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Poultry Imports

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions apply to the import from France of poultry (a) fed on poultry protein and (b) administered drugs banned in the UK. [57429]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 10 March 2006]: The rules governing poultry feed and the drugs that may be administered to poultry are set out in EU legislation. There is currently a ban on feeding poultry protein to poultry throughout the EU. The competent authority in each member state is responsible for making sure that poultry sent to another member state complies with
 
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the rules. The European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office carries out regular inspections to ensure that Community law is implemented properly. Importing member states can also carry out random, non discriminatory checks at the place of destination, and during transport if they suspect that the rules have been breached.

Recycling

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rates for recycling were in each local authority in each of the past nine years, broken down by (a) metropolitan borough and (b) other authorities. [57997]

Mr. Bradshaw: Results for individual local authority household recycling rates from 1998–99 to 2003–04 are published on the Defra website at: http://defraweb/environment/statistics/wastats/mwb0304/index.htm, Annex B. The 2004–05 Best Value Performance Indicator results for BV82a, percentage of household waste sent for recycling and BV82b, percentage of household waste sent for composting are available from the Audit Commission website at: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp. 2004–05 provisional results from WasteDataFlow will be available after 24 March 2006.

Due to unreliability of early data, individual authority recycling rates are not published prior to 1998–99.

Reservoirs (Oxfordshire)

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with water companies on reservoir capacity in Oxfordshire. [58294]

Mr. Morley: Oxfordshire falls almost entirely within the supply area of Thames Water, with small areas supplied by Severn Trent Water and Anglian Water.

Oxfordshire's main strategic reservoir is Farmoor, which is currently around 97 per cent. full.

Thames Water has met Defra officials on several occasions to discuss the company's proposals for a new reservoir in south west Oxfordshire. These discussions have centred on the permissions necessary for such a reservoir.

Sea Defences (Lincolnshire)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on sea defences in (a) Boston and Skegness and (b) Lincolnshire in each of the last five years; and how much is proposed to be spent in each of the next three years. [56703]

Mr. Morley: Defra funds most of the Environment Agency's flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects and related studies undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage
 
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boards. The Agency has spent the following sums on sea defences on the two stretches of coastline from Boston to Skegness and from Skegness to North Lincolnshire:
£ million

	Boston to Skegness	Skegness to North Lincolnshire
2001–02	0.8	3.5
2002–03	0.8	4.4
2003–04	0.7	3.3
2004–05	0.8	3.3
2005–06	2.7	11.0
2006–07	2.0	9.7
2007–08	2.2	12.5
2008–09	2.3	12.8

In years prior to 2004–05, the investment was funded through a combination of direct grant from Defra and levies on local authorities which were in turn supported by Revenue Support Grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. From 2004–05 onwards, the spend figures are entirely funded through Grant in Aid from Defra. Years from 2005–06 onwards are either partly or wholly estimates of future spend.

Synthetic Pyrethroids

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons her Department has taken the decision to authorise the removal of synthetic pyrethroids from the market; and what discussions she has held with the Environment Agency on their removal. [57250]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for the authorisation of veterinary medicinal products in the UK. The assessment process considers the safety, quality and efficacy of products before they are placed on the market. The VMD also runs a Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) to monitor the use of products once authorised. The potential for cypermethrin to cause environmental damage is well known and the product literature contains information for users to manage the environmental risk.

In July 2005 the Environment Agency presented a report to the VMD about pollution incidents in Wales from the use of sheep dip. Between January 2004 and August 2005 the Environment Agency had investigated 32 sheep dip incidents causing major or significant ecosystem damage. The 12 most serious cases involved cypermethrin dips. The majority of incidents were in Wales and most arose from apparent routine use rather than disposal of used dip. All of the cases involved the loss of aquatic life with one involving the loss of a great many cray fish; a protected species. Nine of the cases have led to prosecution.

The cypermethrin sheep dips are currently subject to a routine renewal assessment. In October 2005 the marketing authorisation holders (MAH) for the cypermethrin sheep dip products were asked to provide data to support a recommendation for the length of time sheep should be retained in pens close to the bath to allow the fleece to drain of excess dip. The MAH were also asked to provide an assessment of the risk presented by sheep entering watercourses after they had returned
 
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to pasture. The Environment Agency and the VMD have also jointly funded a research project to consider the risk presented by sheep entering watercourses after they have been dipped. None of this information is expected to be available before the next dipping season.

Cypermethrin sheep dips are used for the treatment and prevention of sheep scab, ticks and blowfly. Sheep scab is a serious animal welfare issue that can lead to death from anaphylactic shock. Other authorised veterinary medicinal products are available for use against these ectoparasites. These include organophosphorous (OP) sheep dips. Concerns have been expressed about the human health implications for farmers using OP dips. These have been addressed by changes to the products over the years and they are now available only in closed transfer systems to prevent farmers coming into contact with the concentrate.

The Environment Agency and VMD have consulted on a joint pollution reduction programme for the use of cypermethrin sheep dips. This programme remains a key element in the future environmentally sustainable use of SP dips.

In the light of the evidence available on the environmental pollution from routine use of cypermethrin sheep dips and the alternative products available for sheep ectoparasite control, it was decided to suspend the marketing authorisations for cypermethrin sheep dips on a precautionary basis until more information was available on how the products can be used without providing an unacceptable risk to the environment.

The VMD and the Environment Agency have been working closely together on this topic and the VMD consulted the Environment Agency on its proposal to suspend the authorisations.

UK Zoonoses Group

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will list the members of the UK Zoonoses Group; what its terms of reference are; how many staff it employs; whether it produces an annual report to her Department; what publications it produces; for what reasons it was established; and if she will make a statement; [57650]

(2) if she will make a statement on the work of the UK Zoonoses Group. [57651]

Mr. Bradshaw: The UK Zoonoses Group provides a forum for the discussion of animal and human health aspects of zoonoses, and met for the first time in October 2001.

The formation of the UK Zoonoses Group is in line with the recommendation in the Phillips Report on BSE (published in October 2000) for better liaison between central government, devolved administrations, and local enforcement and health organisations on animal and human health issues that have implications for the whole of the UK.

The Group's terms of reference are to:

provide an overview and means of ensuring co-ordination of public health action at UK, national and local levels with regard to existing and emerging zoonotic infections and antimicrobial resistance to those infections in animals and humans

 
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advise the respective Secretaries of State or Ministers of Agriculture, Health and Environment in the UK on important events in the field of zoonoses, including where necessary preventative and curative action

promote and facilitate activity leading to better understanding of zoonoses and the risks to public health

ensure an exchange of views within and between central Government departments and agencies, devolved administrations and local Government on developments in the field of zoonoses, and to provide contact points for discussion.

Membership comprises UK Chief Medical Officers and UK Chief Veterinary Officers plus representatives from Defra, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland), Department of Health, Food Standards Agency, Meat Hygiene Service, Welsh Assembly Government, Health Protection Agency, Scottish Agricultural College, Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Environmental Agency, Health Protection Scotland (previously the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health), Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities Coordinating Office on Regulatory Services.

The Group does not employ staff but has a joint secretariat comprised of members from the Department of Health and Defra. The Group does not produce an annual report. Instead the information about the Group, and access to minutes of meetings and papers, are available on the Defra website at:http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/ukzg/index.htm. The Group normally meets twice a year and since its formation in October 2001 has met nine times.

More generally in relation to zoonoses in the UK, Ministers agreed in 1999 to the production of an annual Zoonoses Report. Annual reports on zoonoses in the UK are available for the years 1998 to 2004 on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/reports.htm. The report on zoonoses in the UK for 2005 is expected to be published in November 2006.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the operation of (a) the Zoonoses Directive 2003/99 and (b) the Zoonoses Regulations 2160/2003. [57652]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Directive and the Regulation replace and expand on existing measures for protection against zoonoses and zoonotic agents in animals, animal feed and products of animal origin.

The Zoonoses Directive (2003/99) places a requirement on member states to ensure that data on the occurrence of zoonoses and zoonotic agents and anti-microbial resistance are collected, analysed and published. A working group of representatives from Defra, Department of Health, their supporting agencies, and their equivalents in the devolved administrations collaborates in collecting the information and submitting the UK annual report to the European Commission. This addresses the trends and sources of zoonotic agents in animals, feed and food, and the analysis of the significance to public health. The UK report is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/trends~sources.htm
 
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The Zoonoses Regulation 2160/2003 requires that government and primary producers follow the framework it sets for the reduction of zoonotic agents in animals on farms. Implementation of the Regulation has commenced with programmes to reduce salmonella of public health significance after the completion of surveys to establish the base-line values of Salmonella in member states.

The first control programme covers breeding flocks of domestic fowl and will be implemented by 1 January 2007. It builds on the statutory salmonella control programme that has been in operation in this sector since 1989.

Control plans for Salmonella of human health significance in other sectors are required and are expected to be implemented for laying flocks (January 2008), broilers (2009) turkeys and fattening pigs (2010); and finally breeding pigs (2011).

Our intention is for industry bodies and government to work in partnership on the production of the control plans and this approach was supported by the partners at an initial meeting in July 2005. The poultry and pig industries are made up of different sectors and Defra has set up five working groups to assist in the development of control plans. Representatives from the different sectors, the Food Standards Agency, and the regions are also involved.

Defra will consult fully on implementing domestic legislation.

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