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Avian Influenza

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the current outbreak of avian influenza in the European Union. [128252]

Mr. Bradshaw: European Community legislation lays down procedures for controlling avian influenza (AI) outbreaks in EU member states. The measures taken by the Dutch, Belgian and German authorities and endorsed by the European Commission follow the rules laid down in this legislation.

Following the confirmation of AI in the Netherlands and Belgium in March and April 2003 respectively, the Dutch and Belgian authorities imposed a standstill on the transport of live poultry and hatching eggs within those countries. The Dutch and Belgian authorities also stopped their exports of live poultry, hatching eggs and fresh unprocessed and non-heat treated poultry manure and litter. In May 2003, AI was also confirmed in the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany and the German authorities took similar action. In each instance the European Commission put in place Community legislation to reinforce the action taken by the countries concerned.

In each case following the confirmation of AI, Defra issued Declarations under domestic animal health legislation to ban imports of live poultry, hatching eggs, racing/show pigeons, fresh unprocessed and non-heat-treated poultry manure or litter and dead day-old chicks from the Netherlands, Belgium and the affected part of Germany. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also introduced similar Declarations. EU legislation does not permit trade in fresh poultry meat if it was obtained from poultry originating in established surveillance zones in those countries. In light of Germany and Belgium's confirmation on 26 June and 16 July 2003 respectively, that there had been no further outbreaks and that the disease had been successfully eradicated, restrictions were lifted from Belgium and the affected part of Germany. Defra revoked the declarations and have informed the trade that they can import live poultry, hatching eggs, racing/show pigeons and fresh unprocessed and non-heat treated poultry manure and litter from the whole of Germany and Belgium.

On 22 July 2003, Defra issued a Declaration lifting all import restrictions on live poultry, their hatching eggs and racing/show pigeons from the Netherlands except from the area between the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland and the area North of Limburg in the Netherlands.

The European Commission is keeping all member states informed of the AI situation in the Netherlands. The Government are satisfied that the German, Dutch and Belgian authorities have done all that was needed to control the disease. Defra will continue to monitor the situation in the Netherlands.

Officials have reviewed and updated the AI contingency arrangements. In the event of an outbreak of avian influenza in the UK, the structures, frameworks

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and systems that are set out in Defra's Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan will be put in place as appropriate. In support of these plans are operational instructions detailing the actions to be taken to deliver the plan. As part of the review of our state of readiness, we have taken powers which would allow a pre-emptive or firebreak cull should that be necessary (The Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (England and Wales) Order 2003).

Defra has also kept the industry informed and up to date information on the AI situation may be obtained from the Defra website. Defra also reminded egg and poultry producers in the UK about the need for stringent biosecurity measures at all times. Officials asked poultry producers in the UK to be vigilant for any signs of respiratory disease in birds and contact their local veterinary office immediately if they have any concerns.

Bovine TB

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered because of bovine TB in each year since 1997 in (a) the Taunton Constituency, (b) Somerset, (c) North Devon Constituency and (d) Devon. [127777]

Mr. Bradshaw: The data requested is not available for the Parliamentary constituencies of Taunton or North Devon. However, the number of cattle slaughtered under bovine TB measures in Somerset and Devon, from 1997 to 2002, is given in the table below. As a result of county boundary changes in the past, the number of cattle slaughtered because of bovine TB in part of the county of Somerset is shown in TB statistics as being in "Avon". Therefore, the data for "Avon" is also included.

Number of cattle slaughtered under bovine TB control measures 1997–2002⁽⁸⁹⁾

Year	Somerset	Avon	Devon
1997	191	75	493
1998	264	276	550
1999	339	145	870
2000	644	275	1,291
2001	125	125	621
2002	881	769	3,009

⁽⁸⁹⁾ In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. Since testing resumed in 2002, resources have been concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds being tested post-FMD is greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of TB reactors identified and slaughtered in 2002 is not comparable to those identified and slaughtered in previous years.

British Products

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to other departments in support of the use of British farm products by their departments. [128257]

Alun Michael: The EC Treaty and EC procurement directives do not permit discrimination on the basis of nationality. Defra is however working with others in the

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public sector to integrate sustainable development considerations into their procurement of food and catering services. One of these considerations is that their specifications should not discriminate against or prevent local businesses from competing in the supply market.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the Ministry of Defence on the use of British products in the supply chain. [128258]

Alun Michael: The EC Treaty, and EC procurement directives do not permit discrimination on the basis of nationality. Defra is however working with the Ministry of Defence and other departments to take forward the public sector food procurement initiative. This is designed to help the public sector "to promote public procurement of food that supports delivery of the Government's Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy for England". The objective is intended to encourage public sector to procure food in a manner that promotes sustainable development and does not discriminate against local and UK suppliers. Information can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/index.htm

BSE

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what form the tests to ensure there is no BSE in over-thirty-month beef will take; how long an individual test will take; and where and when these tests will take place. [128334]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Government are currently considering the FSA recommendation that the over-thirty-month rule could be amended. If the rule is amended, over-thirty-month cattle would be tested for BSE using the Bio-Rad test, which is one of the five rapid diagnostic tests approved by the European Union. The test is carried out using brain stem tissue taken from the cattle following slaughter. It takes about six hours and will be carried out at LGC laboratories at Teddington, Runcorn and Edinburgh. These laboratories will run an overnight testing service.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what facilities will be required at slaughterhouses for the BSE tests on over-thirty-month beef; and whether separate units will be required at slaughterhouses to enable animals to be tested. [128335]

Mr. Bradshaw: If the over-thirty-month rule is amended, slaughterhouses would require a dedicated area for sampling including access to washing facilities. They would also need to ensure that they have sufficient space to store carcases and edible offals until test results are known. Although there are no current plans to require slaughterhouses to operate separate units for processing over-thirty-month cattle for human consumption, some might choose to do so for operational reasons.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of the new testing arrangements when

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the Over-Thirty-Month Scheme is lifted; and whether there will be a single national slaughterhouse for the scheme. [128336]

Mr. Bradshaw: If the over-thirty-month rule is amended, the costs of testing for BSE over-thirty-month cattle for sale for human consumption would be shared by Government and industry. The Government will pay for the rapid test kit and the testing process. The precise cost is commercially sensitive but it is within the EU's state aid limit of 40 euros. Abattoirs will pay for the sampling, packaging and transportation of samples to laboratories and other in-abattoir costs. A significant number of abattoirs have indicated that they may be interested in slaughtering cattle aged over-thirty-months if the rule is amended.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Over-30-Month Scheme; what changes she plans to make to the scheme, and if she will make a statement; [128383]

(2) whether the Government will phase in the changes to the Over-30-Month Scheme; and when the changes will take effect. [128386]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Over-30-Month Scheme (OTMS) provides an outlet for cattle which are excluded from the food chain by the Over-30-Month (OTM) Rule. The Food Standards Agency has carried out a review of the OTM Rule, and has advised the Government that it would be acceptable on public health grounds to replace the OTM Rule by BSE testing of cattle older than 30 months in two stages. Cattle born after August 1996 could be allowed into the food supply, after being tested for BSE, at the earliest from January 2004, with the possibility of complete replacement of the Rule by testing from July 2005. The Government are considering this advice. Any change to the OTM Rule is likely to lead to parallel changes to the OTMS.

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