Egg Production (Hansard, 16 December 1988)

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of(a) breeders of laying chickens and (b) egg producers in England and Wales at the latest available date.

§ Mr. Ryder
The total number of agricultural holdings in England arid Wales at June 1987 with breeding fowls was 9,877, but at least 90 per cent. of those will have breeding fowls only for meat production. The number of agricultural holdings in England and Wales with laying fowls at June 1987 was 34,200. Very small holdings, which make only occasional returns, are excluded from these figures.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated value of the egg industry, including the breeding of laying chickens and food production in England and Wales in 1988.

§ Mr. Ryder
The value of United Kingdom output of eggs in 1987 is now estimated to have been £511 million. The first estimate for 1988 will be published early in the new year. The breeding of laying chickens is an input to egg production and is covered within the above valuation. Consumers' expenditure on eggs for household consumption in 1987 is estimated to have been about £660 million. However, substantial volumes of eggs are used in catering and food manufacture and the total value of the United Kingdom egg market is probably well over £1 billion.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has as to the likely loss of egg production in England and Wales in 1988 following recent publicity about possible salmonella infection.

§ Mr. Ryder
It is too early to make such an estimate.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the egg industry and farming unions concerning financial compensation for lost production, the destruction of laying chickens and other associated costs occasioned following recent publicity about the possibility of salmonella infection in eggs; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to assist the egg industry to overcome its current problems by(a) buying eggs off the market, (b) assisting in a hen culling scheme, and (c) providing facilities for the disposal of unwanted eggs and carcases.

§ Mr. Ryder
The Government have already embarked upon an advertising campaign giving clear advice to consumers and putting the salmonella problem in eggs into its proper perspective. The other requests from the egg industry are being considered.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any regulations will be introduced to prevent the feeding of dead creatures to grain eating creatures of the same type; and if he will make a statement.
778W

§ Mr. Donald Thompson
The Government have no plans to introduce further legislation to prevent the feeding of animals on material derived from other animals of the same type.
Feed derived from carcases may not be fed to other animals unless the material has been processed in accordance with statutory requirements. The Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973 requires plants which process waste material intended for use as animal feed to be licensed. Under the Diseases of Animals (Protein Processing) Order 1981 all rendering plants are subject to monitoring for salmonella contamination in processed animal protein. The correct application of heat and other treatment in the course of processing will desroy all salmonella organisms.
The feeding to ruminant animals of feed derived from the carcases of ruminant animals is statutorily forbidden in accordance with the advice of the expert working party on bovine spongiform encephalopathy under the chairmanship of Professor Southwood.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a system of random sampling of the output of each egg producer in order that where eggs are found to be free of infection the public may be so informed at the point of sale.

§ Mr. Ryder
The number of eggs which have been found to be contaminated with salmonella enteritidis to date is very small, particularly when compared with the large overall number of eggs consumed in this country. In these circumstances random sampling of eggs would be unlikely to produce any meaningful results. A far more fruitful use of resources is the investigations which my officials conduct into all outbreaks of salmonella food poisoning which are traceable to particular farms.