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Swann Report
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he was notified of disagreements between Mr. Swann and (a) his Department and (b) the Meat Hygiene Service in respect of the contents of his report for the Meat Hygiene Service.[20039]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 13 March 1997]: On 6 March 1997.
Fur Farms
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times officials of the State Veterinary Service (a) carried out routine inspections of fur farms over the last 12 months and (b) observed the killing of mink and fox during the last 12 months; and what method of killing was used in each case. [21240]
Mrs. Browning: The State Veterinary Service carried out six inspections of mink farms during 1996. Killing was not observed on any of these occasions.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fox farms there are in England and Wales by county. [21239]
Mrs. Browning: There is no requirement to register fox fur farms. However, I am not aware of any in England and Wales.
Grain Store, York
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the grain store at Clifton, York, was cleared of grain; for how long it remained empty; what is stored there currently, indicating the nature of the material and tonnage stored; what proportion of the total capacity is currently in use; whether the store has been, or is being, considered for storing bovine material resulting from the cattle cull; and how much per annum the store costs his Department to run (a) when empty and (b) currently. [21108]
Mr. Baldry:
Before the current cereals intervention purchasing period which commenced on 1 November 1996, the store was cleared of barley on 31 January 1996.
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The store remained empty for a period of ten and a half months until mid-December 1996 when 738 tonnes of rye was allocated to the store. This tonnage has now been sold but is still awaiting collection by the purchaser. A further 190 tonnes of rye has been allocated to the store, and should be delivered before the end of March 1997.
In addition to the rye, two of the eight sheds with a storage capacity of 20,000 tonnes have been sub-let to a private contractor for the storage of sugar beet nuts. The store has a total wheat capacity of 82,350 tonnes, comprising eight sheds totalling 79,500 tonnes and 32 bins totalling 28,250 tonnes.
The store is not being considered for storing bovine material resulting from the cattle cull.
The running costs of the store, when empty, is approximately £386,600 per annum, including store management fees, opportunity rent and contribution in lieu of rates. The additional running costs for actual storage are variable depending on time of intake and discharge and volume in store; these costs are calculated on the basis of £0.80 per tonne for intake, £0.70 per tonne for discharge and £0.022 per tonne per day for storage.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where is the grain store nearest to York which is being used to store bovine material resulting from the cattle cull. [21107]
Mr. Baldry:
The nearest grain store to York used for bovine material from the cattle cull is the Government-owned store at Hemswell Cliff, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, converted last year to store frozen product from the over-30-month-scheme.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances the National Meat Hygiene Service is permitted to destroy samples of bovine tissue provided to it as suspect specified bovine material. [21238]
Mr. Douglas Hogg:
The procedures which the Meat Hygiene Service would follow, if presented with samples of bovine tissues provided to it as suspect SBM, would depend on whether investigation showed that the samples were indeed SBM. If, following examination, the samples were discovered to be SBM, the MHS would rigorously investigate the circumstances of the case, gathering available evidence. When no longer required as part of the investigation and after appropriate photographs, the tissue would be stained and destroyed as such in accordance with the SBM order. If, following examination, the material is discovered not to be SBM, but is otherwise unfit for human consumption, the tissue would be stained and destroyed as unfit material in accordance with the Animal By-Products Regulations 1995. The MHS would undertake any relevant investigation of the provided material before destruction.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what (a) financial and (b) other assistance is available to farm businesses whose supply of point of lay pullets is halted by measures taken to contain Newcastle disease. [21145]
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Mr. Douglas Hogg:
The Animal Health Act 1981 makes no provision for the payment of consequential losses following an outbreak of a notifiable disease, including Newcastle disease and so such payments are made.
Directive 92/66/EEC, as implemented in Great Britain by the Diseases of Poultry Order 1994 (as amended) requires that controls on the movement of poultry are imposed in an area surrounding each confirmed outbreak of Newcastle disease. Every effort is made to limit disruption to the poultry industry consequent upon the imposition of these controls subject to the overriding need to contain the spread of disease.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to ensure compliance with the prohibition in the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1984 on the routine tail docking of piglets. [21294]
Mrs. Browning:
The State Veterinary Service enforces all aspects of the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994. Welfare inspections of pig farms include, where appropriate, checks on compliance with paragraph 3, part IV, schedule 3 of those regulations concerning the tail docking of piglets.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he plans to take to ensure the enforcement of the law in respect of the welfare of pigs on farms and at slaughter. [21293]
Mrs. Browning:
The State Veterinary Service carries out inspections to check compliance with legislation relating to the welfare of pigs on farm. All complaints are followed up as a matter of urgency. Legislation relating to animal welfare in slaughterhouses is enforced by the Meat Hygiene Service. In both cases, any unsatisfactory conditions or practices which are found are addressed immediately, by advice or by formal enforcement action, including, where necessary, the initiation of prosecution proceedings.
Mr. Peter Lloyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how he plans to take forward the action plan on meat hygiene which he announced to the House on 12 March. [21632]
Mr. Douglas Hogg:
The Meat Hygiene Service will be instructed to work to the performance targets which are set out in my reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff). In working to these targets the Meat Hygiene Service will be giving effect to the comprehensive programme of action which I announced on 12 March. Once this range of measures has been implemented, I would anticipate repeating, if possible before April 1998, the thorough audit of hygiene standards in each individual plant which was carried out in 1995-96. For this campaign on hygiene standards to succeed, it will be essential for the industry to give full co-operation both collectively, through the Industry Forum of the Meat Hygiene Service and the Government/ Industry Group instituted by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, and in day-to-day operations in individual plants.
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Dr. Strang:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many scientists were employed by his Department and each of his Department's agencies on (a) the most recent date available and (b) for each year since 1979 on matters equivalent to those covered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and if he will list each agency, service or central laboratory employing scientists on such projects. [18165]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 5 March 1997]: The number of scientists employed in the Scottish Office, including its executive agencies other than the Scottish Prison Service, are shown in the table. This includes details for (a) the most recent date available-- 1 March 1997--and (b) a breakdown for each year since 1979.
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