§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets she has set to remove the backlog of cattle due for slaughter under the over-30-month-scheme. [16393]
§ Mr. MorleyWaiting times for over-30-month scheme abattoirs vary across the country. Some are shorter than at this time in previous years. Now that the OTMS abattoirs are fully operational again farmers should not have to wait more than two to four weeks. At present no special measures are required. The Rural Payments Agency will continue to monitor waiting times and optimise slaughter capacity.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidences of BSE there have been in the last 12 months in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany. [16718]
§ Mr. MorleyIn the last 12 months there have been 1,138 cases of BSE in the United Kingdom, 145 in France and 129 in Germany. The figures for France and Germany are based on reports by the Commission. All the figures cover the period between 31 October 2000 and 31 October 2001.