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Consumer Safety

Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:

On what date in 2003 they expect to publish the next statutory report on consumer safety; and whether meanwhile they can provide any provisional estimates of the number of prosecutions and convictions under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998 for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001.[HL3356]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The next statutory report on consumer safety will cover the period from 1 April 1998 to 31 March 2003 and will be published as soon as practicable after the end of that period. The department only collates statistics on safety enforcement at the end of each five-year period, so cannot provide the estimates requested.

Genetically Modified Crops

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether genetically modified crop trials are being evaluated to establish any benefits to biodiversity in replacing damaging practices in conventional agricultural by planting certain genetically modified crops. [HL2994]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The farm scale evaluations are primarily assessing the impact on farmland wildlife of the management of four genetically modified crops (winter and spring oil seed rape, fodder maize and sugar beet) relative to the equivalent conventional (non-GM) crops.

25 Mar 2002 : Column WA19

The farms selected for the evaluations include a wide range of conventional agricultural practices, from intensive to extensive. The research programme should therefore also reveal the impact of conventional practices on biodiversity and contribute to our understanding of the relationships between farming practice and wildlife abundance generally.

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in considering safe separation distances for genetically modified crop growth, they have taken into account potential effects on private gardens and allotments.[HL2995]

Lord Whitty: The separation distances are set to limit the interaction between genetically modified (GM) crop plants and other plants. The distances set for any particular trial take full account of the potential effects on private gardens and allotments.

The GM crops being grown in the farm scale evaluations, oil and seed rape, fodder beet, sugar beet and forage maize, are not grown in gardens and allotments. The forage maize could potentially cross pollinate with sweetcorn varieties of maize, so a separation distance of 200 metres has been specified between GM maize and sweetcorn. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment has advised that at this distance the incidence of cross-pollination should be less than 0·5 per cent.

Livestock Movement Restrictions: Agricultural Shows

Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the rules regulating the movement of livestock will in practice prevent agricultural shows having cattle and sheep classes this summer.[HL3045]

Lord Whitty: Cattle are allowed to move to and from agricultural shows under the interim movements arrangements and we expect cattle will be shown. Subject to veterinary advice, we hope it will be possible to allow sheep and goats to go to shows from around the end of May. Huw

Imported Plant and Animal Material

Lord Taverne asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to protect imported plant and animal material, including "organic" material, at ports of entry in order to control pests and other undesirable organisms.[HL3272]

Lord Whitty: All consignments of products of animal origin currently imported from third countries into the UK are subjected to a documentary check of the veterinary certification and an identity check to match the goods to the certification. A percentage of consignments are also subjected to a physical check, which may include organoleptic checks, temperature

25 Mar 2002 : Column WA20

checks and laboratory tests for pathogens or contaminants. Where import checks reveal that any product of animal origin does not comply with Community import conditions, it is re-exported or destroyed.

Defra's plant health and seeds inspectors aim to inspect all commercial imports of plants from non-EU countries and a proportion, according to risk, of imported consignments of fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, including "organic" produce. These inspections take place at ports of entry and at suitable sites inland. Plants and plant produce of EU origin, including "organic" produce, are inspected at distribution points and nurseries. Appropriate action is taken when pests and diseases are found which pose a risk to plant health, regardless of whether the produce is "organic". Measures may include destruction, re-export or treatment. Interceptions are notified to the exporting country. Further information is available on the plant health pages of the department's website (http://defraweb/planth/ph.htm).

Organophosphates

The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in the light of the results of the research conducted by Cherry N. et al at the University of Manchester showing a genetic susceptibility to health damage resulting from exposure to organophosphates in some individuals, they propose to offer any advice, diagnostic tests, biological monitoring or other practical assistance to users of these chemicals.[HL3343]

Lord Whitty: The Government are gauging the significance of these findings in consultation with their independent expert advisory committees, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Veterinary Products Committee.

The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:

For what period the organophosphate cruformate was licensed for use as a warble fly dressing in the United Kingdom; and what are the known mutagenic, teratrogenic and neurological effects of its use on cattle.[HL3345]

Lord Whitty: Crufomate was used as an active ingredient in veterinary medicinal products for the treatment of warble fly from the 1950s onwards. This predates the introduction of the current controls under the Medicines Act 1968 and so our information on such products is very limited. With the entry into force of the Medicines Act in 1970 these products would have been issued with licences of right that permitted their continued marketing pending a formal review of their safety, quality and efficacy.

25 Mar 2002 : Column WA21

Evidence from the marketing authorisation holders indicates that these products were removed from the market prior to 1978. They would not therefore have been included within the formal review of all pharmaceutical products that began in the mid-1980s.

Consequently no data on possible mutagenic, teratogenic or neurological effects of the use of crufomate on cattle were collected as part of their authorisation for marketing as veterinary medicinal products.

Trade: Foot and Mouth Disease

Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the figures for the total tonnage of British meat exported (a) before the foot and mouth disease epidemic, and (b) as at 15 March and;[HL3369]

What are the figures for the total tonnage of imported meat (a) before the foot and mouth disease epidemic and (b) as at 15 March; and for each category what percentage of meat depended or depends on vaccination for its good health.[HL3370]

Lord Whitty: The attached table shows the monthly volume of UK trade in meat and meat preparations between January 2000 and December 2001. The monthly data for February cannot be split before and after the FMD outbreak. Monthly data are provided so that normal seasonal patterns of trade can be taken into account and to show the effects of the gradual lifting of the export ban.

The importation of meat is permitted from a limited number of third countries where foot and mouth disease is present and where the veterinary authorities have contained the disease in specified regions. European Community rules permit imports from certain regions of those countries that are not considered to pose a risk to human or animal health. Fully matured boneless beef, which does not post a FMD risk, may in some cases be imported from other regions subject to veterinary certification. Countries to which these controls currently apply are Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. All meat imported from third countries is subject to veterinary checks at border inspection posts to ensure that import requirements are met.

The importation into the EU of meat from vaccinated animals is not permitted from African countries. Imports of meat from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay may be from vaccinated animals, but the meat must be deboned and matured so as to remove any risk of live FMD virus being present. No record is kept on whether the meat imported from these countries is derived from vaccinated or unvaccinated animals.

25 Mar 2002 : Column WA22

UK trade in meat and meat preparations 2000–01('000 tonnes)

Trade Type	Product	Month	2000	2001
Exports	Beef	January	1	1
		February	1	1
		March	1	1
		April	1	1
		May	1	1
		June	1	1
		July	1	0
		August	1	1
		September	1	1
		October	1	1
		November	1	1
		December	1	1
	Beef total				9	8
	Sheepmeat	January	9	10
		February	7	6
		March	8	0
		April	7	0
		May	5	0
		June	7	1
		July	8	2
		August	10	2
		September	9	2
		October	9	2
		November	10	2
		December	11	4
	Sheepmeat total				100	31
	Pigmeat	January	19	16
		February	24	13
		March	25	1
		April	21	1
		May	23	2
		June	24	2
		July	21	3
		August	23	3
		September	20	3
		October	19	3
		November	19	6
		December	17	5
	Pigmeat total				254	57
	Poultrymeat	January	15	19
		February	16	19
		March	21	19
		April	14	18
		May	16	19
		June	18	18
		July	16	20
		August	17	20
		September	18	19
		October	19	22
		November	20	21
		December	20	20
	Poultrymeat total				209	236
	Other	January	1	1
		February	0	0
		March	0	0
		April	0	0
		May	0	0
		June	0	1
		July	0	0
		August	0	0
		September	0	0
		October	0	1
		November	1	0
		December	1	1
	Other total				6	5
	Exports total				578	336
Imports	Beef	January	19	24
		February	19	21
		March	20	30
		April	20	24
		May	24	25
		June	26	24
		July	22	21
		August	23	26
		September	21	22
		October	19	25
		November	21	24
		December	21	26
	Bovine total				257	292
	Sheepmeat	January	9	8
		February	10	9
		March	14	15
		April	12	12
		May	11	11
		June	10	8
		July	8	8
		August	9	7
		September	8	9
		October	9	6
		November	9	5
		December	13	8
	Sheepmeat total				121	106
	Pigmeat	January	41	52
		February	43	47
		March	55	63
		April	42	33
		May	47	43
		June	52	50
		July	48	45
		August	50	47
		September	59	49
		October	48	52
		November	50	54
		December	53	51
	Pigmeat total				587	586
	Poultrymeat	January	30	32
		February	33	31
		March	35	35
		April	31	28
		May	34	30
		June	38	32
		July	31	31
		August	32	33
		September	32	30
		October	30	35
		November	34	35
		December	33	32
	Poultrymeat total				393	384
	Other	January	4	7
		February	16	8
		March	13	8
		April	5	7
		May	6	9
		June	6	10
		July	7	8
		August	6	9
		September	6	9
		October	5	10
		November	8	13
		December	7	12
	Other total				90	110
	Imports total					1,449	1,479

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25 Mar 2002 : Column WA24

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