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Hormonal Growth Promoters in Cattle
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is possible to identify whether imported beef has been implanted with growth promoting hormones, which occur naturally in the animal.[HL2475]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue): The Draft Report of the European Commission's Working Group on Assessment of Risks of Hormonal Growth Promoters in Cattle with Respect to Risks Arising from Abusive Use and Difficulties of Control, concludes: "As regards the endogenous hormones 17-estradiaol, progesterone and testosterone, routinely applicable residue examinations cannot distinguish residues resulting from the use of [US] approved implants for animal growth promotion from the endogenously produced hormones".
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there is a higher incidence of naturally occurring hormones in non-implanted bull beef compared to steer beef which has been implanted with those same hormones.[HL2476]
Lord Donoughue: The Draft Report of the European Commission's Working Group on Assessment of Risks of Hormonal Growth Promoters in Cattle with Respect to Risks Arising From Abusive Use and Difficulties of Control, concludes: "The range of endogenous hormones produced by the animals varies very widely, so that it is impossible to establish reliable values for the [naturally occurring concentrations] of these hormones in the tissues of the animals."
Official Veterinary Surgeons and the Meat Hygiene Service
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many Official Veterinary Surgeons are employed by the Meat Hygiene Service; and how many of these carry out meat hygiene inspection tasks in person.[HL2370]
Lord Donoughue: The MHS directly employs 55 Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs). Veterinary Agencies/Practices supply the MHS with 531 (172 on a full time equivalent basis) OVSs on a contract basis.
In line with EU and GB statutory requirements, all Official Veterinary Surgeons, assisted where appropriate by Meat Hygiene Inspectors, carry out meat hygiene inspection tasks in person.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In how many instances, where a British Official Veterinary Surgeon employed by the Meat Hygiene Service has been replaced by a veterinary surgeon trained in another European country, has the hourly rate charged for OVS services to the abattoirs been reduced.[HL2372]
Lord Donoughue: British Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) have been replaced by OVSs from overseas on numerous occasions and vice versa as a consequence of both national and local tendering. A change in the hourly rate is a common outcome of such re-tendering exercises. However, information regarding
the number of instances where a British OVS has been replaced by a veterinary surgeon trained in another European country and associated hourly rates is not available.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proportion of the hourly rate charged to abattoirs for the employment of Official Veterinary Surgeons of non-British origin is paid directly to the OVSs concerned; what proportion, where applicable, to the employing contractor; and what proportion is absorbed by the Meat Hygiene Service.[HL2373]
Lord Donoughue: Most non-British Official Veterinary Surgeons are employed by veterinary agencies/practices. Information on their rate of pay is a commercial matter. Contractors supplying the MHS with OVS services are paid an hourly rate based on the bids accepted as part of a national or local tendering exercise. The MHS currently applies an overhead rate of £4.47 per hour to contract OVS rates.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many veterinary surgeons employed by the company Eville and Jones are sub-contracted to the Meat Hygiene Service as Official Veterinary Surgeons; and, for the first quarter of 1999, what sum in excess of the salaries paid to those OVSs was paid to the company either as fees or as a percentage of the hourly rate for the supply of the veterinary surgeons.[HL2374]
Lord Donoughue: A number of veterinary practices/agencies supply the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) with Official Veterinary Surgeons on a contract basis. Details of the number of employees supplied to the MHS by these individual companies are regarded as commercial in confidence. The salaries paid to such employees are a commercial matter for those involved.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How they reconcile the statement by Lord Donoughue on 19 April (H.L. Deb., col. 941) that " . . . no junior vet . . . would be able to pursue the law against an abattoir owner" with his replies to Questions for Written Answer from the Countess of Mar (HL2124 and HL2125) to the effect that Official Veterinary Surgeons, whether junior or not, who are individually authorised to carry out various enforcement responsibilities, are able to pursue the law against abattoir owners.[HL2392]
Lord Donoughue: As I advised in my statement on 19 April and my replies to Questions for Written Answer from the Countess of Mar, the Meat Hygiene Service operates a hierarchy of enforcement. Within this system, Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) have authority to undertake a range of the lower level of enforcement activities without prior consultation with their senior officers. They may consult with senior veterinary colleagues before taking such action.
However, as I also advised on both occasions, any request for investigation with a view to prosecution must be agreed by the MHS Director of Operations before being passed to MAFF Investigation Branch for investigation. MAFF lawyers will decide whether or not to proceed with a particular case on the basis of the evidence gathered.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What level of competence non-United Kingdom national veterinary surgeons are required to demonstrate in United Kingdom law enforcement practice before they commence their duties as Official Veterinary Surgeons employed by the Meat Hygiene Service; and how that competence is required to be demonstrated.[HL2393]
Lord Donoughue: Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) are not required to sit an examination in law enforcement practice. However, they are given both theoretical and practical instruction in law enforcement practice before they are designated as OVSs. In addition, OVSs have comprehensive instructions and guidance in the Operations Manual and have full support from their senior officers. Furthermore, all enforcement activities in the food sector are suitably balanced by the appeal mechanisms that the law provides.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether increased veterinary surgeons' hours, which are to be or have been imposed on abattoirs, will lead to any direct improvement in the hygiene standards of those abattoirs which are already producing Hygiene Assessment System scores of 95.[HL2395]
Lord Donoughue: EU meat hygiene rules require an Official Veterinary Surgeon (OVS) to be present throughout the ante and post mortem inspection. The increased presence of the OVS on the spot enables him or her to exercise increased personal control of inspection and hygiene supervision. However, for premises already achieving HAS scores of 95 or more, further increases in veterinary supervision are unlikely to result in a significant improvement of the hygiene standards at such premises.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in small and medium abattoirs where hygiene inspections are currently carried out by Meat Hygiene Inspectors under the supervision of Official Veterinary Surgeons and an increase in veterinary surgeons' hours is proposed or has been implemented, they will require the OVSs to carry out meat inspection duties in place of Meat Hygiene Inspectors as a means of reducing the costs to the abattoirs concerned.[HL2396]
Lord Donoughue: As veterinary supervision is increased in licensed premises, the Meat Hygiene Service has undertaken that it will review the staffing
levels of Meat Hygiene Inspectors (MHIs) in individual premises. In practice, large plants which already have full time veterinary supervision are unlikely to see any change in the numbers of MHIs deployed. However, in smaller premises, where Official Veterinary Surgeon hours have increased, or will increase substantially, a reduction in inspection levels by Meat Hygiene Inspectors may be appropriate.In addition, the Government's study of the impact of proposed charges in the slaughterhouse sector, announced on 21 April, will include an examination of the way in which such inspections are carried out so as to ensure that, when charges are set, they are as low as possible, consistent with maintaining public safety and honouring our obligations under EU law.
Medicines (Advertising) Regulations: Consultation
Baroness Wharton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why Consumers for Health Choice and the National Association of Health Stores were not included by the Medicines Control Agency in the circulation of the consultation letter dated 29 April about membership of the Independent Review Panel for Advertising of Medicines; why earlier commitments to involve these organisations in relevant consultations have not been honoured; and what action they intend to take to remedy the situation; and[HL2463]
In what specific circumstances the Medicines Control Agency would either (a) issue a notice, or (b) threaten to issue a notice to a manufacturer or advertiser under the terms of the Medicines (Advertising and Monitoring of Advertising) Amendment Regulations 1999 without prior reference to and approval of the proposed new independent review panel; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the ability to issue such notices is not used as a means to circumvent the duty to consult the panel.[HL2464]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman): When consulting interested parties on matters relating to medicines, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) considers which organisations are most likely to be affected by the particular proposals under consultation. The independent review panel will not consider advertising for health foods or unlicensed herbal and vitamin products. I refer the noble Baroness to the reply I gave her on 26 April 1999 at col. WA 14. Officials at the Department of Health have now sent a copy of the consultation letter to the organisations the noble Baroness mentions.
There are specific circumstances under which notices which will be issued to advertisers under the procedures in the amending regulations. These are:
- Under paragraph 1 --to request a copy of an advertisement,
- Under paragraph 3 --to advise an advertiser that Health Ministers are "minded to" make a decision that an advertisement is in breach of the advertising regulations,
- Under paragraph 4 --to advise an advertiser that an advertisement would not be in breach, and
- Under paragraph 5 --to advise an advertiser that, after consideration of the advice of the panel, Health Ministers have decided an advertisement is in breach.
- At any stage the recipient of a notice can seek judicial review of the decision to issue that notice.
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