§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has from the EEC for harmonisation of the level of copper additives in feeding stuffs; whether these proposals accord with research evidence and with current practice in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StrangNone. The present position is that EEC directive 70/524 requires all member States to permit the incorporation of copper in pig feeds up to 125 parts per million; in addition, under a provision at present due to terminate at the end of this year, member States may, if they wish, permit incorporation up to 200 ppm.
Product licences under the Medicines Act have been granted in the United Kingdom permitting the incorporation of up to 200 ppm and the United Kingdom has asked the EEC Commission to propose an increase from 125 ppm to 200 ppm in the maximum permanently applicable. We are about to submit to the Commission results of further United Kingdom studies on the efficacy of copper in pig feed and data on environmental 761W effects. We understand that the Commission intends to submit this material to its Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition and will be making proposals in due course based on the advice given to it by the committee.