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Slaughterhouses
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the costs of enforcing specified risk material controls in licensed slaughterhouses and cutting plants. [66118]
Mr. Nick Brown: My colleagues and I have carefully considered the cost of enforcement of these controls. We have reluctantly concluded that we can no longer defer the introduction of charges to the industry to cover these costs and that they must be transferred from taxpayers to the industry from 29 March 1999.
SRM controls are in the fundamental interest of the industry since, by protecting animal and public health from the risk of BSE and related diseases, they enhance consumer confidence and so bolster demand for meat and meat products.
Interested parties are being consulted on the details of the necessary legislation and a copy of the consultation package has been placed in the Library of the House. Comments are required by 12 February 1999.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assistance is being provided for farmers to diversify and to generate income from new sources. [65707]
Mr. Morley:
Funding to encourage a wide range of agricultural activities, including farm diversification, is available in the six areas designated to receive assistance under the English Objective 5b Structural Fund Programmes. No grant aid for farm diversification is available outside these areas. However, in order to assist
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farmers in developing successful diversified enterprises, the Ministry has produced a series of advisory booklets on farm diversification.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what incentives and support his Department is providing to farmers to pursue an agri-environmentally friendly farming policy. [65706]
Mr. Morley:
MAFF operates a wide ranging package of voluntary environmental schemes aimed at encouraging farmers to conserve the countryside and its wildlife. Financial provision for England's agri-environment programme this year is £82 million. Following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review we have announced that we aim to expand the areas protected and enhanced under the agri-environment schemes. During the next three years an additional £40 million will be available in England for improvements and enhancements to these schemes.
Through ADAS and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, MAFF also funds free initial advice to farmers in England on all aspects of conservation, farm woodland and set-aside. The financial provision for advice this year is over £1 million.
Revised Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water, Air and Soil, together with a new summary leaflet, were launched in October 1998. The Codes are designed to provide clear, practical advice to farmers and represent the industry standard of good practice for the prevention of agricultural pollution.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of allegations of the National Association of Federal Veterinarians that some US vets have been pressurised to certify US beef for export as free from symptoms of central nervous system diseases in a manner contrary to EU regulations; and if he will make a statement. [64830]
Mr. Rooker:
The Chief Veterinary Officer has written to his counterpart in the United States seeking his comments on the allegations in the October edition of the "Federal Veterinarian" publication. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as a response is received.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the research carried out by his Department's laboratories into levels of trace elements in the livers of badgers. [64980]
Mr. Rooker:
The relatively small number of badger livers (343) analysed in this limited study do not yield results sufficiently robust to be of interest to a scientific journal. The results will, therefore, not be published. They are being written up and will be made available on request. I shall place a copy in the Library.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to end the practice of spreading condensate on grazing land. [65295]
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Mr. Rooker:
The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee has considered the practice of spreading rendering condensate on fields. The Committee noted the difficulty of establishing the origin of any ruminant protein found in condensate and concluded that spreading condensate on fields where cattle might graze should be prohibited. The Committee's concerns were related to the risk from BSE to animal rather than human health.
Renderers will be advised that the presence of ruminant protein in condensate means that the practice of spreading it contravenes the Fertilisers (Mammalian Meat and Bone Meal) Regulations 1998. This legislation contains the specific offence of spreading material containing protein on agricultural land and is enforced by the appropriate local authority.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the preliminary findings into trace element deficiencies in cattle piloted in the epidemiological investigation survey during November. [64845]
Mr. Rooker:
The purpose of this pilot study was to assess how well the new epidemiological questionnaire would perform in the field prior to its being introduced on a national basis. It was never the intention to analyse the data collected; indeed, the sample size of 36 farms is such that any analysis would be unlikely to yield reliable results.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the recommendations in Professor Kennedy's report, "Quarantine and Rabies-A Reappraisal", which would require primary legislation; and if he will make a statement; [65502]
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Mr. Rooker:
I have received a paper from Passports for Pets expressing the view that all of the Advisory Group's recommendations can be implemented by secondary legislation. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will be meeting Passports for Pets on 25 January to hear their views.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish a consultation paper relating to the Animal Health (Amendment) Act 1998; and when he expects the Act to come into force. [65504]
Mr. Rooker:
The Act came into force on 21 July 1998. No order has been made yet. The Government are currently considering the responses to consultation on the Kennedy Report on Rabies Quarantine. We expect a separate consultation on animal welfare matters and quarantine premises to follow during the Spring. An Order, under Section 10 of the Animal Health Act 1981 would follow this.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure the removal of the subsidy provided to tobacco farmers in Europe. [65705]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government strongly disapprove of the Common Agricultural Policy support regime for tobacco and would like to see an end to it. We believe that the Community should progressively disengage from support for tobacco production, on grounds of health and cost. Following the reform of the regime agreed in June last year we continue to press for further amendments. However, such further reform would require the support of a qualified majority in the Agriculture Council.
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(2) what representations he has received on implementing the proposed changes to the quarantine laws by (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation; and if he will make a statement. [65503]