BSE (Hansard, 15 January 1997)

§ Mr. Tony Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's proposals in respect of the crates used for the storage and transportation of animal carcases in the BSE eradication programme. [9891]

§ Mr. Baldry
Crates are used only for the transportation and storage of over-30-months scheme carcases going into or out of cold storage.
When carcases are removed from cold stores the operators have been instructed to store the crates safely pending destruction.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what methods of incineration are currently being(a) used and (b) experimented with in connection with the BSE eradication programme. [9892]

§ Mrs. Browning
Current incineration methods include burning carcases in dedicated incinerators and meat and bonemeal in a high-temperature waste incinerator. Other possibilities under consideration include the burning of MBM and tallow for energy recovery in power stations.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture,286W Fisheries and Food what payments have been made to date to slaughterers in connection with the BSE eradication programme. [9895]

§ Mr. Baldry
As at 6 January, £57,753 million has been paid in slaughter fees to abattoirs participating in the over-30-months slaughter scheme.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been the total consultancy costs to date associated with the BSE eradication programme; and what are the projected costs. [9896]

§ Mr. Baldry
Consultancy costs associated with the current BSE eradication programme and incurred by MAFF have amounted to £3,386,693 to date in the current financial year. This includes work in respect of the rendering industry, slaughterhouses, cutting plants and unsaleable stocks. IBEA has incurred costs of £150,000 in respect of the over 30-month scheme.
At the present time, the projected future costs of MAFF and IBEA amount to £1,925,000. The above costs do not include the costs of implementing the cattle traceability system.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many grain stores have been converted for storage of animal by-products associated with the current BSE eradication programme; and what has been the cost to date. [9898]

§ Mr. Baldry
Three government-owned warehouses have been converted to cold stores at a cost of £3 million. When no longer required in connection with BSE-related schemes the stores will provide cost-effective storage for intervention beef and butter.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to date of the storage of non-frozen beef as meat or bonemeal and tallow; and what quantities are currently in storage awaiting disposal under the BSE eradication programme. [9899]

§ Mr. Baldry
As at 5 January, storage payments amounting to £4,316 million had been made. As at 30 November 1996, the quantities of meat or bonemeal and tallow in store were 114,530 tonnes and 80,128 tonnes respectively.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to date of long-term rental agreements for cold stores under the BSE eradication scheme; and how many cold stores are currently available to his Department. [9900]

§ Mr. Baldry
The total cost to date of long-term rental agreements for cold storage is £28.2 million. There are currently 41 cold stores available in the Department.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to date of(a) thawing, (b) disposal of crates, (c) cleaning and sterilising of cold stores and (d) other on-costs not covered by storage charges in respect of carcase disposal under the BSE eradication scheme. [9901]

§ Mr. Baldry
There has been no expenditure to date on the items listed at (a), (b) and (c). Expenditure in respect of other on-costs not covered by storage charges was £75,700 as at 5 January.
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§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to date of the refrigerated transportation to cold stores of animals culled as part of the current BSE eradication programme. [9902]

§ Mr. Baldry
As at 5 January, –1.991 million had been paid for refrigerated transportation of cull carcases to cold stores.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to public funds of carcase transportation to renderers under the BSE eradication scheme; and how many carcases are currently awaiting transportation. [9903]

§ Mr. Baldry
The cost of transport from the abattoir to the rendering plant is included in the fee paid to the rendering plant and is not separately identifiable. Carcases are transported either to cold stores or direct for rendering on the day that the animals are slaughtered so none are awaiting transportation from abattoirs.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the disposal of the(a) blood, (b) run-off from thawed-out carcases and (c) water used for cleaning and sterilising stores and vehicles, associated with the current BSE eradication programme. [9894]

§ Mr. Baldry
Under the over 30-month scheme blood must be destroyed or be controlled in such a way that it does not enter the human or animal food chains and cannot be used in cosmetic for pharmaceutical products. The Intervention Board has introduced arrangements for the collection and disposal of blood from OTMS cattle slaughtered in Great Britain and is making similar arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Limited trials have taken place on the rendering of frozen OTMS carcases. Most involved the crushing of material prior to immediate processing. The results of these trials are being evaluated.
There are various controlled disposal routes for water used for cleaning and sterilising stores and vehicles including sewerage treatment works, soil injection and mains drainage following on-site treatment.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safety measures are currently available to those engaged in the handling and disposal of carcases associated with the BSE eradication process; and what safety monitoring is in place. [9897]

§ Mrs. Browning
General guidance for all occupational groups who may be exposed to the agent of BSE was published in August 1996 by the Health and Safety Commission, the Department of Health and the Ministry following a review of existing guidance material on BSE. This new guidance includes those involved in the handling and disposal of carcases under the Government's BSE eradication programme. the guidance, prepared by the independent Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, recommended the maintenance of high standards of hygiene when working with cattle and advised on new methods of working to avoid or minimize288W exposure to tissues of cattle that may carry the BSE agent. These precautions are considered prudent although there is no evidence of any risk to those in occupations in which exposure to the BSE agent may occur. To date approximately 2,500 copies of the guidance have been distributed and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and regulations made under it apply to abattoirs and rendering plants that are engaged in the handling and disposal of carcases. Health and Safety Executive inspectors visit such premises during normal preventative inspections; protection from exposure to BSE agent is considered along with other matters.