MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY MR H. E. G. ANDREWS,
H. E. ANDREWS & SONS LTD (V9)
As a small poultry producer I wish to inform
the Members of the Agriculture Select Commitee of my grave concerns
of the effects of the proposed legislation on our future. The
UK poultry industry is unsupported and has to compete at world
prices, therefore any proposal which would increase the financial
burden to the industry, particularly during the current agricultural
crisis, must be vigorously resisted.
I make the following points to support my concerns.
(a) The Government has committed itself to
deregulation, yet surely IPPC is a prime example of duplication,
as the Local Environmental Health Officers already strictly monitor
air, noise and water pollution and prosecute any violations. Areas
of particular sensitivity being covered by ESAs or other such
legislation.
(b) Many other EU Members have already stated
that they will not be introducing yet more legislation into areas
they consider already covered, and those countries which have
not yet decided the issue have made it clear that there will be
no "on-cost" to their own pig and poultry sectors.
(c) EU regulations and legislation are supposed
to be proportionate to the problems they seek to address, yet
the cost of this legislation to the pig and poultry sectors is
totally disproportionate.
(d) If IPPC legislation is carried through
and becomes law, any requirement to reduce emissions to below
their current, generally accepted levels will result in an even
greater demand for energy use to fuel the increase in heat usage
and fanning requirements that would become necessary to achieve
any reduction of these emissions.
(e) The UK Government requires higher animal
welfare standards than any of our EU partners and any scrimping
on energy usage would be in direct conflict with maintaining our
high standards. With the industry being forced down the Dietary
Enhancer free route, most independent poultry veterinarians agree
this will lead to challenges to the environment requiring more
heat and ventilation to maintain the welfare friendly standards.
I urge you to reject the proposals.
4 January 2000
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