§ The Earl of Shrewsburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of the Prime Minister's address to the National Farmers' Union Annual General Meeting on 1 February and in particular his statement "I do not rule out futher measures to help [the pig industry]", they have plans to reintroduce the subsidy paid to the rendering industry for the disposal of pig offal which was withdrawn in 1998. [HL1013]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)The Government have no plans to do so. As the Prime Minister also said on 1 February, any investment by government must be linked to long-term change in the structure of the industry and be part of an agreed overall strategy. The re-introduction of the subsidy to the rendering industry would meet neither of those criteria.