HC Deb 10 May 2000 vol 349 cc410-1W
Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the Meat Hygiene Service inspector, Mr. Yogarathnum, was suspended from his duties at the Mead Webber Abattoir at Eardisley and replaced on 10 April 2000 by Mr. Turner of the St. David's Veterinary Practice at Exeter. [121215]

Ms Stuart

On 10 April 2000 St. David's Farm and Equine Veterinary Practice, Exeter commenced provision of contract official veterinary surgeons (OVSs) to the Mead Webber abattoir at Eardisley on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). Prior to this Mr. Yogarathnum, a Meat Hygiene Service employee, had undertaken both the OVS and principal official veterinary surgeon (POVS) duties at the premises.

Mr. Yogarathnum was relieved of his OVS duties at the Mead Webber abattoir, in order to allow him to spend more time on his POVS duties in a number of plants in the area. This included remaining as POVS at the Mead Webber abattoir.

Mr. Turner is a partner of the St. David Farm's and Equine Veterinary Practice. While providing locum cover for the new OVS that he had appointed to the Mead Webber abattoir, he identified a number of deficiencies in the operations and structure of the premises to which he drew management's attention. As a result of these findings, the MHS Regional Director responsible for the Mead Webber abattoir visited the premises. He also discussed his concerns with plant management, Mr. Yogarathnum and the MHS meat inspection team. Mr. Yogarathnum was subsequently suspended, pending an investigation into his performance as POVS to the premises.

Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs were incurred by the Meat Hygiene Service through the employment of Mr. Turner to inspect the Eardisley meat plant. [121216]

Ms Stuart

Mr. Turner is a partner of the St. David's Farm and Equine Veterinary Practice at Exeter. The practice was successful in its tender to supply Contract Official Veterinary Surgeons on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) to Mead Webber abattoir at Eardisley. The rate per hour quoted in their tender for the provision of Contract official veterinary surgeons (OVSs) to the plant was £24.98. On the basis that the OVS will be present at the plant for 21 hours (in line with previous OVS attendance), the total costs of providing contract OVSs to the plant is therefore £524.

Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Meat Hygiene Service veterinary meat inspectors were employed from 1995 to 10 April 2000 in the Mead Webber plant at Eardisley. [121217]

Ms Stuart

Between January 1997 and April 2000, fourteen official veterinary surgeons (OVSs) have carried out OVS duties on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service at the Mead Webber plant at Eardisley. The vast majority of these provided locum cover for employed OVSs at the premises and as a consequence would only have spent a relatively short period of time in the plant.

In the time available it has not been possible to collate all of the information relating to the number of OVSs who worked at the plant between 1995 and December 1996, or the total number of meat inspection staff who have worked there between 1995 and April 2000. I will place a copy of this information in the Library when it is available.

Mr. Livsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure a new licence is issued to the Eardisley Abattoir. [121220]

Ms Stuart

No action to revoke the slaughterhouse licence No. 4103, issued on 4 March 1993 to The Abattoir, Eardisley, Hereford, has been taken. Revocation has not been recommended by the Licensing Authority (the Food Standards Agency) or its executive agency the Meat Hygiene Service, nor has it been requested by the abattoir operators (Mead Webber Ltd).