HC Deb 14 October 1996 vol 282 cc788-9W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are in place to ensure that the slaughter of all animals in the bovine spongiform encephalopathy cull is in accordance with regulations under the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 and the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994. [39953]

Mrs. Browning

The welfare at slaughter of all animals, including those in the over thirty month slaughter scheme, is subject to the requirements of the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995. These are enforced in all abattoirs by the Meat Hygiene Service.

Dr. Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has taken to ensure that animals due for culling are adequately fed. [39956]

Mrs. Browning

The responsibility for ensuring that animals are properly cared for, fed and watered rests with farmers. Advice has been made available on planning feed. requirements in the light of current conditions. The State Veterinary Service and ADAS have been instructed to be particularly vigilant for welfare problems and to take action where appropriate. We have also made compliance with welfare requirements, including those that apply during transport, a clear condition of the over thirty month scheme.

Dr. Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what(a) logistical and (b) economic reasons prevent cattle from being culled on farm; and if he will make a statement. [39954]

Mrs. Browning

EC Regulation 716/96 governing the over thirty month scheme requires that the cattle be slaughtered in specially designated slaughterhouses, except where animal welfare considerations necessitate the on-farm slaughter of an animal. This requirement enables appropriate veterinary and administrative controls to be applied in order to prevent any part of the animals from entering the food chain and to protect Community and UK Exchequer funding of the scheme.

Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has made of the percentage of cattle slaughtered under the selective cull scheme which could be incubating bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement; [40260]

(2) if he will press for extension of the selective slaughter policy in the event that a positive link between new cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and imported cattle is established; and if he will make a statement; [40125]

(3) what assessment he has made of whether cattle slaughtered under the selective cull scheme could be incubating BSE; and if he will make a statement; [40258]

(4) what assessment he has made of the effect of the implication of the accelerated slaughter scheme on the number of cases of active BSE; and if he will make a statement; [40261]

(5) what is his estimate of the reduction in the number of cases of active bovine spongiform encephalopathy which would be removed from the statistics by the implementation of the accelerated slaughter scheme; and if he will make a statement. [40257]

Mrs. Browning

For the present, the Government are not proceeding with the selective cull of cattle in relation to BSE, but will return to cull options in the light of the developing science.

Mr. Jones

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimates he has made of the percentage of cattle slaughtered under the over 30 months slaughter scheme which could be incubating BSE; [40256]

(2) what assessment he has made of whether cattle slaughtered under the over 30-months slaughter scheme could be incubating BSE; and if he will make a statement. [40259]

Mrs Browning

No estimates of the percentage of cattle slaughtered under the over 30 month slaughter scheme which could be incubating BSE are available. It is a requirement that all animals slaughtered under the scheme are destroyed and so cannot enter the human or animal feed chains.