§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many warnings he has issued to poultry keepers on each of the salmonella control regulations; and how many prosecutions he has initiatied.
§ Mr. MacleanCorrespondence with poultry-keepers is dealt with largely from local Ministry offices throughout the country and it is not possible to say how many warnings have been issued. We can say however that replies to a number of letters have warned poultry-keepers of the consequences of non- compliance with the statutory salmonella controls. We will pass details of apparent contraventions to local authorities who are responsible for enforcement. We are not aware of any prosecutions having been undertaken to date.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has issued to local authority trading standards officers concerning the implementation of salmonella testing for poultry; and whether he has issued guidelines on the need for poultry keepers to maintain proper records.
§ Mr. MacleanOur officials have discussed the implementation and enforcement of the testing and registration arrangements with representatives of the local authority associations, and have issued guidance on the orders to each authority. Information leaflets, which include guidance on record keeping, were circulated to 61 organisations including those representing poultry farmers when the present controls were introduced last October.