§ Mr. Litterickasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost per annum of employing veterinary surgeons and support staff required to carry out the inspection and control procedures necessary under the draft regulations arising from EEC Directives 71/118 and 75/431 on poultry meat; and why it is necessary to employ veterinary surgeons rather than environmental health officers for this purpose.
§ Mr. StrangI would refer my hon. Friend to information on costs in my reply to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 22nd March.—[Vol. 908, c.79.]
The use of veterinary surgeons to supervise hygiene standards in poultry meat production premises is an essential part of the EEC arrangements which are designed to enable poultry meat produced in any part of the Community to meet public health standards in any other part of the Community. This compares with the present situation where separate veterinary supervision has to be arranged for specific consignments when poultry meat is exported.