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Safe Food
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Ministry's definition of safe food. [17532]
Mr. John Cunningham: The Food Safety Act 1990 makes it an offence to sell food which is injurious to health; unfit for human consumption; or so contaminated that it would not be reasonable to expect it to be used for human consumption.
Milk Development Council
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the impact of proposed tax changes for non-profit making research organisations on the Milk Development Council. [18066]
27 Nov 1997 : Column: 641
Mr. Rooker:
The Department has drawn to the attention of the President of the Board of Trade our assessment of the potential impact on the Milk Development Council of the proposed changes to the guidelines on granting exemption from corporation tax to scientific research association.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on Milk Marque's acquisition of Aeron Valley Creameries; and if he will make a statement. [18065]
Mr. Rooker:
The Department has received representations from the Dairy Industry Federation and from a major UK dairy company.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the consideration of dietary supplements by (a) the Codex Alimentarius Committee, (b) the European Commission, and (c) the Committee on Toxicity, indicating his Department's policy in respect of each body. [18124]
Mr. Rooker:
The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses is in the process of drawing up guidelines on supplements containing vitamins and minerals. The current draft, which addresses a number of issues, including the setting of maximum vitamin and mineral content of supplements, is due to be discussed again in September 1998. Codex standards and guidelines are advisory and it is for individual Governments to decide what use, if any, they wish to make of them.
In June of this year, the EU Commission issued a discussion document on the possible harmonisation of national controls on vitamin and mineral supplements and foods with added vitamins and minerals. This reviewed the current situation and presented for consideration various issues relating to the control of these products, including the question of the need for establishing maximum limits on their vitamin and mineral content. It made no proposals for action on this or on any of the other issues covered. Nor did it commit the Commission to bringing forward proposals for legislation. A copy of the UK's response has been deposited in the Library.
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemical in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) have not considered dietary supplements as a class of products but have provided advice on the safety of supplements containing vitamin B6. After reviewing the data from scientific literature, the COT advised that the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements sold under food law should be limited to a maximum of 10 mg per daily dose. The Government has accepted this recommendation. A copy of the statement issued by the COT is already available in the Library.
In each case, the products being considered are those sold as foods: products classified as medicines are not affected.
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The Government's main concern is to ensure the safety of dietary supplements sold under food law. In the case of the Codex guidelines and the EU discussion document, we have argued that any controls should be based on safety considerations. The proposed controls on supplements containing vitamin B6 are wholly consistent with this policy.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans his Department has to introduce a ban on the sale of unpasteurised milk; and if he will make a statement. [18039]
Mr. Rooker:
We have initiated public consultations on a proposal to ban sales of raw cows' milk for drinking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Such milk is already banned in Scotland. These consultations have no effect on sales of unpasteurised cows' milk for further processing.
I cannot predict the outcome of public consultation. We shall take careful stock of the responses before proposing how we wish to proceed.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures exist for the monitoring of unpasteurised milk. [18040]
Mr. Rooker:
All production holdings and processing establishments are inspected regularly to check milk is produced hygienically and to monitor compliance with the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995, as amended.
Enforcement authorities monitor the microbiological status of unpasteurised milk at all stages of distribution and check the conditions under which the milk is handled and packaged. Samples of milk from all registered sellers of unpasteurised cows' milk are officially tested on average on two occasions each year.
Processors themselves are required to monitor and control critical points in the production and packaging of unpasteurised milk.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms are currently selling unpasteurised milk; and what is the volume sold each day. [18041]
Mr. Rooker:
The majority of milk producers sell unpasteurised milk for further processing. Statistics are not collected and so the exact number of these is not known.
Production statistics for raw cows' drinking milk are not collected.
There are currently 578 registered producers of raw cows' drinking milk in England and Wales. Production, in some cases, is known to be linked to seasonal demand.
Production of raw cows' drinking milk is thought to be in the region of 1,000 litres per day.
27 Nov 1997 : Column: 643
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what discussions he has had with food retailers marketing goods labelled "Made in Israel" on measures to verify their attribution; [17543]
(3) what plans he has to stop abuses of the preferential rate applying to fruit juice imports from Israel. [17541]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to her on 26 November 1997, Official Report, column 544.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance will be given to students beginning courses in 1998 lasting longer than three years towards the cost of their tuition fees for the additional years. [17866]
Dr. Howells:
Under our plans, students from lower-income families resident in England will have the whole of their tuition fees paid for them in the fourth as in the previous three years, whilst others from middle-income families will have part of their fees paid, depending on an assessment of their parents' spouses' or own income. Medical and dental students in their fifth and subsequent years will have their fees paid.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment at what (a) net and (b) gross parental or household income level English students will be required to pay full university tuition fees. [17862]
Dr. Howells:
The rates for student awards and loans, and the associated contribution scales, for academic year 1998-99 have not yet been determined.
It is therefore not possible at this stage to give precise figures about contributions to tuition fees in the 1998-99 academic year. However, had tuition fee contributions been in effect in academic year 1997-98, English students with a residual (ie net) parental income after allowable deductions of about £26,500 would have been assessed as due to pay the full £1,000.
It is not practicable to give precise individual figures for the equivalent gross income at which the full £1,000 fee will become payable in 1998-99, as this will depend on the circumstances of the family concerned. However, because it may not be immediately clear to prospective students and their parents what is meant by "residual income," we have illustrated the sort of gross family income above which the full £1,000 will be payable. In 1998-99 it will be about £35,000 a year.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of financing tuition fees for the fourth year of study for English domiciled students studying at Scottish universities. [17861]
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Dr. Howells:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 November 1997, Official Report, column 162.
(2) what response he has made to the representations from the government of Israel on alleged abuses of the preferential rate applied to fruit juice imports; [17544]
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