§ 23. Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about restrictions on sheep sales in the United Kingdom due to radioactive fallout.
§ Mr. CurryMovement and slaughter restrictions continue to apply to sheep from those upland areas of Cumbria, north Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland most affected by radioactive fallout following the 1986 Chernobyl accident. A mark and release scheme is in operation under which every animal from the restricted area is live-monitored prior to marketing, thereby guaranteeing full protection to consumers in all circumstances. It is not possible to say how much longer restrictions will need to stay in force. They will be lifted as soon as it is possible to do so without compromising the safety of the food chain. All monitoring results are regularly published and copies are placed in the Library of the House.