§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the compensation scheme for egg producers announced on 19 December will be extended to manufacturers of poultry farm equipment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe schemes I announced on 19 December are designed to reduce the surplus of eggs on the market by encouraging the destruction of unwanted eggs and the culling of about 10 per cent. of the laying flock. Manufacturers of poultry farm equipment will not qualify for payment under these schemes.
§ Mr. LawrenceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of eggs sold in shops and supermarkets is produced by large-scale egg producers; and what proportion of the total number of egg producers in the United Kingdom his Department classifies as large-scale producers.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonMy Department does not classify egg producers according to size. Information on the proportion of eggs produced by holding size for sale in the United Kingdom is not available.
At the June 1987 agricultural census the distribution of holdings in the United Kingdom by size of laying flock was as follows:
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of the sampling of eggs to detect traces of salmonella, the producers of those eggs found to contain salmonella, and producers whose farms fail to comply with health regulations, will receive Government compensation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald Thompson[holding answer 21 December 1988]: There are no plans to pay Government compensation to those commercial egg producers in cases where salmonella organisms have been isolated or who are unable to comply with the recently introduced code of practice. However free advice will be available from the state veterinary service in support of that given by their own veterinary surgeon to assist those producers in minimising the risks of salmonella infection and complying with the code.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the cost of the testing of eggs for traces of salmonella will be borne by the egg producing industry; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Donald Thompson[holding answer 21 December 1988]: The recently issued code of practice applicable to commercial laying flocks sets out that the cost of bacteriological monitoring of laying flocks incluing the testing of eggs for the presence of salmonella will be borne by the poultry industry.