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Chickens
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many chickens have been found to be dead on arrival at United Kingdom poultry slaughterhouses since 25 April 1996. [20714]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 18 March 1997]: The information requested is as follows:
| Total throughput | Dead on arrival | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 580,897,449 | 1,144,814 | to |
| Northern Ireland | 53,303,906 | 137,677 | 28 February 1997 |
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many broiler chickens slaughtered in the United Kingdom since 24 April 1996 were judged to be unfit for human consumption. [20713]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 18 March 1997]: The information requested is as follows:
| Total throughput | Unfit for human consumption | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 580,897,449 | 6,995,228 | to 28 Feb. 1997 |
| Northern Ireland | 53,303,906 | 538,065 | to 28 Feb. 1997 |
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 720
Offal Ban
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the inclusion of calves' brains in the specified offal ban; and if he will make a statement. [20923]
Mrs. Browning: The matter has been reviewed on several occasions by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, which has not recommended that the specified bovine material ban should be extended in this way. This is based on the scientific evidence which shows that brains from experimentally infected calves do not harbour detectable levels of infectivity although infectivity can be detected in parts of the intestine--distal ileum--which were declared SBM as a result.
Cattle Cull
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle were slaughtered under the 30-month scheme (a) up to and including 16 June 1996 and (b) (i) from 17 June 1996 to 25 August 1996, (ii) 26 August 1996 to 31 December 1996 and (iii) 1 January 1997 to the latest available date; how many abattoirs were paid for each period; and what was the total amount paid to abattoirs (1) gross and (2) net of EU contributions for each period. [20986]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The information requested is as follows:
| Animals slaughtered(21) (number) | Abattoirs receiving payment (number) | Slaughter fees paid to abattoirs(22) (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Up to and including 16 June 1996 | 136,901 | 59 | 5.9 |
| (b) From 17 June 1996 to 25 August 1996 | 279,395 | 61 | 23.7 |
| (c) From 26 August 1996 to 31 December 1996 | 716,401 | 66 | 26.2 |
| (d) From 1 January 1997 to 7 March 1997 | 168,760 | 61 | 13.2 |
| Total | 1,301,457 | -- | 69.0 |
(21) Includes OTMS animals slaughtered on-farm and subsequently incinerated.
(22) The slaughter fee is wholly funded by the Exchequer.
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 721
Salmonellosis
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of salmonellosis have been recorded in farm animals categorised by
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 722
species in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [21114]
Mrs. Browning:
The Zoonoses Order 1989 requires that all isolations of salmonella from farm animals and poultry are reported. Incidents reported to this Department over the last five years are:
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 721
| Year | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 (provisional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle and cCalves | 940 | 1,465 | 1,899 | 2,052 | 1,575 |
| Sheep | 106 | 106 | 188 | 211 | 227 |
| Pigs | 261 | 346 | 360 | 353 | 347 |
| Fowl | 1,447 | 1,295 | 744 | 841 | 950 |
| Turkeys | 441 | 327 | 401 | 277 | 222 |
| Ducks and geese | 453 | 357 | 133 | 102 | 86 |
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 721
An "incident" refers to an isolation or isolations of salmonella from either an individual animal or from one or more animals in a group on one or more occasions.
The Department has a major research programme aimed at developing measures for the control and prevention of salmonella in livestock. In consultation with the industry, the Government has issued codes of good practice which offer advice on preventing the introduction and spread of salmonella in animal feedingstuffs and poultry flocks. Further codes are in preparation.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the dangers to human health of the use of pesticides on apples grown in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the EU and (c) other countries; and if he will make a statement. [21096]
Mrs. Browning:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) on 17 March 1997, Official Report, columns 372-73.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to promote the farming of apples in the United Kingdom without the use of pesticides; and if he will make a statement. [21097]
Mr. Boswell:
There are no specific plans to promote the farming of apples without the use of pesticides. However, we are doing much to encourage organic farming which makes limited use of a very restricted range of mainly natural pesticides. There is an aid scheme which provides direct financial support for conversion, a free advice service and a dedicated research and development programme. We also fund the independent United Kingdom register of organic food standards.
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 10 March, Official Report, column 49, if he will list the rendering plants and companies which have received financial assistance under the rendering industry support scheme 1996; and how much was paid to each. [21187]
Mr. Baldry:
In 1996, 18 rendering companies received support under the rendering industry support scheme 1996, which covers the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 722
1997. Since January 1997, the number of companies in receipt of support has increased by four bringing the total to 22.
The companies and the locations of the plants concerned are:
| Company | Location |
|---|---|
| A. Hughes & Son (Skellingthorpe) Ltd. | Skellingthorpe |
| A. & W. Chambers Ltd. | Huddersfield |
| Anglo Beef Processors Ltd. | Newry |
| Shrewsbury | |
| Canterbury Mills Ltd. | Canterbury |
| Croda Colloids Ltd. | Market Harborough |
| Duncrue Food Processors Ltd. | Belfast |
| Dundas Brothers Ltd. | Inverurie |
| Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark) Ltd. | Dumfries |
| Fats and Proteins (UK) Ltd. | Lancaster |
| Foyle Meats Ltd. | Londonderry |
| Gilberts Animal By-Products Ltd. | Cheddleton |
| J. F. Rockett & Sons Ltd. | Huddersfield |
| Lisburn Proteins Ltd. | Lisburn |
| Lloyd Maunder Ltd. | Cullompton |
| McIntosh Donald Ltd. | Aberdeen |
| Mid Ulster Proteins Ltd. | Craigavon |
| P. Waddington & Co. Ltd. | Bradford |
| Prosper de Mulder Ltd. | Doncaster |
| Exeter | |
| Nuneaton | |
| Silvertown | |
| Widnes | |
| Peninsular Proteins Ltd. | Torrington |
| Smith Brothers (Hyde) Ltd. | Hyde |
| Ulster Farm By-Products Ltd. | Crumlin |
| William Forrest and Son (Paisley) Ltd. | Motherwell |
Support under the scheme is paid on a four-weekly basis. As at 19 March payments totalling about £82 million had been authorised.
I am unable to disclose information about support paid to individual renderers for reasons of their commercial confidentiality--exemption 13 in the code of practice on access to Government information.
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 10 March, Official Report, columns 49-50, if he will list the rendering plants and companies contracted by his Department to render (a) specified bovine material and (b) cattle carcases. [20958]
Mr. Baldry
[holding answer 18 March 1997]: Of the plants approved to render cattle by-products in Great Britain, the following are currently contracted to the Intervention Board executive agency to process
20 Mar 1997 : Column: 723
over-30-month scheme cattle carcases, including their specified bovine material, in rendering lines licensed under the Specified Bovine Material Order 1996 (as amended):
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of bills to his Department for the financial year 1995 to 1996 were paid (a) in accordance with agreed contractual conditions and (b) within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice where no contractual conditions applied. [21212]
Mr. Boswell:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Staffordshire (Mr. Fabricant) by the President of the Board of Trade on 18 July 1996, Official Report, columns 613-14. Any additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Canterbury Mills Ltd., Canterbury
Dundas Brothers Ltd., Kintore
Fats and Proteins (UK) Ltd., Lancaster
Gilberts Animal By-Products, Leek
Granox Ltd., Widnes
J. G. Pears (Newark) Ltd.
J. L. Thomas Ltd., Exeter
Peninsular Proteins Ltd., Torrington
William Forrest and Sons (Paisley Ltd.), Motherwell.
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