hygiene Service industry forum held on 5 August 1996. Representatives of the following industry bodies were present:


Cattle Feed

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date avoparcin was first licensed for use in the feed of beef cattle over three months old; what were the Swann committee recommendations relating to feed antibiotics in calves (a) under three months and (b) over three months of age; on what date the Swann committee recommendations were first made; what factors determined the degree of consideration given by the Veterinary Products Committee to Swann committee recommendations prior to the issuing of a licence for cattle over three months old; and if he will make a statement. [20658]

Mrs. Browning: Avoparcin was first licensed for beef cattle over three months old on 20 July 1976.

A copy of the Swann committee's report is in the Library of the House. It is entitled: "Report of the Joint Committee on the use of Antibiotics in Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine" and was published in November 1969. At that time the feeding of antibiotics,

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 625

without prescription, was permitted only for pigs and poultry. About the use of antibiotics in calves, the report said:


The report made no recommendation for calves over three months of age.

The Veterinary Products Committee always takes account of the principles of the Swann committee's report when it considers the statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy, in considering applications for marketing authorisations for antibiotics.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests; and if this is in each case (i) under a statutory requirement of (ii) voluntary. [20901]

Mr. Boswell: The annual reports and accounts of the following executive non-departmental public bodies, for which my right hon. and learned Friend is responsible, are published:


Legislation requires, in each case, that the annual report and accounts are published. Minutes and agendas of executive non-departmental bodies' meetings are not published. There is no statutory requirement to do so.

The MAFF executive non-departmental public bodies will state in their individual codes of best practice for board members, which are currently being adopted, that registers of members' interests will be made available to the public. There is no statutory requirement to publish registers of members' interests.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [20944]

Mr. Boswell: The information required on executive non-departmental public bodies is as follows:


19 Mar 1997 : Column: 626

National Audit Office access rights to the other bodies are as follows:


    Home-Grown Cereals Authority (in respect of publicly voted money)


    Meat and Livestock Commission (in respect of agency work


    Horticultural Development Council arrangements are being finalised


    Apple and Pear Research Council arrangements are being finalised


    (d) Statutory provisions for open government


    Access to government information is set out in a code of practice which the bodies are currently adopting. There are no statutory provisions for open government.


    (e) Performance Indicators


    Wine Standards Board of the Vintners' Company


    Home-Grown Cereals Authority


    Food from Britain


    Sea Fish Industry Authority


    Meat and Livestock Commission


    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew


    Horticulture Research International


    Agricultural Wages Committees


    UK Register of Organic Foods


    Horticultural Development Council


    Milk Development Council


    Apple and Pear Research Council (details are being finalised)


    (f) Provisions under Citizen's Charter


    To date, the Home-Grown Cereals Authority, the Meat and Livestock Commission and the Sea Fish Industry Authority have all published citizens charter standards of service.

Animal Protection

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to support the proposal by the German Government that article 3 of the EC treaty should be amended to include among the activities of the Community a contribution to the improvement of animal protection; and if he will make a statement. [20946]

Mrs. Browning: At the intergovernmental conference, we have made clear our view that there should be a formal, legal obligation on the Community to take account of the welfare requirements of animals in specific areas such as agriculture and transport. The draft protocol that we tabled last July would achieve this aim. Germany has made a slightly different proposal, which also recognises the Community's role in improving animal welfare, but is more generalised in its scope. We believe that the more

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 627

specific approach we have proposed is more likely to lead to the result we seek and is therefore the better of the options.

Flood Alleviation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimated cost of the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme at the time that the plans were first put out for public consultation; and what is the current estimated cost of the scheme. [20947]

Mr. Boswell: Following the local public inquiry held in 1992, the cost of the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme was estimated to be £73.4 million--on a fixed price basis. The Environment Agency's current estimate is some £83 million, which includes nearly £9 million for projected inflation. The costs will be partially offset by income from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the flood relief channel.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of households that will be protected by the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme, once it has been completed. [20949]

Mr. Boswell: The Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme is designed to provide protection from a one in 65 year flood event for 12,500 people, 4,800 domestic properties and 700 commercial buildings locally. In addition, the presence of the scheme will help to prevent disruption of roads and railways and the loss of communications systems and public utilities over a much wider area.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated completion date for (a) the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme and (b) the subsequent landscaping. [20948]

Mr. Boswell: Work on the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme is expected to be finalised before the end of 2001, and the main flood relief channel should be completed by the end of 2000. Landscaping is being carried out in parallel with the construction works and should be finished within the same, overall time scale.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration has been given in the plans for the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton flood alleviation scheme, to the effects of the lowering of the water table, lower average rainfall, and climate change on the likelihood of flooding in the area, and the volume of water which will flow though the new channel. [20950]

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 628

Mr. Boswell: These aspects have been fully considered by the Environment Agency during scheme design. The existence of the flood relief channel will have no measurable impact on groundwater levels. While there has been a trend towards lower average rainfall in southern England in recent years, studies related to global climate change suggest that there could be an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme events, the type of event against which this scheme is intended to provide protection. It is too early to quantify any such changes, but clearly it would be imprudent to design a scheme for anything less than the flood conditions experienced in the past 50 years.

Next Section Index Home Page