§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations have taken place between Ministers from his Department and the Association of Scottish Hard-Cheese Makers about the Government's attitude to unpasteurised milk cheese production.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThere have been no consultations with the Scottish Company of Cheese-Makers Ltd. which represents the major hard-cheese makers in Scotland. The manufacturers represented by the company do not use unpasteurised milk in making there cheeses.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the annual number of cases of listeria in Scotland involving(a)unpasteurised milk cheese production and (b) pasteurised milk cheese production, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythOver the past five years there have been 112 cases of human listeriosis but in none of these has there been a positive association with cheese.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to make an assessment of the effect508W of recent Government statements on the market prospects of Scottish-produced unpasteurised milk cheese; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythInformal soundings indicate that sales of cheese made in Scotland from unpasteurised milk remain steady.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many workers are directly employed in Scottish farm cheese production made from unpasteurised milk.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAt the end of 1988 there were 12 Scottish farm cheese production units using unpasteurised milk, employing some 30 people.