§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances it is permissible to export beef products derived from animals which are over 30 months of age. [20314]
§ Mr. RookerThe export of beef products obtained from bovine animals of any age slaughtered in the United Kingdom is prohibited. The re-export of products made from beef obtained from bovine animals slaughtered outside the UK is permitted.
§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will meet farming representatives regularly in order to update them on progress in lifting the ban on beef exports; and if he will make a statement. [20246]
§ Mr. RookerI have regular discussions with farming representatives which include progress on lifting the export ban. The Scientific Steering Committee has given a positive opinion on the principle of the Date Based Export Scheme. We will be discussing next steps with the Commission shortly. First discussion of the Export Certified Herds Scheme at the Standing Veterinary Committee is expected soon.
§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of beef imports to the United Kingdom originate from cattle aged below 30 months; and if he will make a statement. [20247]
§ Mr. RookerUnder the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations 1996, imported beef sold in the UK must be derived from cattle under 30 months of age at slaughter. There is an exemption from this requirement in respect of beef derived from cattle born, reared and slaughtered in the following countries (which the Government regard as BSE-free):
- Argentina
- Australia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Mauritius
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Paraguay
134 - Poland
- South Africa
- Swaziland
- Uruquay
- USA
- Zimbabwe.
In 1996 these countries accounted for 48 per cent. of total UK imports. There were no imports from Poland.
§ Mr. MacGregorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the risk of contracting new-variant CJD as a result of eating beef on the bone; and how this differs from his earlier assessment of CJD risk in eating beef prior to the latest SEAC advice on boning. [20472]
§ Mr. RookerI have published SEAC's view that there is a 95 per cent. chance of no cases and a 5 per cent. chance of one case of new-variant CJD arising as a result of exposure from the dorsal root ganglion in food in 1998. Previous studies did not identify this tissue separately as one contributing to infectivity levels.
§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will introduce further controls on specified risk material in Great Britain; if they will apply to imports; and if he will make a statement.[21486]
Dr. John CunninghamI received advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) in May that our existing controls on specified bovine material and heads of sheep and goats should be extended to cover the spleen of all sheep and goats and the spinal cord of sheep and goats aged over 12 months or with one permanent incisor tooth erupted through the gum. In addition, SEAC advised that all the controls should be applied to imports. I was pleased, therefore, when the European Commission adopted in July Decision 97/534/EC which provides for Community-wide controls on the use and destruction of specified risk material (SRM) and for controls on products of animal origin imported into the Community to ensure they are SRM-free. In reaching agreement on that Decision I accepted that the Community-wide controls should take effect from 1 January 1998. However, it subsequently became clear that the Decision would create serious practical difficulties, in particular for importers of pharmaceutical and medical products. The Commission therefore proposed a new Decision to replace 97/534/EC which took account of these problems.
The Standing Veterinary Committee failed to agree on a new Decision to replace 97/534 but did agree to postpone its implementation until 1 April 1998. As I have made clear previously, however, I am not prepared to tolerate any slippage in the introduction of Community-wide controls on SRM. I have therefore decided, in the interests of public health, to introduce unilateral interim controls in Great Britain. I have accordingly laid before Parliament today the Specified Risk Material Regulations 1997 and the Specified Risk Material Order 1997, both of which will come into force on 1 January 1998. Together, these consolidate existing national legislation providing for destruction of certain bovine materials and heads of sheep and goats and extend 135W them to the spleen of all sheep and goats and spinal cord of sheep and goats over 12 months of age. They will also prohibit imports of specified risk material (SRM) except where they are for technical use. Imports of certain animal products for food and animal feed, including imports from EU Member States, will need to be accompanied by official veterinary certification confirming that they do not contain and were not derived from SRM. Products manufactured before 1 January 1998 and those containing material derived from Australia and New Zealand will be exempt from this requirement.
Equivalent legislation is being introduced in Northern Ireland to come into force at the same time.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of home-produced beef is from(a) steers, (b) heifers and (c) young bulls. [21198]
§ Mr. RookerBetween Janaury and October 1997, 54 per cent. of home killed beef and veal by weight was from steers, 30 per cent. from heifers and 16 per cent. from young bulls. Cattle killed under the Over Thirty-month Scheme, Selective Cull and Calf Processing Aid Scheme are not included within home killed beef and veal production.