§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health in which coastal shellfisheries the Food Standards Agency has divided the area into zones for the purpose of testing for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. [71810]
§ Ms BlearsThe Food Standards Agency having considered expert advice has divided four shellfish production areas, the Solent, the Wash, West Mersea, and the Thames estuary, into zones as a result of presence o diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Food Standards Agency will divide the Burry Inlet Shellfishery into zones to permit cockle gathering in the parts of the estuary testing free of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. [71811]
§ Ms BlearsThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently reviewed whether it would be possible to divide the Burry Inlet into zones in order to permit cockles to be gathered in parts of the estuary. Taking expert advice into account, the FSA does not currently consider the Burry Inlet to be suitable for dividing into zones at this time due a number of issues but primarily due to the erratic pattern of the results for the toxin detection on both sides of the Inlet. The FSA is keeping the situation in the Burry Inlet under review and will continue to liase with the local enforcement agencies and industry.