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Agriculture: Sectors of Interest

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Whitty: The Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food is divided into 10 workstreams for the purpose of managing the programme of implementation. These are: food chain, agri-environment, environmental protection, better regulation and whole farm approach, investing in the future, new technology and new markets, consumer health needs, animal health and welfare, financial issues, and global context.

Dichlorvos

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

8 Sept 2003 : Column WA86

Lord Whitty: Dichlorvos was assessed as a part of the UK's review of anticholinesterase compounds. The UK approval holder submitted data in support of the review, including a number of laboratory studies that identified potential mutagenic effects from the use of pesticides containing dichlorvos. These included studies concerning direct effects on DNA, and on chromosome structure and number.

Summaries of the data were submitted to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The committee concluded, with the assistance of advice from the Committee on Mutagenicity, that dichlorvos should be regarded as an in-vivo mutagen at the site of contact, and that no threshold could be assumed for the mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of dichlorvos.

Ministers' decision to suspend all dichlorvos approvals was taken on a precautionary basis in the light of the committees' advice. These suspensions will continue until such time as the approval holders submit further data providing reassurances regarding the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of dichlorvos.

There is no ongoing government research or investigations into the incidence of clothes moth infestations in England.

Cattle Herds with Reactors

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they will update the graph on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website which shows "percentage of all cattle herds with reactors", so that it shows figures for 1962–2002 instead of 1962–1998; and[HL4100]

    Why the graph on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website, "percentage of all cattle herds with reactors" does not show figures beyond 1998.[HL4101]

Lord Whitty: As part of our response to the seventh report of Session 2002–03 by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on badgers and bovine TB, the Government undertook to review the pages of the TB webpages of Defra's internet site. This will include decisions about whether to update or replace existing pages which have fallen behind or become obsolete. The Government's response was published by the committee on 24 June as the eighth special report of Session 2002–03.

The graph showing "percentage of all cattle herds with reactors (confirmed and unconfirmed) 1962–98" was intended as a "snapshot" update of a graph shown in the Krebs report. We will consider how useful it would be to update the information as part of the overall review of the webpages.

8 Sept 2003 : Column WA87

Shellfish Sampling: Weymouth Laboratory

Baroness Byford asked Her Majestry's Government:

    When testing facilities at the government laboratory in Weymouth will be improved to match those used in Holland and France, which no longer rely on the most probable number system for sampling shellfish waters.[HL4102]

Lord Whitty: The Weymouth laboratory of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) is designated under the Shellfish Hygiene Directive (91/492/EEC) as the community reference laboratory for monitoring bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs and as the national reference laboratory for the United Kingdom.

In this capacity, the laboratory advises on use of the most probable number (MPN) procedure, but does not undertake routine testing of shellfish samples for the purpose of the classification of shellfish harvesting areas in the UK. In England and Wales this is undertaken by local laboratories of the Health Protection Agency and hospital trusts, in Scotland by FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, and in Northern Ireland by the Public Health Laboratory at Belfast City Hospital.

The Shellfish Hygiene Directive specifies the use of a five-tube three-dilution MPN procedure for the

8 Sept 2003 : Column WA88

testing of shellfish samples for classification of production areas. In France, official laboratories use both a five-tube three-dilution MPN procedure and an alternative semi-automated procedure. The latter is calibrated and validated against the MPN test. The method currently in use in Holland does not appear to conform to the requirements of the directive.

Shellfish waters are also sampled under the Shellfish Waters Directive (79/923/EEC) and the associated UK regulations. In England and Wales, this is the responsibility of the Environment Agency, in Scotland of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and in Northern Ireland of the Department of the Environment. CEFAS does not undertake any responsibilities or practical work in relation to the testing of samples taken for this purpose.

BSE

Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they will publish a table, in the same format as their Written Answer of 22 May 2002 (WA 104) showing the number of cases of BSE confirmed each week in Britain during the calendar years 2002 and 2003 to date, together with the moving annual total of cases for each 52-week period.[HL4140]

Lord Whitty:

The number of Active and Passive Surveillance cases of BSE confirmed in Great Britain during each week of 2002 and in the current year to 18 July and the moving annual totals of "confirmed" and "reported" cases for each 52-week period.


2002
Week NoPassive Surveillance Active Surveillance Reported(2)
Number confirmed each week Running 52 week total Number confirmed each week Running 52 week total Running 52 week total
1075102611207
21973402591209
32274202591208
412742513101200
52733213311201
625747293591183
715731303851182
8972873901179
916732154031171
101073244061157
1114740314361147
121974604351149
1312753344691142
14073404671148
1526750134771150
161747305051151
172075405051157
1816751135181164
19774585231157
201574515231156
217736125351153
221673795441149
23072815451130
2417731225651135
25872455701134
265716165861136
27069905861136
287689196041120
29168006041103
304661116151096
31465876221078
3222669166331078
33964296421054
347641106381049
35664356371046
36362986371033
37862647411029
38762356271016
39760019640998
40115787637978
4165726621970
42855011624951
4395442601940
4445167602933
451351718605939
4655132582924
471351512591906
482253623586899
49351431611893
50115146601883
5155079598879
5215080598876

(2) Reported—number of cases placed under restriction during the period. Refers only to passive surveillance cases.


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2003

Passive Surveillance Active Surveillance Reported
Week NoNumber confirmed each weekRunning 52 week totalNumber confirmed each weekRunning 52 week totalRunning 52 week total
105080598878
2749615613865
3247610623851
4246628600844
544687586830
654487564828
764394538817
8543537568795
964255558784
10341813567777
11540915551776
12239213564767
13838813543764
1433912545751
15236712544734
1603665519717
17735316535702
1803370522681
19833816530678
2013240529664
21632322539652
2233102532642
2353158539648
2402987524637
2542940519626
26229117520612
2752961521605
28429310512599
2922942514594

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