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Broiler Chickens
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to restrict the selective breeding for rapid growth of broiler chickens.[8656]
Mr. Morley: Selective breeding for rapid growth of broiler chickens is not, of itself, a cause for concern. It is, however, important to consider the implications for the welfare of the birds. An independent review by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which will cover all aspects of the broiler breeding industry including selection procedures, is currently under way. I look forward to receiving the council's recommendations as to the direction of any future controls.
Hunting (Forestry Commission Land)
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the review of hunting on
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Forestry Commission land will be completed; what is the composition of the body undertaking it; and what its terms of reference are. [8729]
Mr. Morley:
The review of hunting on Forestry Commission land is an internal review which is being carried out by the forestry commissioners and commission officials as a normal part of their duties. The commissioners aim to complete their review later this summer.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the Forestry Commission regarding the review of hunting with hounds on forestry commission land. [8891]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 15 July 1997]: The forestry commissioners are reviewing their policy on hunting with hounds on commission land, and will advise us of their conclusions in due course.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8967]
Mr. Morley:
Of the individuals working in the Minister's Private Office, one is of Asian origin-- 16.66 per cent. of staff--and two--33.3 per cent. of staff are of Afro-Caribbean origin.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigation was carried out into the political activities of the civil servant Jules Hurry. [9015]
Mr. Morley:
The Department has recently concluded a full investigation under its disciplinary procedures. It is long-established Government practice that the results of such investigations are not made public.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking (a) to ensure that sheep exported from the United Kingdom on 5 July and currently held at two Italian abattoirs whilst a dispute about their health certification is resolved are properly cared for and (b) to resolve that dispute; and if he will make a statement. [9410]
Mr. Morley:
Responsibility for the welfare of the exported sheep now rests with the Italian authorities We have pressed them to fulfil this responsibility, and understand that the Italian authorities are regularly checking the animals and the conditions in which they are being kept. We have made it clear to the Italian authorities that the certification that they are demanding has no basis in Community law and that we cannot provide it. We have also drawn the position to the attention of the European Commission. As we have stressed to the Italian authorities, it is vital, in the absence of an immediate solution to this problem, that what is to happen to the sheep is quickly resolved.
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Ms Perham:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how often, since 1992, his Department has been responsible for employment advertisements which contained age restrictions upon those who could apply. [9513]
Mr. Morley:
Since 1992, neither the core Department nor its agencies have used age restrictions in any recruitment advertisements.
Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive Professor Krebs's report on bovine tuberculosis; what compensation he intends to make to farmers for damage suffered as a result of the current curtailment of badger removal operations; and if he will make a statement. [9464]
Mr. Rooker:
Professor Krebs's report is expected later this year. Compensation is already paid to farmers for animals compulsorily slaughtered as reactors to the tuberculin test or as contacts.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on his policy towards flax sowing, with special reference to the Offham marshes site of special scientific interest near Lewes; [9518]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: The Government consider that fibre flax is a useful alternative crop, whose production we should in general like to encourage. A number of changes have recently been made to the EU regime which should ensure that flax is grown on suitable land, appropriately cultivated and processed for a definite end use.
However, in view of recent concern, we are looking at a range of options specifically to address the problem of flax cultivation on valuable wildlife sites.
As regards the Offham marshes site of special scientific interest, I understand that ploughing and cultivation of crops is considered to be an acceptable operation, provided certain safeguards are observed.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the proposal for a European Council Regulation to improve the production and marketing of honey (Com 96/0596). [9329]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: The Commission proposal for a regulation concerning the production and marketing of honey was adopted at the Council of Ministers meeting of 23 to 25 June. I welcome the regulation, which mainly aims to assist the beekeeping sector in dealing with the burden of the bee disease varroa. We are currently assessing how the UK might
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make the best use of the expenditure reimbursement provisions of the regulation and will consult the industry and others about it.
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to ensure that the reduction in abattoir contracts does not increase the backlog of cattle awaiting slaughter. [9544]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 21 July 1997]: The indicative throughputs associated with the new abattoir contracts are based on regional forecasts of animals expected to enter the scheme with a sufficient margin to allow for seasonal fluctuations.
The current bottleneck at abattoirs has risen because producers are seeking to bring forward their culling plans before changes to the over-30-months scheme are introduced on 4 August. For the two weeks leading up to these changes, the indicative throughputs will be increased substantially to assist producers.
In addition, the Intervention Board has issued instructions to scheme abattoirs to ensure, as far as possible, that priority is given to those producers whose animals were already booked into the scheme, and that the available capacity is otherwise distributed as equitably as possible.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the estimated performance improvements from the closure of the Truro office of the regional service centre. [9663]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 21 July 1997]: We expect to deliver high-quality services at a saving of some £100,000 a year to the taxpayer.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which European Union member states currently face infringement proceedings in relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy; what assessment his Department has made as to the health risks that result from such countries to consumers in the United Kingdom; if his Department has made representations for an export ban on beef products from those countries; and if he will make a statement. [10202]
Mr. Rooker:
At the Standing Veterinary Committee on 3 July, the EU Commission's intention to take infraction proceedings against 10 member states for various reasons related to the EU measures in place in relation to BSE, was discussed. Action was to be taken against France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland and Italy.
These measures were to be taken as a result of the report of Commission inspections which were shown by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee at its meeting on 23 May. On the basis of this, SEAC issued advice to Government which was published on 5 June and which resulted in the reply the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave to the House on that day, Official Report, columns 227-28. This reply made it clear that the
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Government proposed to extend the controls on beef from animals slaughtered in the UK to material once imported into the UK. We are not banning imports as such. The Agriculture Council on 22 to 23 July will be deciding on the introduction of EU-wide controls on cattle, sheep and goat offals.
(2) what plans he has to amend the fibre flax regime to prevent previously uncultivated land which is ploughed from qualifying for payments under the regime; and if he will make a statement. [9520]
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