BSE (Hansard, 7 November 1996)

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the desirability of providing financial aid and incentives to encourage rural local authorities to set up specific local exchange trading schemes to help farmers during the BSE crisis: and if he will make a statement. [2313]

§ Mr. Boswell
Although we recognise that many farmers may be suffering cash flow problems as a result of the current state of markets for cattle, farming unions have made no representations to us to suggest that local exchange trade schemes would be of use to them. ff they were to do so, we would suggest that those currently engaged in auctioneering and valuation in the farming sector would be better placed than rural local authorities to set up such schemes.

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the change in the level of beef imports to the United Kingdom since the onset of the BSE crisis. [2452]

§ Mr. Boswell
Imports of beef¹ as recorded in the overseas trade statistics are given. Imports will fluctuate for many reasons, and it is not possible to identify separately a change linked specifically to the introduction of the BSE measures.

000s tonnes £ millions

Month 1994 1995 1996 1994 1995 1996

January 14 15 16 32 34 38

February 15 15 13 29 35 31

March 18 20 14 39 43 34

April 19 17 20 40 42 43

May 18 24 20 39 54 44

June 24 28 20 49 68 44

July 19 26 — 45 62 —

August 20 22 — 44 55 —

September 19 26 — 41 69 —

October 19 24 — 36 60 —

November 18 19 — 39 44 —

December 16 17 — 37 39 —

Total 221 254 103 472 607 235

All data are provisional.

¹Beef includes the following; bovine carcase meat, bovine offal and preparations of bovine meat and bovine offal.

§ Mr. Tyler
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage and total amount of BSE eradication and compensation scheme expenditure670W has been received by (a) farmers, (b) slaughterers, (c) renderers and (d) other recipients; and if he will make a statement. [2159]

§ Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 6 November 1996]: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the estimated cost of BSE measures for each financial year from 1996–97 to 1998–99 on 24 July 1996, Official Report, column 532.
Between April and the end of October 1996, the total expenditure on BSE eradication and compensation schemes broken down by recipient was as follows:

£ Million (Per cent.)

(a) Farmers 477.3 (68)

(b) Slaughterers¹ 96.8 (14)

(c) Renderers 77.5 (11)

(d) Other recipients 48.2 (7)

699.8

¹ Expenditure between April and the end of October on the calf processing scheme amounted to £24.5 million. Of this, we estimate that £19.6 million will have been passed on to farmers by the slaughterers.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research funding for BSE, project by project, for each of the past eight years. [682]

§ Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 6 November 1996]: The total amount spent on research and development by the Government during 1988–89 to 1991–1992 financial years was £16.4 million, of which around £5 million was spent on MAFF-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research.
A table listing the MAFF research projects undertaken on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including BSE, which have been held on computer record since 1992 has been placed in the Library. This table includes all the projects which were current in 1992 and every programme we have introduced since then.
Prior to 1992, MAFF research project records were not computerised and details of projects which began and ended before that year are not readily available.
671W

§ Mr. Tyler
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total expenditure to date on the BSE eradication and compensation schemes; and if he will make a statement. [2164]

§ Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 6 November 1996]: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the estimated cost of BSE measures for each financial year from 1996–97 to 1998–99 on 24 July 1996, Official Report, column 532.
The total expenditure in the United Kingdom between April and the end of October 1996 on BSE eradication and compensation was £699.8 million.
This includes expenditure under the over-30-month slaughter scheme, the calf processing scheme, the additional EU compensation package—the beef special premium scheme and Buckler calf processing scheme—top-up, beef marketing payment scheme, the beef stocks transfer scheme, the animal feed recall scheme, aid to renderers, emergency aid to the slaughtering sector.

	000s tonnes	£ millions
Month	1994	1995	1996	1994	1995	1996
January	14	15	16	32	34	38
February	15	15	13	29	35	31
March	18	20	14	39	43	34
April	19	17	20	40	42	43
May	18	24	20	39	54	44
June	24	28	20	49	68	44
July	19	26	—	45	62	—
August	20	22	—	44	55	—
September	19	26	—	41	69	—
October	19	24	—	36	60	—
November	18	19	—	39	44	—
December	16	17	—	37	39	—
Total	221	254	103	472	607	235
All data are provisional.
¹Beef includes the following; bovine carcase meat, bovine offal and preparations of bovine meat and bovine offal.

	£ Million	(Per cent.)
(a) Farmers	477.3	(68)
(b) Slaughterers¹	96.8	(14)
(c) Renderers	77.5	(11)
(d) Other recipients	48.2	(7)
	699.8
¹ Expenditure between April and the end of October on the calf processing scheme amounted to £24.5 million. Of this, we estimate that £19.6 million will have been passed on to farmers by the slaughterers.