§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress836W has been made on the subscription system for fallen stock disposal; how much the system will cost the Department; and how many farmers have signed up for fallen stock. [125037]
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§ Mr. BradshawThe Government is currently considering whether a national scheme for fallen stock is viable and will be making an announcement about this shortly.
In response to the consultation exercise carried out in May, around 33,000 livestock farmers in England expressed interest in joining a subscription scheme, just over 30 per cent. of those who were consulted.
If a scheme were to go ahead Defra has said that it would be prepared to contribute up to £5 million in the first year decreasing to zero by the end of the third year. This is in addition to the £30 million that the Government already pays for collecting and disposing of cattle for BSE testing purposes.