APPENDIX 13
Memorandum submitted by the British Leather
Confederation (B 14)
WITHDRAWAL OF
OP SHEEP DIPS—CONCERN
OF THE
UK TANNING INDUSTRY
We understand that you are inviting comments from
interested parties on the issue of the withdrawal of organophosphate
(OP) based sheep dips. While not directly involved in the issue,
the UK tanning industry—from the point of view of processors
of UK sheep skins—has a very strong interest. Not only is
the declining quality of domestic raw material a major issue to
our members, we also believe that the levels of parasite damage
to skins is an indicator of the deteriorating health and welfare
status of the national sheep flock.
We therefore thought it would be helpful to
send you the enclosed documents which we hope explain and support
our views.
(a) a copy of a recent letter sent to Baroness
Hayman summarising our concern;
(b) a bar chart tracing the rapid and substantial
increase in the level of parasite damage to sheep skins, over
the period 1988-95, which covers the period of relaxation and
abolition of compulsory sheep dipping in UK;
(c) a further bar chart plus base statistics
demonstrating that the level of damage to skins has continued
to increase since 1995 (these are from a separate source, using
different grades of skins, because the source of the original
figures went out of business—with declining skin quality
a contributory factor;
(d) a supporting letter from one of the biggest
sheep skin traders in UK—with more skins going abroad for
processing, the views of the skin export trade are increasingly
pertinent.
We hope that these comments are helpful, and
if you or the Committee members would like any further explanation,
please let me know.
17 March 2000
|
