§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries of origin of eggs sold in the UK in each of the past 10 years. [138271]
§ Ms QuinThe table shows the country of origin of eggs sold in the UK. For imported eggs the country of dispatch is given. Some of these eggs may have been produced in another country, but such information is not available on a reliable basis. The data include the shell egg equivalent of whole (dried, frozen and liquid) egg, egg yolk, and albumen.
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 15 November 2000]: The research project at CBD Porton Down commenced in April 1998. This is a particularly exacting study and progress is such that the final report may not be available before April 2002.
On the broader range of organophosphate research, following the publication of the Report of the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, a government funded programme of research is being put in place. The issues to be addressed were discussed in a Scientific Workshop on 28 March and a Research Requirements Document was published on 20 July. Concept notes submitted in response to this document have been evaluated by independent scientists and 18 proposers have been invited to submit full proposals. We expect that full proposals will be evaluated in December and our aim is to complete the commissioning process by February 2001. We are also funding a review of data on suspected health complaints in humans held by the OP Information Network, the Pesticides Action Network and the Northern Ireland OP Sufferers Association which will be carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
63WA database of Government-funded OP research generally since 1995 has been prepared and is available on-line to the public at www.csl.gov.uk/ops (passwords are "public" then "access".