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Floods
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to discuss with the Association of British Insurers problems relating to the insurability of homes and businesses at risk of flooding. [139462]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
Both I and the Minister responsible for flood and coastal defence have recently held meetings with representatives of the insurance industry to discuss how the industry is responding to the floods and also to discuss issues of insurability for homes and businesses at risk of flooding.
We urged the insurance industry to continue to give maximum priority to dealing with flood and other severe weather-related claims. We were assured that claims are being--and would continue to be--dealt with as speedily and effectively as possible. The Government will be looking to the whole industry to deliver on this commitment, and encourage all insurers to aim to meet the highest possible standards.
Looking to the future, industry representatives made it clear that the industry is keen to provide continued insurance cover for homes and businesses around the country, and would be encouraging individual companies not to make hasty judgments on large premium increases or future insurability. Government and industry will need to work closely in partnership to deliver continuing protection for homeowners and businesses at risk of flood damage, to ensure that issues of vital importance are taken forward effectively and speedily (including the appropriate development of planning policies, building regulations, sustainable construction practice and design, farming practice and flood defence policy).
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Correspondence
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 25 May on behalf of Mr. Penn. [135789]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 30 October 2000]: A response to the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire was originally sent on 23 June but due to
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a regrettable failure in recent months by the external courier firm contracted by MAFF to deliver certain mail to the House, it was not delivered. The Department's contract with the courier firm has been terminated. A response was re-sent to the right hon. Member on 27 November.
Departmental Policies
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Manchester, Gorton constituency, of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [136151]
Mr. Nick Brown: Since May 1997 my Department has undertaken a volume of work which will, both directly and indirectly, benefit the constituents of Manchester, Gorton. Among many other things:
- MAFF prepared the foundations for the creation of the independent Food Standards Agency (FSA) which was established on 3 April 2000. The FSA is now up and running as an independent champion for consumers.
- The Department played a leading role in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy; this means savings equivalent to £65 on the typical family's annual food bill.
- MAFF launched the Pet Travel Scheme; for the first time in over 100 years pets have been able to enter the country without quarantine. The scheme is expected to be completely up and running by April next year.
- We have sought to protect the interests of consumers of basmati rice, both with regard to its labelling and in negotiations on the Commission's proposals for reform of the EU rice regime.
- There has been work on better labelling of food, and improved EU-wide labelling on GM content of food. We have also issued tough new guidance on misleading country of origin labelling.
- We have put in place powerful measures to protect the public against BSE, and have taken steps to ensure that British beef is now among the safest in the world.
Primates
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many primates have been imported into the UK for research purposes for each month since October 1999; of these, how many were imported through the Port of Dover; and if he will make a statement. [137292]
Ms Quin: The figures requested are detailed in the table.
(34) These figures adjust those provided in the answer given to the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey of 17 July 2000, Official Report, column 6W. It is now clear that fewer animals were actually imported in these months than import licences were issued for.
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BSE
Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice his Department publishes regarding the likelihood of the BSE prion remaining in soil treated with infected blood and bonemeal fertilisers. [139134]
Ms Quin: Mammalian meat and bone meal may not be used in fertilisers for agricultural land. Fertilisers for non-agricultural use may include mammalian meat and bone meal only if it has first been treated to the pressure-cooking standard.
In June 1996, SEAC considered the disposal of blood and gut contents from abattoirs. The Committee noted that the spreading of blood and gut contents on land had been normal practice. They noted that concern had been expressed about the practice; however, given that no BSE infectivity had ever been detected in blood, and that there was no evidence of horizontal transmission of disease which would suggest that cattle wastes were directly infective to cattle, they saw no reason to recommend that this practice should be prohibited.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what recent advice his Department has published regarding the safe disposal of packs of blood, fish and bonemeal which may contain the BSE prion; [139135]
- (2) what recent advice his Department has published regarding the use of fertilisers containing blood, fish and bonemeal extracts. [139136]
Ms Quin: In January 1998, SEAC examined the practice of feeding fishmeal to farmed fish. They concluded that there was no reason to prohibit the practice.
The Committee also considered the use and disposal of bovine blood and concluded there was no significant risk associated with disposal of bovine blood on agricultural land.
Mammalian meat and bonemeal and blood meal derived from animals not slaughtered under the over-30-months-scheme (providing it is not from BSE suspects or SRM) can be legally incorporated into pet food production and non-agricultural fertiliser. Blood meal from such animals can also be included in animal feed. However, most blood and bonemeal is incinerated or landfilled.
SEAC reviewed the use of dried mammalian blood in animal feed on 29 September 2000. They agreed that there was no evidence to suggest the presence of BSE infectivity in cattle blood and concluded that there was no compelling need to change previous advice.
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Ms Walley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee to discuss proposed regulations relating to liquid condensate. [139151]
Ms Quin: Ministers have not personally discussed this matter with SEAC. However, at its meeting on 3 June 1999 SEAC clarified its earlier advice by confirming that rendering condensate should no longer be spread on any land, and not just those fields where cattle might graze. SEAC considered this issue on 28 November and a public summary will be published on 19 December.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional help he plans to offer British beef farmers affected by a loss in consumer confidence caused by the recent discovery of BSE cases in France and Germany. [141129]
Ms Quin: At its meeting on 4 December the EU Agriculture Council will consider a number of proposals from the Commission. Full details of these are not yet available but we understand that they are designed both to restore consumer confidence in the beef market and to ease cash-flow problems faced by beef producers.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with his EU colleagues with regard to an EU-wide labelling of beef. [141130]
Ms Quin: I refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) on 21 July 2000, Official Report, columns 372-73W. Regulation 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and the Council subsequently came into effect and introduced an EU-wide compulsory system for the labelling of fresh, chilled, frozen and minced beef.
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