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BSE

Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what analysis his Department has made of the costs of (a) rendering carcases killed under the OTMS prior to incineration and (b) direct incineration of such carcases. [151817]

Ms Quin: Rendering, meat and bonemeal incineration and direct carcase incineration services were procured by the Intervention Board through tenders conducted under EC rules.

Rates charged by individual suppliers vary. Costs by each route are regularly compared. Historically, on a per animal basis, rendering followed by incineration of the resultant MBM and tallow has been cheaper than direct carcase incineration.

However, following recently concluded negotiations leading to the extension of direct carcase incineration contracts, the costs of each disposal route are now more closely aligned.

Imported Meat

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what inspections are carried out, and by whom, on meat imports from (a) EU countries and (b) other countries. [151672]

Ms Quin: Community legislation requires member states to comply with strict hygiene rules in the production of meat and meat products in the Community before they are approved to trade. Among other things, this sets out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in all meat plants before they can export.

The European Commission is responsible for ensuring member states fulfil their obligations. EU legislation also provides for member states to carry out checks at points of destination. These are carried out by Meat Hygiene Service official veterinary surgeons at licensed premises, local authorities and the State Veterinary Service in the UK. Depending on the perceived health risk, checks at destination may be random or 100 per cent. Following the recent identification of specified risk material in imports of meat from Germany and the current foot and mouth disease problems in the UK, the Meat Hygiene Service has been instructed to step up levels of inspection at cutting plants and cold stores to ensure that increased volumes of imports can be checked for the necessary health marks and correct documentation.

All meat imported from third countries into the UK must enter at designated UK border inspection posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary checking. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks in accordance with EU legislation. These checks are to ensure that conditions of import into the Community have been complied with and that the products have remained in a satisfactory condition during transport. They are carried out by official veterinary surgeons employed by the local authority in which the BIP is located.

12 Mar 2001 : Column: 480W

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his policy is on banning the importation of beef, pigmeat and sheepmeat from countries suffering from outbreaks of (a) foot and mouth disease and (b) swine fever. [151916]

Ms Quin: The importation into the European Community of fresh meat from third countries is governed by Community legislation.

When outbreaks of notifiable disease occur (including both classical swine fever and foot and mouth disease) the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations 1996 allow the Government to prohibit the import of meat from a country or part thereof. On notification of an outbreak these Regulations allow the UK to issue a Declaration prohibiting meat from the relevant country or part thereof. They are effective from the date and time of signature and are sent immediately to all enforcement authorities. These Declarations remain in force pending the adoption of appropriate Community legislation. These provisions apply equally to outbreaks in member states and in third countries.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate the Ministry has made of the total amount of imported meat in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001. [152379]

Ms Quin: Official Overseas Trade Statistics show that the total amount of meat and meat products imported into the UK in 1997 to 2000 was as follows:

Thousand

Year	Tonnes
1997	1,195
1998	1,187
1999	1,300
2000	1,427

Source:

HM Customs and Excise

Forecasts for 2001 are not published.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the control measures in other countries which export meat and meat products to the UK. [152418]

Ms Quin [holding answer 6 March 2001]: All consignments of meat imported into the UK must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised Community rules laid down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC (as amended) (fresh meat) and Council Directive 77/99/EEC (as amended) (meat products). Among other things, these Directives set out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in meat plants.

Ensuring that all member states comply with their Community obligations in properly implementing and applying the Directives is the responsibility of the European Commission, whose Food and Veterinary Office carries our regular programmes of inspection visits to all member states. Depending on the perceived health risk, checks at destination may be random or 100 per cent. Following the recent identification of specified risk material in imports of meat from Germany and the current foot and mouth disease problems in the UK, the Meat Hygiene Service has been instructed to step up levels of

12 Mar 2001 : Column: 481W

inspection at cutting plants and cold stores to ensure that increased volumes of imports can be checked for the necessary health marks and correct documentation. The Food and Veterinary Office is also responsible for carrying out inspections in the third countries from which fresh meat is imported into the Community.

All meat imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK border inspection posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition. They are carried out by official veterinary surgeons employed by the local authority in which the BIP is located. In line with Community rules, random spot checks at destination may be carried out on consignments of fresh meat imported into the UK from other EU member states.

Agrimonetary Compensation

Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will break down the amounts paid by (a) the EU and (b) the UK Government for each year the UK has drawn down agrimonetary compensation. [151829]

Ms Quin [holding answer 1 March 2001]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister gave to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 8 March 2001, Official Report, column 337W.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to claim agrimonetary funds from the EU; and if he will make a statement. [152283]

Ms Quin [holding answer 5 March 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) on 5 March 2001, Official Report, column 103W.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of his investigations into the source of each outbreak of foot and mouth disease in England and Wales. [152019]

Ms Quin: Initial epidemiological evidence suggests that the outbreak appears to have started in one premises in north-east England and spread from there. The main cause of spread appears to be the movement of sheep for trade purposes. Investigations are continuing into the original source. Information on the initial epidemiological findings will be published.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria he uses to judge when an outbreak of foot and mouth disease is called an epidemic; and if he will make a statement. [151918]

Ms Quin [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Based on a definition of an epidemic as a large number of cases occurring simultaneously in the livestock population, it is too early to say whether the current outbreak represents an epidemic.

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Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken to identify the cause of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and its point of origin. [151936]

Ms Quin: [holding answer 6 March 2001]: Detailed epidemiological investigations are being undertaken for each of the confirmed outbreaks. Initial findings suggest that the outbreak appears to have started in one premises in north-east England and spread from there. The main cause of spread appears to be the movement of sheep for trade purposes. Investigations are continuing into the original source. Information on the initial epidemiological findings will be published.

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