HC Deb 01 July 1999 vol 334 cc423-5
9. Mr. Robert Syms (Poole)

If he will make a statement about the labelling of country of origin on meat sold in Britain. [87924]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Jeff Rooker)

Information on the country of origin of meat can be given by retailers voluntarily. It is helpful to consumers to be provided with full information, including the country of origin. As a consumer, I want that. If meat is not labelled as British, people should not assume that it is British.

Mr. Syms

Have not the British public the right to know the country of origin of the meat on their table, so that they can make an informed choice about hygiene and welfare standards? We have pretty high standards in this country, and if we have health scares many consumers feel helpless when they go to a supermarket, because they do not know what they are buying for their children and their family.

Mr. Rooker

I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman. We cannot introduce rules unilaterally. There is a Europe-wide beef labelling scheme, which is separate. Retailers can put the country of origin on other meats, and consumers should insist on that. If that information is not on the product, people should not buy it because they do not know where it has come from. If people want to buy British because of our high welfare and hygiene standards, they should look for the British label. If meat is not labelled as such, people should not assume that it is British.

Mr. Bob Blizzard (Waveney)

Is my hon. Friend aware that there are two large beef processing factories in my constituency—Wessex Foods and Bird's Eye? It has been said that Lowestoft is the burger capital of the region, if not the country. Sales of beef products have soared since the Government restored confidence in British beef and the Meat and Livestock Commission quality mark label was introduced. The only concern that my factories have is whether they can get enough British beef. Is not that really good news for British beef farmers, by stark contrast with the dark days under the previous Government during their BSE crisis?

Mr. Rooker

Yes. British consumption of British beef has risen 10 percentage points since December 1997, because British consumers' confidence in British beef is greater than it has ever been. That is right, and that increase in consumption is shown by the amount of purchasing. It will increase further when we persuade our European partners to accept the flow of British beef once again.

Mr. James Paice (South-East Cambridgeshire)

It is now several months since the Minister promised to investigate meat hygiene charges for British-produced meat. Yesterday at the Norfolk show I met abattoir owners who are concerned that they may go out of business, which will encourage imports of overseas meat. Will the Minister stop this absurd notion that there will have to be a fully qualified vet in every abattoir, at huge cost to the abattoir owner? That will lead to increased employment of foreign vets, who are clearly not up to the job. None of that is in the interests of British-produced meat.

Mr. Rooker

It was the hon. Gentleman's final inquiry that gave me the clue to whether his supplementary related to Question 9 or Question 10. [HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."] I can answer the hon. Gentleman's question, although it does not relate to the question that is on the Order Paper. We have not yet announced the outcome of the review of the charges, but we have undertaken investigations of the requirements for vets to be present in abattoirs.

I fully accept that the meat industry, although it is one industry, involves two cultures. For instance, the fact that 80 per cent. of cattle are slaughtered in 20 per cent. of abattoirs demonstrates that there are a few very large abattoirs and a good many very small ones. We are trying our best to establish a regime that will meet the requirements of both small and large abattoirs, so that they can work in harmony. We do not intend to put small abattoirs out of business, but we cannot recruit the vets we need. That is why we have imported some from the European Union.

Mr. Paice

We do not have to do that.

Mr. Rooker

Unfortunately, the supply of vets in this country is restricted for reasons connected with education and the requirements of the royal college of veterinary Surgeons. The Government have been addressing that. [Interruption.] It is no good saying that we do not need vets in the first place; there is a European requirement, and a legal requirement, for us to have qualified vets. Nothing that the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) says can knock that on the head.[Interruption.]

We are apparently being asked—by someone in a sedentary position—to diminish our standards in abattoirs. We are not prepared to do that.