§ Mr. Torneyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those items of cost of poultrymeat hygiene inspection which are not paid for by his grant to cover veterinary supervision in poultry processing plants applying the Community health mark.
§ Mrs. FennerCosts will arise from the employment of poultrymeat inspectors and environmental health officers, and will include their salaries, associated costs and other incidental expenses. In addition, in plants not applying the European Community health mark, similar costs will arise in relation to the employment of official veterinary surgeons.
§ Mr. Torneyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the total annual cost of poultrymeat hygiene inspection in Great Britain; and if he will estimate the proportion of that cost which is covered by his grant towards veterinary supervision in processing plants applying the Community health mark.
§ Mrs. FennerA rough estimate, on the information available to us, is that the total cost of providing the poultrymeat inspection service in Great Britain is approximately £3 million per annum. Of this sum, approximately £600,000 is being met by the Government in respect of veterinary supervision in those plants applying the Community health mark.