HC Deb 28 March 1996 vol 274 cc1158-60
9. Mr. Bellingham

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his Department has taken to promote regional speciality food. [21610]

Mrs. Browning

In the past few months, two regional speciality food and drink groups have been set up with the help of Government financial assistance. Those groups have joined three other regional and several smaller groups to raise the profile of this important sector of the food industry.

Mr. Bellingham

Is the Minister aware that, although Norfolk is predominantly an arable county, one particular regional speciality is its excellent beef? Is she aware that Norfolk farmers are concerned because they do not want their beef businesses destroyed by a combination of press hysteria and Opposition Members who are more concerned about scoring political points than about helping those businesses? How long does it take for a post-mortem BSE test to be carried out on a slaughtered bullock or cow?

Mrs. Browning

My hon. Friend rightly draws attention to the many beef herds around the country that fall into the speciality category and are of particularly high quality. I know that Norfolk has its share of such herds.

As for how long it takes to check a slide from the brain of a cow infected with BSE, that is not a process that can be conducted at the abattoir—the point that my hon. Friend may have had in mind. The brain has to be subject to the normal process—which takes considerable time—of being put on wax, after which a thin slide is taken for examination specifically under the microscope. I can assure my hon. Friend, however, that brains are subject to such examination. My hon. Friend may believe that that test can be conducted at the slaughterhouse, but I am afraid that the methods available to us at the moment prevent an immediate test being conducted quickly.

Mr. John D. Taylor

As the most important regional speciality food in Northern Ireland is obviously Ulster beef, both in terms of the employment that it provides and the value that it adds to the economy of Northern Ireland, and given the damage done to the Ulster beef industry by decisions taken in Europe, will the Minister not forget that there are other important export markets for Ulster beef outside Europe? As a matter of urgency, will she spearhead a new export drive in those other countries to promote Ulster beef?

Mrs. Browning

The right hon. Gentleman rightly draws attention to the importance of Ulster beef. Although countries outside the European Community have been caught by the worldwide recommendation, the right hon. Gentleman may like to know that I am making scientists available from the Ministry to speak to representatives from other countries outside the EC who have asked to come to hear the science from us, and to hear about how it has affected the trade. I am receptive, as a Minister and on behalf of the Ministry, to those countries which wish to do that. We shall enable that to happen, and we are happy to talk to attaches and ambassadors of specific countries.

Mr. David Porter

Does my hon. Friend appreciate that another regional speciality food is North sea cod, plaice and sole? Because of the workings of the common fisheries policy, however, there is a great danger that we shall soon not be able to catch any of those off England. Will she take that message to the IGC when she considers the reform of the common fisheries policies?

Mrs. Browning

My hon. Friend the Minister of State has outlined to the House the work that he is doing with the industry to ensure that we get a sensible common fisheries policy, which affects his constituents and many other people around the country.

Mr. Morley

Does the Minister agree that many regional beef herds—such as Ulster beef, Scottish beef and herds from other areas—are high-quality herds with no history of BSE? Will she support some of the quality-assured schemes run by producers, and give support to those regional beef herds? Will she give some thought to the slaughter and food-processing industries where many thousands of jobs are now at risk because of the way in which the Government have handled the issue, and for no other reason?

Mrs. Browning

When the hon. Gentleman started his question, I thought that he was going to say something of profound interest to the industry and was going to recognise the difficulties that it faces. I certainly agree that some herds, kept by specialist producers, are free of BSE. Those herds are very often raised on grass, and are not subject to the cattle feed problems that we are talking about. I can assure him that I am aware of his point and will do my best to take it into account. How disappointing it is that yet another Labour agriculture spokesman, pretending to seek a justifiable solution for a matter of grave importance throughout the country, cannot resist the temptation to add his fivepen'orth of party politicking. It is a disgrace.

Mr. Key

Will my hon. Friend take another look at the future of Bath chaps, which are under sentence of death this week? Will she go back to SEAC and ask whether it really meant the masseter and temporal muscles to be classified as specified offal, because that will bring to an end a large industry and could result in up to 40 works closing?

Mrs. Browning

I am well aware of my hon. Friend's concern for the industry in his constituency that is producing Bath chaps. The recommendation from SEAC last week was very clear, and I am sorry that I cannot give him any comforting words. SEAC has recommended that the head should be removed, and that the part of the head that may be used in the food chain is the tongue. The part of the head to which my hon. Friend referred has been specifically identified by SEAC as a part not to be put into the human food chain. While I sympathise with, and have every concern for, my hon. Friend's dilemma, it would be quite wrong for the Government to challenge the scientific advice that we have accepted at this Dispatch Box.