§ Mr. JackTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many consignments of beef from the United Kingdom have been rejected as a result of the meat being over 30 months old since 1 August 1996. [25503]
Dr. John Cunningham[holding answer 27 February 1998]: None. The only beef exports from the UK which are permitted at present are the re-export of imported material. Such consignments must conform with Community standards for placing meat on the market and any national rules in the receiving country. There are no Community requirements in respect of age of meat nor are we aware of any national rules.
§ Mr. JackTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list of measures which his Ministry has required to be implemented in order to safeguard the public's health since BSE was first identified in the United Kingdom. [25252]
Dr. John Cunningham[holding answer 26 January 1998]: A list of measures taken to protect public health since BSE was first identified in November 1986, is given in the most recent publication of the BSE Progress Report which was placed in the Library of the House on 23 July 1997. This covered the period up to the end of June 1997. Subsequent measures are as follows:
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Date Legislation 1 August 1997 The Bovine and Bovines Products (Despatch Prohibition and Production Restriction) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/1905), revoke and replace the Bovine Products (Production and Despatch) Regulations 1997. Regulations fully implement the requirements of Decision 96/239/EC, as amended by Decision 96/362/EC, on emergency measures to protect against BSE. 21 September 1997 The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 amend the 1995 Regulations, remove the provision for the slaughter of private kill animals, thereby ensuring that all red meat animals killed in slaughterhouses for human consumption are subject to full meat inspection. 21 September 1997 The Animal By-products (Identification) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/2073) amends 1995 Regulations, adding a category to the animal by-product definition to include meat from a bovine animal presented for slaughter for human consumption and subsequently found to be from an animal over 30 months old.
Date Legislation 24 October 1997 BSE (No. 2)(Amendment) Order 1997 (SI 1997/2387) amends provisions of the BSE (No. 2) Order 1996 in respect of exposed animals, to allow certain notices to be served by an Inspector of the Minister, as well as by a veterinary inspector. 16 December 1997 The Beef Bones Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/2959) regulate the sale of bone-in-beef derived from bovine animals aged over six months at slaughter. 1 January 1998 The Specified Risk Material Order 1997 (SI 1997/2964) replaces the existing SBM Order and the Heads of Sheep and Goats Order and introduces controls on specified risk material on the lines of those in Commission Decision 97/534. December 1997 and 1 January 1998 The Specified Risk Material Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/2965) provides for controls on specified risk material, continuing the provisions on food in the SBM Order 1997 and the Heads of Sheep and Goats Order 1996. 1 January 1998 The Specified Risk Material (Amendment) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/3062) amend regulations 7 and 19 of the SRM Regulations 1997.
§ Mr. Charles KennedyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the measures taken by his Department in respect of the enforcement of the ban on imports of beef from European Union member states which do not comply with United Kingdom standards on the removal of specified risk materials with particular reference to(a) the extent of reliance on the authorities in exporting countries to indicate that the necessary certification is satisfactory and (b) the application of spot checks at the point of final destruction; [25442]
(2) if he will assess the advantages of banning all beef imports from countries where the removal of specified risk materials is not a legal requirement. [25443]
Dr. John CunninghamThe Specified Risk Material Order 1997 requires a number of imported animal products for food or feed use to be accompanied by certification confirming that they do not contain and were not derived from specified risk material (SRM). The required certification must be completed by the official veterinary service in the country of origin. Commercial documentation is not acceptable irrespective of whether the authorities in the country of origin have indicated that it is satisfactory.
All consignments of animal products imported directly into the United Kingdom from outside the European Union (EU) are subject to checks at designated Border Inspection Posts (BIPs), including checks on the certification relating to specified risk materials. Single Market rules only permit random spot-checks at destination on animal products traded within the Community. Consistent with those rules, a daily sample of randomly selected consignments arriving from or via 825W other EU member states are subject to documentary checks by Ministry officials for conformity with the new unilateral controls relating to specified risk material.
The imposition of a ban on the import of beef, rather than specified risk materials, from certain other countries which do not have specified risk controls would be contrary to Community law. In introducing the ban on SRM imports, the UK is relying on a provision which permits importing Member States to take "interim protective measures" on serious public or animal health grounds. Particularly since this provision is an exception to the usual single market rules and the harmonised regime applying to beef, action taken under it must be no more than is necessary to protect health, and must be proportionate to the risks involved. Since beef itself is not a risk, banning its import cannot be justified.
UK imports of bovine meat, meat preparations and offal from the USA: June 1988 to October 1997 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 January — 1,806 127 191 243 157 225 311 367 227 February — 402 4 65 61 133 178 289 418 327 March — 79 24 19 79 229 188 385 445 123 April — 19 60 77 188 173 225 261 382 207 May — 25 5 5 73 231 221 417 709 118 June 2,166 13 43 39 142 310 167 145 528 138 July 2,166 24 53 39 85 149 99 388 297 68 August 2,649 24 23 3 102 146 200 357 212 157 September 2,673 3 37 6 139 140 197 319 145 135 October 2,644 111 90 33 201 194 383 470 213 151 November 3,327 17 109 108 235 186 258 450 137 — December 3,834 62 169 20 278 210 427 491 140 — Note:
1996 and 1997 data are provisional and subject to amendment
Source:
Business and Trade Statistics Limited
Units: Tonnes
Data prepared by Stats (C&F) C, ESG
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent measures he has taken to end the European ban on United Kingdom beef. [27023]
§ Mr. RookerThe Commission has approved a draft Decision, based on UK proposals for an Export Certified Herds Scheme, to permit exports of deboned beef from Northern Ireland. The Standing Veterinary Committee is examining the proposal and is expected to vote on it this month. This major step forward is the result of months of constructive dialogue with the Commission.
In October 1997 the UK submitted proposals for a scheme to export beef from cattle born after 1 August 1996 (the Date Based Export Scheme). The Scientific Steering Committee gave a positive response to the principle of a Date Based Export Scheme on 9 December. Following further discussion with the Commission a formal response was submitted on 29 January and we await the Commission's views.