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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Cattle Tags
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek agreement from the European Commission for double tagging of cattle to include at least one metal tag. [5453]
Mr. Rooker: We have made the European Commission aware of the preference of many UK farmers for continued use of metal ear tags for cattle.
BSE
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the contract for research into a diagnostic test for BSE with Electrophoretic International ended; for what reasons it was not renewed; and what plans he has to place future contracts with the company.[5801]
Mr. Rooker: MAFF has a collaborative agreement with Electrophoretic International (EI) which was effective from 22 December 1995 for one year. Certain clauses of the agreement continue to operate. MAFF will continue to treat the company in the same way as all other bodies in relation to research and supply of materials. There are no plans for any further contracts with EI.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what basis the contract between his Department for research into a diagnostic test for BSE was tendered; how many other tenders were received; and what was the role of Ministers in the decision to award the contract to Electrophoretic International. [5800]
Mr. Rooker: The nature of the agreement between MAFF and Electrophoretic International (EI) was one of collaboration. The Ministry did not commission any work from EI. This was not a "contract to develop a diagnostic test" and a tendering process was not relevant.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and Electrophoretics International covering work to develop a diagnostic test for BSE and a copy of his Department's evaluation of the work. [5798]
Mr. Rooker:
MAFF has no contract with Electrophoretics International (EI) to develop a diagnostic test for BSE. We did, however, have an agreement with
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EI which was one of collaboration. As required by the terms of this agreement, we wrote to EI on 14 March requesting their agreement in writing to our placing a copy in the Library of the House. EI are currently reviewing their position in the light of their commercial position.
Since no work was commissioned by MAFF from EI, no evaluation has been made.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much has been paid to Electrophoretics International by his Department for work on a diagnostic test for BSE. [5802]
Mr. Rooker:
No money was paid to Electrophoretics International as the Ministry had not commissioned any work from them.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what meetings took place between his Department and representatives of Electrophoretics International (a) prior to the contract for research into a diagnostic test for BSE being let, (b) during the lifetime of the contract and (c) after the expiry date of the contract; and if he will place copies of the papers and minutes of these meetings in the Library. [5799]
Mr. Rooker:
The agreement was signed on 22 December 1995 and has not expired in respect of all its provisions. MAFF officials attended two meetings with Electrophoretics International (EI) representatives prior to the signing of the agreement and two meetings subsequently. This is in addition to contact between scientists from Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Weybridge and EI on research collaboration as provided for in the agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, we would need the consent of EI before papers on such meetings could be placed in the Library of the House.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which (a) companies and (b) other bodies have been commissioned by his Department to undertake research into a diagnostic test for BSE. [5797]
Mr. Rooker:
The following organisations have been funded by MAFF to undertake work into finding a diagnostic test for BSE:
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An Open Competition for research funding for development of novel methods for the diagnosis of BSE was announced by MAFF to the international scientific community in August 1996. Proposals were reviewed by independent referees and three proposals from UK research laboratories were taken up for funding in January 1997. Two further proposals are being followed up; a joint proposal from two Swiss companies (Paul Scherrer Institute and CSEM, Centre Suisse D'Electronique Etude Microtechnique, S.A.) and the California Institute of Technology.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the risk to public health from hunt kennels which are assessed to be unsatisfactory under the BSE enforcement programme. [5669]
Mr. Rooker:
No formal assessment has been made of any possible risk to public health arising from failings identified during State Veterinary Service (SVS) audits of the controls under the Specified Bovine Material (SBM) Order 1997. Hunt kennels are required to remove SBM from the carcases of fallen stock which they take from farms and stain and dispatch it under controlled conditions for eventual rendering or incineration. Failings identified by the SVS have related to items such as inadequate staining, storage or record-keeping. These do not pose a risk to public health. Nevertheless immediate remedial action is required to be taken by the operator in all cases, and is subject to a further unannounced visit by the SVS shortly afterwards to check that it has been carried out. Hunt kennels are not permitted to sell for human consumption any of the remainder of the meat recovered from carcases. This is for feeding to the hounds only.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers he has in relation to appointments to Cumbria Fisheries. [5823]
Mr. Morley:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food appoints six members of the Cumbria Sea Fisheries Committee. Five fishermen representing as wide a range of interests and geographical distribution within the District as possible and one person with appropriate environmental expertise, have just been appointed for the four-year period ending on 30 June 2001.
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of small weight payments to cattle owners. [6082]
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Mr. Rooker:
Cattle slaughtered under the Over 30 Months Scheme are eligible for a weight-based payment, currently worth just under 65 pence per kilogram, irrespective of their overall weight. With effect from 4 August payments will be restricted to a maximum weight of 560 kg per animal and the rate for cows will be reduced to a little under 58 pence per kilogram.
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the disparity in compensation for cull cattle between (a) small cattle, (b) Holsteins and (c) pedigree continental cattle. [6081]
Mr. Rooker:
There is no disparity. At present all cattle slaughtered under the Over 30 Months Scheme attract the same rate of compensation per kilogram. However, with effect from 4 August the payment rate for cull cows will be approximately 7 pence per kilogram lower than the rate applying to all other cattle slaughtered under the scheme and payments will be restricted to a maximum weight of 560 kg per animal.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the purchase of seed companies by transnational chemical companies. [6003]
Mr. Rooker:
Seed production and marketing is increasingly and international business. It is essential that companies have a sufficiently large base to service these needs. I shall continue to monitor the activities of around 1,100 seed merchants, processors and packers who are registered with the Ministry in England and Wales.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of (i) the numbers of (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) sharks, (d) turtles and (e) birds caught by accident in drift nets in 1996, and (ii) the percentage of those in each category caught by fishermen of each EU member country; and if he will make a statement. [6004]
Mr. Morley:
The information available is from 1995 when Sea Mammal Research Unit observers on the nine English boats in the North-east Atlantic high seas tuna drift net fishery observed 62 hauls. Reported by-catch included:
London Hospital Medical College
A further contract with Newcastle University is still to be finalised.
Animal Health Trust
Moredun Research Institute
University of Edinburgh
Institute for Grassland and Environment Research.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| (a) Whales | 0 |
| (b) Dolphins | 46 (from which figure SMRU estimated that the total by-catch by the UK fleet was 165 dolphins) |
| (c) Turtles | 8 (of which 6 were returned alive to the sea) |
| (d) Birds | 9 |
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I am currently considering our policy towards high seas drift nets.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make it his policy to press for an EU-wide ban on the use of drift nets; [6006]
Mr. Morley:
It is important to distinguish between the types of drift net in use. Coastal salmon drift nets and other small scale inshore drift nets are not believed to have much, if any, adverse environmental impact. The only high seas drift net fishery in which UK vessels take part is the seasonal North-East Atlantic tuna fishery. There is evidence that these drift nets do capture non-target species.
I am currently considering our policy towards high seas drift nets.
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(2) what is his policy in respect of the use of drift nets and the capture of non-target species in such nets. [6008]
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