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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animal Feed
Mrs. Shephard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date UKREP officials from his Department were informed that human and animal waste, and meat and bonemeal were being used in French animal feed; and if he will make a statement. [96015]
Mr. Vaz: As Minister responsible for Europe, I have been asked to reply.
UKREP Brussels officials first became aware of these allegations when they surfaced in the media in June.
Subsequent contact between the UK and the Commission was pursued by officials in the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health. I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 5 November 1999, Official Report, column 374.
Officials in UKREP Brussels received a copy of the Commission's report of its inspection mission to France on 22 October.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department first learned of the inclusion of sewage sludge in animal feedstuffs. [97571]
Ms Quin:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard) on 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 461.
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support measures he plans to introduce for quarantine kennel owners during the transition period before the introduction of the pet travel scheme. [97377]
Ms Quin:
We have no plans for any such support measures for quarantine kennel owners.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if land, which has been used within the horticultural industry with buildings thereon but where agricultural rates have been paid, falls within his definition of brownfield land. [98333]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
I have been asked to reply.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badger road casualties have been tested for bovine TB in each month since testing re-started. [96068]
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Ms Quin
[holding answer 1 November 1999]: The number of casualty badgers tested in 1999 is given in the following table:
| 1999 | Number |
|---|---|
| January | 72 |
| February | 184 |
| March | 196 |
| April | 139 |
| May | 128 |
| June | 107 |
| July | 101 |
| August | 41 |
Testing is currently suspended while facilities are upgraded in line with Health and Safety Executive recommendations. We expect to resume testing next year.
Beef on the Bone
Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of (a) the legality of maintaining the ban on beef on the bone in England and (b) the scientific advice he has received on the subject. [95772]
Ms Quin [holding answer 26 October 1999]: The Beef Bones Regulations 1997 were properly made under the powers of the Food Safety Act 1990 and remain in force throughout Great Britain until revoked.
My right hon. Friend the Minister considered carefully the advice given to him by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Donaldson, in his report of 30 July 1999, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. The Government have made clear they wish to lift the beef on the bone ban but consider that it would be preferable to do so at the same time in all parts of the United Kingdom. Further scientific evidence on this issue is scheduled for later this month. Provided that evidence is favourable, it is the Government's clear and firm intention, and that of the First Minister in Scotland and the First Secretary in Wales, to lift the ban throughout the United Kingdom.
Common Agricultural Policy Administration
Mr. Todd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to address the lack of a business or communication strategy identified in the Coopers and Lybrand review of Common Agricultural Policy administration. [97674]
Ms Quin: In its Business Plan for 1999-2000, published in May 1999, my Department set out its aims, objectives and targets, including objective 6 on CAP administration. The Plan sets out the context of this work, the key challenges, the MAFF programmes which contribute to it and the targets and output and performance measures which apply. These targets and other issues are also communicated through the Public Service Agreement, the Output and Performance Analyses and the Departmental Report.
Plans and targets are being communicated internally to help ensure that staff at all levels know what their work
11 Nov 1999 : Column: 838
unit is about and are clear on their role and responsibilities within it. This forms part of the Department's Internal Communications Strategy, established in July 1998 following consultation with staff. The Strategy is currently being reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the Department's business needs.
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to reply to the letter of 1 September from Mr. Robert Persey, a constituent of the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton, concerning human sewage sludge in French pig and poultry feed. [98181]
Ms Quin:
My noble Friend the Minister of State replied on 8 November 1999 to the hon. Member's letter of 1 September on behalf of Mr. Robert Persey.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury's letter dated 10 August on the subject of the pesticides tax. [95721]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 26 October 1999]: My noble Friend the Minister of State replied to the hon. Member on 25 October 1999.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the conclusions of the BSE Inquiry conducted by Lord Justice Phillips to be published. [97698]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 9 November 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 459.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if (a) honey and (b) other food, food ingredients or additives containing GM oilseed rape are permitted lawfully to be sold in the United Kingdom. [96713]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 2 November 1999]: The European Commission, in response to questions from the European Parliament, has advised that honey that contains trace amounts (0.005 per cent.) of pollen from genetically modified crops is not classified as a novel food, and may therefore be lawfully sold throughout the Community.
As far as GM foods, food ingredients or additives derived from oilseed rape are concerned, only one GM variety currently has clearance to be marketed for this purpose. This variety does not however have the necessary authorisation to enable it to be grown commercially in the Community at the present time. It can therefore only be imported for processing.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to adopt the specified risk material disposal system as utilised by the French Government. [97813]
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Ms Quin:
I assume that the question relates to the methods permitted for removing the spinal cord from the carcases of sheep which at the time of slaughter had at least one permanent incisor tooth or were aged over twelve months. In France, the spinal cord of such sheep may be removed either by longitudinally splitting the whole vertebral column, as required in the UK, or by a method which involves suction from the unsplit carcase.
Methods involving suction have been evaluated in the UK but did not prove to be reliable in removing the entire spinal cord in all cases. It is also not possible to verify that no spinal cord remains in an unsplit carcase. We therefore have no current plans to adopt this method.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure the German ban on British beef is lifted quickly; and if he will make a statement. [97792]
Ms Quin:
My right hon. Friend the Minister has been assured by the German Health Minister that the German Government are taking the necessary legal steps to lift the ban via the appropriate constitutional procedures which involve discussions with the Lander whose agreement is needed to lift the ban. The recent Scientific Steering Committee Opinion should make it clear to the Lander that British beef exports are safe.
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