| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Wednesday, 30th June 1999.
River Danube: Environmental Restoration
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps are being taken and by whom to assess and clean up the Danube river and to repair ships, bridges, river banks, docks and other installations related to the river; whether it is known which ally's forces caused what damage, destruction or pollution; and at whose expense clean up and repair should be done.[HL3178]
Baroness Amos: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) sent a team to Serbia and Montenegro between 17-20 June as part of the UN-sponsored Balkans Task Force on the environment and human settlement. We understand from this initial survey that reports of severe environmental degradation to the Danube are exaggerated.
We have no information on which forces caused what damage.
The international community is discussing future reconstruction in the region, which will include environmental matters.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What compensation is to be paid to those parties whose business or well-being has suffered from pollution of the Danube or damage to ships, bridges, river banks, docks and other installations related to the river; and how this compensation is to be determined.[HL3179]
Baroness Amos: Since UK action was taken in strict conformity with international humanitarian law, we do not believe it will be necessary to determine compensation.
Serbia: Aid to Farmers
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to ensure the availability of fuel to Serbian farmers to bring in the harvest.[HL3197]
Baroness Amos: As long as Milosevic remains in power, any assistance to Serbia will be limited to meeting clearly identified humanitarian needs.
Serbia: Refugee Crisis
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to ensure that, with half a million refugees reported to be there, a humanitarian catastrophe within Serbia is averted.[HL3295]
Baroness Amos: Most of the refugees in Serbia fled from the conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia several years ago. They have so far been unable to return because of lack of political will in their home countries, despite pressure from the international community. Just under half are considered vulnerable by the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The UK will help to meet real humanitarian needs within Serbia as part of the international community's effort. We expect to work through intermediaries such as the UN agencies and NGOs. Vulnerable groups in Serbia, including refugees, continue to receive assistance from the Red Cross Movement. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has sent relief convoys into Serbia to help recently displaced Kosovar Serbs.
Badgers and Tuberculosis
Baroness David asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What response they have made to Recommendation 69 of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention regarding tuberculosis and badgers.[HL3276]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue): The Government submitted a formal response to this recommendation on 12 April. A copy has been placed in the House Libraries.
Meat Hygiene
The Earl of Denbigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the revisions to the systems of regulating meat hygiene in New Zealand, Australia and the United States represent an improvement over the regulatory system employed in the United Kingdom.[HL3039]
Lord Donoughue: The meat inspection systems in New Zealand, Australia and the United States of America are being developed on risk-based principles, whereas current EU meat hygiene rules lay down prescriptive meat inspection protocols. Opinions differ as to the merits of the two systems. The Government are actively supporting initiatives to modernise EU meat hygiene controls.
The Earl of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have carried out a cost of compliance assessment on the costs which would be incurred by slaughterhouse owners or operators to meet the non-statutory criteria set out by the Hygiene Assessment Scheme in order to qualify for maximum scores.[HL3113]
Lord Donoughue: No. The cost will depend on individual circumstances.
The Earl of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons take account of the costs of compliance when recommending to slaughterhouse owners or operators works or activities which are not statutory requirements; whether any such recommendations are withdrawn if representations are received that their completion is not economically viable; and whether slaughterhouse owners or operators are subsequently penalised by being marked down on the Hygiene Assessment Scheme scores if those works or activities are not undertaken.[HL3114]
Lord Donoughue: OVSs can only require owners or operators to meet the statutory requirements. It is for the owner or operator to determine the economic viability of any work that he chooses to undertake. HAS scores monitor the standard attained by the premises as they exist.
The Earl of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether licensed slaughterhouse owners or operators are entitled to require the publication of corrected Hygiene Assessment Scheme (HAS) scores where HAS scores previously published have been shown to have been in error.[HL3116]
Lord Donoughue: If an error is discovered, the MHS will write to the operator and offer to inform their customers of the revised score.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the current arrangements for auditing the performance of the Meat Hygiene Service by veterinary officers attached to the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group (JFSSG) can be considered wholly independent when those officers appoint Official Veterinary Surgeons as local veterinary inspectors, who thereby become responsible to the JFSSG veterinary officers.[HL3083]
Lord Donoughue: Veterinary officers attached to the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group are not responsible for appointing local veterinary inspectors.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons are entitled to require the fitting of fine-mesh filters over drainage channels to prevent ingress of specified risk material, when the discharge to the channels is already fitted with such filters and the provision required prevents the effective drainage of water.[HL3086]
Lord Donoughue: It is a requirement of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 that all slaughterhouses, cutting premises and cold stores shall have satisfactory drainage, fitted (except in rooms
for cooling or storage of meat) with gratings and traps for solids. The use of gratings with a mesh no larger than 4 square millimetres in drains where specified risk material is handled, to enable small particles of such material to be trapped and disposed of properly, is considered good practice and encouraged but is not legally enforceable. Such a mesh will not prevent effective drainage, provided trapped material is regularly cleared.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons and Meat Hygiene Inspectors engaged in slaughterhouse duties who fail to carry out the statutory provisions of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations are, subject to a satisfactory standard of proof, committing criminal offences.[HL3087]
Lord Donoughue: Normally OVSs and MHIs who fail to carry out their functions under the Fresh Meat Regulations are subject to disciplinary proceedings. Such a failure does not of itself give rise to criminal liability under those regulations.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether slaughterhouse owners, operators and their staff engaged in slaughterhouse duties who fail to carry out the statutory provisions of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations are, subject to a satisfactory standard of proof, committing criminal offences.[HL3088]
Lord Donoughue: Slaughterhouse owners, operators and staff who fail to carry out their statutory obligations under the regulations are liable to prosecution, but prosecution action depends on the circumstances of the case.
Lord HolmPatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to ensure that animal welfare regulations in United Kingdom abattoirs are enforced, should the Meat Hygiene Service be absorbed into the Food Standards Agency; and which organisation will audit the enforcement function.[HL3205]
Lord Donoughue: Animal welfare regulations will continue to be enforced in GB abattoirs by Official Veterinary Surgeons of the Meat Hygiene Service, who will continue to be audited on behalf of Ministers by Veterinary Meat Hygiene Advisers of the Veterinary Public Health Unit and the State Veterinary Service. These functions will be the subject of a concordat between departments and the Food Standards Agency. In Northern Ireland these functions will continue to be performed by the Veterinary Service of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page