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Organic Farming/Biotechnology Research
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government spent in 2001–02 on research into (a) organic farming and (b) biotechnology. [137248]
Mr. Bradshaw: The table shows Defra spending in the financial year 2001–02 on research into organic farming and biotechnology.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Organic farming | 2.127 |
| Biotechnology | 29.7 |
Biotechnology is defined as the application of biological organisms, systems and processes to manufacturing and service industries. This definition covers genetic modification (GM) but goes much wider to include fused cell techniques, protein engineering, fermentation and cell culture, production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (and many other areas) all of which have applications in conventional agriculture.
Poultry Meat
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures she has put in place to assess the impact of Brazilian turkey imports into the United Kingdom on the UK's turkey producing industry. [138037]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Additional duties can be imposed on poultry meat imports from outside the Community if prices are unrealistically low and are threatening market stability. However, under WTO rules these additional duties can be applied only to a limited number of chicken and turkey products. Action in this area is taken at EU level.
Earlier this year, the European Commission began investigating industry concerns over the misdescription of basted turkeys as a means of evading proper duties. As part of this, we submitted information on turkey imports into the U.K. Those investigations are continuing.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the volume in tonnes of (a) poultry meat produced in the UK, (b) poultry meat produced in the UK and sold at UK retail outlets and (c) poultry meat produced in the UK and exported overseas was in the last year for which figures are available. [138032]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
(a) 1,534 thousand tonnes of poultry meat was produced in the UK in 2002 (the last year for which figures are available).
(b) There are no figures available on the volume of UK poultry meat that is sold at UK retail outlets. However, the volume of UK production less exports which was 1,320 thousand tonnes in 2002 provides an indication of the volume of UK production sold onto the UK market (including retail, catering and the food processing sector).
(c) 214 thousand tonnes of poultry meat (carcase weight equivalent) was exported from the UK in 2002 (the last year for which figures are available). This will mainly be of UK origin but may include some re-exports of imported poultry meat.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what mechanisms are in place to ensure that poultry meat imports from (a) the European Union and (b) third country suppliers meet the same (a) quality and (b) health and safety requirements that poultry meat producers in the UK are required to meet; [138081]
- (2) what procedures are in place to assess whether egg products imported to the United Kingdom meet the same quality standards as domestic egg products. [138086]
Mr. Bradshaw: All consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the requirements laid down in Community legislation. Imports from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the legislation.
All consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 50 per cent. of consignments undergo
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physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition during transport.
In line with Community rules, random spot checks at destination may be carried out on consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from other EU member states.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Government provides to (a) poultry meat and (b) egg producers. [138082]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government do not provide any specific support for either of these sectors. The Government readily acknowledges that both industries have excellent track records of innovation and market orientation. From their perspective, the principal need is for Government to avoid imposing unnecessary burdens or obstacles, while ensuring that environmental and animal health and welfare standards, among others, meet public requirements.
Radioactivity in Food and the Environment
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what liaison took place between the United Kingdom regulatory bodies and the Radiation Protection Institute for Ireland in the production of the report on radioactivity in food and the environment, RIFE 8; [136721]
- (2) when she received the most recent annual report on radioactivity in food and the environment from the regulatory agencies; how members of the public may obtain this report; and if she will make a statement on the key findings of the RIFE 8 report. [136722]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The Radioactivity in Food and the Environment report (RIFE 8) contains full details of the monitoring of radioactivity in food and the environment undertaken by the Food Standards Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Environment Agency and the Environment and Heritage Service for Northern Ireland in 2002.
The report shows that in 2002 radiation doses to the UK public as a result of man-made radioactive discharges to the environment were well below national and international limits.
The report was published on 29 October and is available in the Library.
The report was also sent to the Radiation Protection Institute for Ireland (RPII) and its findings will be discussed at the next biannual meeting of the UK Ireland Contact Group on Radioactivity Matters attended by the RPII and the UK regulatory bodies.
Members of the public may obtain a hardback copy of the report (or an electronic version on CD) by writing to the Food Standards Agency at Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH. The report is free. Copies of the report may also be downloaded from the website of the Food Standards Agency at www. food.gov.uk
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Religious Slaughter
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for each species the total number of animals religiously slaughtered in the United Kingdom for the last year for which figures are available. [137278]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information on the number of animals and birds slaughtered by religious methods in the United Kingdom is not collected routinely.
Information on religious slaughter in Great Britain is gathered as part of the Animal Welfare Review (carried out every two years by the Meat Hygiene Service on behalf of Defra), but the Review collects data only on a weekly basis. The latest published Animal Welfare Review contains information on Muslim (Halal) and Jewish (Kosher) slaughter gathered in 2001. The data given in the table were for the period 3 to 9 September 2001 for red meat animals, and for the period 14 to 20 May 2001 for poultry.
| Species | Halal, stunned prior to slaughter | Halal, not stunned prior to slaughter | Kosher, stunned prior to slaughter | Kosher, not stunned prior to slaughter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle (including calves) | 1,116 | 0 | 0 | 833 |
| Young lambs | 54,469 | 4,028 | 0 | 2,277 |
| Other sheep | 23,589 | 7,880 | 0 | 0 |
| Goats | 120 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Broilers | 913,997 | 131,656 | 0 | 34,728 |
| Hens | 128,408 | 21,780 | 0 | 1,970 |
| Turkeys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 637 |
| Ducks | 0 | 36 | 0 | 476 |
Religious slaughter is rarely carried out in Northern Ireland. There have been only a few instances involving a small number of sheep, and all the animals were stunned prior to slaughter.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of animals religiously slaughtered in Britain in the last year for which figures are available was exported overseas; and to which countries. [137279]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not available since there is no requirement for an exporter to supply details of the method of slaughter in order to obtain an export health certificate.
Meat Imports
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on the impact of the proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on meat imports from South America. [133229]
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Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Defra Ministers, have had frequent discussions with the Scottish Executive on all aspects of CAP reform, but the reform is unlikely to have any direct impact on the level of South American meat imports.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of UK meat producers on the impact of the proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on meat imports from South America. [133230]
Mr. Bradshaw: Ministers and officials have met regularly with representatives of UK meat producers such as the National Farmers Union and the National Beef Association, to discuss all aspects of CAP reform.
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