| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Agriculture Council
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the issues for discussion before the Agriculture Council on 22 and 23 February, indicating the position he proposes to take on each issue. [72747]
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 24 February 1999]: Every six months, at the beginning of an EU Presidency, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend and the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin) outlines to the House meetings expected during the Presidency. Every month, she gives the House details of the items expected at meetings of the Council of Ministers during the month.
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 909
After each meeting of the Agriculture Council, I report back to the European Scrutiny Committee on the business conducted at the Agriculture Council meeting. The Government have recently extended arrangements for scrutinising Council business to include the Second and Third Pillars of the Treaty on European Union, as well as the First Pillar. The Government will continue to promote the interests of the United Kingdom at all meetings of the Council of Ministers. However, it has not been the practice of successive Administrations to indicate the position that Ministers propose to take in advance of Council.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations his Department has received from current providers of quarantine facilities in the recent consultation exercise on quarantine reform. [70602]
Mr. Rooker:
During the consultation exercise representations were received from the following providers of quarantine facilities:
Responses were also received from the Quarantine Association and Quarantine Kennels Owners Association U.K.
The main view expressed in these representations was that the Government should provide compensation to quarantine kennels owners if the present arrangements are changed; some suggested that the quarantine period should be reduced rather than dispensed with altogether.
Mr. Wood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations were contacted during the consultation process on changes to the quarantine regulations. [73470]
Mr. Rooker:
A list has been placed in the Library of the organisations that were sent a consultation letter which was issued by this Department on 23 September 1998. Separate consultations were held by the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in authorising the production of saleable meat and bonemeal from rendering plants specifically dedicated to the by-product of pig abattoirs. [R] [73794]
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 910
Mr. Rooker:
The commercial market for meat and bone meal (MBM) has traditionally depended on its use in animal feed and in fertiliser. Because of the risk of transmission of BSE, the use of MBM in farm animal feed and agricultural fertiliser is currently prohibited.
The Government will only consider relaxation of the rules prohibiting the inclusion of animal proteins in feedingstuffs and fertilisers, which are intended to prevent the transmission of BSE to cattle either directly or through cross examination, if SEAC advise that it is safe to do so. We would also wish to consult the EU Commission on any proposal to change the rules.
The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) is currently producing an industry strategy paper for adding value to animal by-products, which includes restoration of the value of meat and bone meal from the rendering of porcine waste in dedicated plants through the incorporation of this material in poultry feed. Experience has shown that the effective enforcement of such selective controls is extremely difficult, and failure could prejudice the progress made so far in eradicating BSE and in restoring export markets. We are currently discussing with the MLC whether their paper should go to SEAC or whether further work should be done first to address the need for safeguards to avoid contamination of farm animal feed not intended for poultry.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers about prohibiting putting farmers' corporation tax on the same basis as farmers' income tax in terms of offsetting trading losses against future profit; and what was the outcome of those discussions. [R] [73798]
Mr. Rooker:
I have had no discussion with Treasury Ministers on this matter. While taxation is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I understand that trading losses, including trading losses of farmers, can already be carried forward against future profits from that trade for Corporation Tax just as they can be for Income Tax.
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the consignments of live sheep that pass through lairages in the Dover region prior to export are inspected by his veterinary officials to ensure that they are being transported in compliance with the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997; what steps his veterinary officials take to ensure that sheep which pass through lairages in the Dover region prior to export are given the rest periods required by the 1997 Order; what proportion of loadings prior to export of live sheep at lairages in the Dover region are inspected by his veterinary officials; and if he will make a statement. [74321]
Mr. Morley:
The level of targeted spot checks carried out at the Dover lairages depends on the resources available, but at present the aim is to check one of the four lairages on each sailing day. Additionally, Local Authority enforcement officers carry out random checks
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 911
of vehicles en route, and of lairages. This supplements the arrangements under which all animals exported for further fattening or slaughter are checked at Dover port.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures the Government have evaluated to deal with the problem of the spread of bovine TB outside those areas which are subject to the randomised badger cull. [73218]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 2 March 1999]: Tuberculosis in cattle is a serious and multi-faceted problem in this country, and we consider that the only way to develop a sustainable control policy in the long term is to implement the wide ranging five point strategy, involving research and control, which I announced last August. That strategy reflects our evaluation of the Krebs Report, and of the ideas contained in several hundred letters commenting on it.
We are willing to consider additional action which could usefully complement existing measures. Among the ideas being considered at present are more rapid responses to TB incidents, more comprehensive local testing, local badger culling outside the trial areas, and better advice to farmers on protecting the health status of cattle herds. We have not yet come to any conclusions. We are keeping an open mind while we discuss matters with interested parties. We will give serious consideration to any proposal which might help towards a solution.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many confirmed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy cases there were by species in animals other than cattle in Great Britain at the latest available date. [73410]
Mr. Rooker:
Scrapie, one of the family of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, has been present in sheep for over 250 years. This disease has been notifiable since 1 January 1993 in response to the EC Directive governing trade in sheep and goats (91/68/EEC). The numbers of cases of scrapie in sheep and goats confirmed in Great Britain from 1 January 1993 to 1 March 1999 are as follows:
Aquithie Boarding and Quarantine Kennels and Cattery
Dover and Folkestone Quarantine Kennels
Firs International Quarantine
Foredown Kennels and Cattery
Four in Hand Kennels
Galley Hill International Kennels and Cattery
Knightwood Kennels
Moonwinds Quarantine and Boarding Kennels and Cattery
Oakenshaw Grange
Par Air (Livestock) Ltd.
St. Andrews Farm Kennels.
| Number of cases | |
|---|---|
| Sheep | 2,281 |
| Goats | 8 |
| Total | 2,289 |
| Species | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Ankole cow | 2 |
| Bison | 1 |
| Cheetah(3) | 5 |
| Domestic cat | 85 |
| Eland | 6 |
| Gemsbok | 1 |
| Kudu | 6 |
| Nyala | 1 |
| Ocelot | 2 |
| Oryx (Arabian) | 1 |
| Oryx (scimitar horned) | 1 |
| Puma | 3 |
| Tiger (4) | 2 |
| Lion | 1 |
(3) Four litter mates also died in zoos abroad
(4) Plus one inconclusive
Note:
Data as at 25 February 1999
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 912
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |