HC Deb 06 July 1995 vol 263 cc504-6
6. Dr. Spink

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage the export of animals on the hook rather than on the hoof. [31167]

12. Mr. Congdon

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what efforts he is making to encourage the export of British meat rather than live farm animals. [31173]

Mrs. Browning

I am glad to say that meat exports are well up in 1995 compared with 1994 and we are working with the Meat and Livestock Commission to open up new markets.

Dr. Spink

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. Can she confirm that UK meat exports have almost doubled since 1991, and that that is the result of the very high quality of British beef? Can she also confirm that about 80 per cent. of exports today are on the hook, not on the hoof, and that we want to promote more exports on the hook? Will she avoid adopting the policies of the Labour party, which would bring about worse animal welfare for animals throughout Europe as a whole and would simply betray our farmers and our meat industry?

Mrs. Browning

My hon. Friend is exactly right. Of the meat that is exported—£948 million worth per year—80 per cent. is on the hook. He is also right that if we had followed the advice of the Labour spokesmen and their Back-Bench colleagues—many of whom signed an early-day motion wanting to ban live animal exports completely—my right hon. Friend the then Minister would not have achieved the magnificent arrangement that he obtained in Brussels to ensure that animal welfare is improved throughout the Community.

Mr. Congdon

Given the concern which exists in the country about the export of live animals, I very much welcome the previous Minister's endeavours in Brussels to obtain a good agreement which reduces journey times and improves the watering and feeding of animals. Can my hon. Friend assure me about the steps to be taken to ensure that the measures agreed will be properly enforced?

Mrs. Browning

One of the strengths of the agreement achieved by my right hon. Friend was that those measures will be enforced throughout the Community and a licensing system will be introduced which will be policed throughout the Community. That can only benefit animals throughout the Community. That is what we sought to achieve; we were told by Labour Members that it was not possible, but it was and we did.

Mr. Tyler

While welcoming the fact that the Minister is still there, I also welcome the fresh faces in the ministerial team. May I ask her to communicate to her colleagues the need for fresh priority to be given to the issue of animal welfare and animal disease? I invite her to comment on the changes that have taken place in the European Community this week on bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which may threaten a significant sector of our livestock producers and pose an export problem generally.

I also ask the Minister to consider the specific issue of bovine tuberculosis in which, as her answers to me this week show, there has been a deplorable increase in the past five years—a 481 per cent. increase in incidence in England as a whole and a 618 per cent. increase in the south-west. That is extremely damaging. Is that not a case of Ministry policy having failed, failed and failed again?

Mrs. Browning

To deal with the last point first, I am very worried about the incidence of bovine tuberculosis. I only wish that hon. Members on both sides of the House would recognise that the cause of that is badgers. It is an emotive issue.

I am very worried about the effect of bovine TB on the livelihoods of farmers, especially in the south-west. It is not only the costs of the animals that have to be slaughtered; it is the on-costs of maintaining the farm, with all that that implies. I assure the hon. Gentleman that he has my full attention on that matter and that I continue to look at it closely. On the first point that he raised, I assure him that I shall share with all new colleagues the concerns that he raised.

Mr. Morley

I congratulate the Minister on his new post and welcome the new members of his team. We note that the Government have felt the need to reinforce their Front Bench against the Labour Front Bench on this issue. Nevertheless, we look forward to a full and frank exchange of views.

On meat and live animal exports, the Minister will be aware of the opinion obtained by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, (by Gerald Barling), QC, that the Government would be within their rights to stop the export of calves going into veal crates that are banned under our laws. Will the new team look again at that opinion, because although there have been some welcome small steps forward in animal welfare legislation, the new agreements will not stop even one calf leaving this country to go into a veal crate system which is banned in this country on the ground of cruelty?

Mrs. Browning

My right hon. Friend the former Minister replied fully to the hon. Gentleman about the Barling advice on many occasions. Nothing has changed on that. As the hon. Gentleman was unable to support us on the animal transport issue, I ask him to support the substantial progress that we have made in seeking to ban veal crates throughout the Community. The argument is the same: it is not just what we do in this country, but the welfare of calves throughout the Community that matters. That is what we seek and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will support it.

Mr. Marland

Everybody wants as many animal exports to be on the hook as is humanly possible. Is the Minister aware, however, that there are three slaughterhouses in my constituency and that to my certain knowledge one of them has recently been inspected by the newly created Meat Hygiene Service? In that well-run business, the Meat Hygiene Service has apparently discovered more than 400 items for complaint, which has caused mayhem not only in the company but in the local community because the business employs nearly 100 people. That is no way to encourage home slaughtering. Will my hon. Friend undertake to keep a grip on the Meat Hygiene Service and to ensure that over-zealous inspections do not result in extra expense and difficulties for local businesses?

Mrs. Browning

I am sure that my hon. Friend and all Members of the House support the need for high standards of hygiene in our slaughterhouses. However, I assure him that my grip on the Meat Hygiene Service is as tight as it possibly can be. If a business in my hon. Friend's constituency has a grievance, I invite him, with the owner's permission, to come along to MAFF and I will personally go through that list item by item.