§ Mr. Nicholas Bakerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reached a decision on the future of livestock quality controls over dairy and beef herds whose semen is approved for use in artificial inseminations.
§ Mr. JoplingMy right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and Scotland and I have reviewed the livestock quality controls in question, after consulting the organisations involved. We have reached the conclusion that the time has now come to disband most of the controls in the LQC system for dairy and beef bulls to be used in AI.
We shall, however, retain the existing controls over advertising and add to them a further provision which will have the effect of requiring an advertiser of semen from such bulls to state whether statistical statements in his advertisement are drawn from assessments based on progeny testing or those based on sibling testing.
My right hon. Friends and I propose to lay the necessary orders before the House shortly, to have effect from 30 June 1987.
These changes will also apply to imports of bovine semen. However, these imports will continue to be subject to any controls necessary to safeguard animal health.
The House will be aware that we are introducing charges for approvals of dairy bulls on 1 April next as part of the policy of charging for certain ADAS services. The LQC element of these approvals will not be subject to charges between 1 April and 30 June when it ceases to have effect.
We regard this step as a contribution to the Government's policy of removing statutory controls, particularly those affecting small businesses, unless such controls have a clearly useful purpose.