Dr. ThomasTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the work of the veterinary investigation service is undertaken for agricultural producers on a fee-paying basis; and what proportion fulfils public health functions.
§ Mr. CurryThe proportion of the work of the veterinary investigation service undertaken for agricultural producers on a fee-paying basis is 36.4 per cent.; that undertaken for public health functions is 25.2 per cent. and the remainder, 38.6 per cent. relates to statutory animal health programmes.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the annual cost of the veterinary investigation service; and what was the number of cases referred to each centre since 1985.
§ Mr. CurryThe running cost of the veterinary investigation service in the financial year 1988–89 was £5,256,226. The number of submissions to each veterinary investigation centre since 1985 is given in the table:
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) of 22 February,Official Report, columns 898–99, if he will specify the two wastes for which North sea dumping licences may have to be extended beyond the 1992 deadline for reasons of technical feasibility and the amounts involved.
§ Mr. CurryWe have announced that it is our intention that no liquid industrial wastes or flyash will be dumped at sea after the end of 1992. In two cases however it might not be technically feasible to meet this deadline. We will extend the licences for those last two wastes into 1993 only if absolutely necessary on technical grounds and for the shortest possible part of that year.
The wastes concerned are:
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- Sterling Organics—Aqueous residue from preparation of paracetamol; 42,000 tonnes per year.
- ICI—Acid ammonium sulphate residue effluent from acrylics production; 165,000 tonnes per year.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) of 22 February,Official Report, columns 898–99, if he will list the nine wastes covered by the 1987 North sea declaration that are still dumped; the quantities involved of each waste and, in each case, when it is anticipated that these disposals at sea will end.
§ Mr. CurryAll licences for the industrial wastes covered by the 1987 North sea declaration will be withdrawn as soon as alternative methods of disposal are available. The anticipated timetable for termination of sea disposal is as follows. Quantities of waste are expressed as an annual licensed tonnage. Where a licence is withdrawn within a year a correspondingly lower tonnage will be involved.
Tonnage To be terminated by summer 1990: Orsynetics Salt solution manufacture of O tolyl biguanide exported for use in paint and soap manufacture 3,000 To be terminated within a year: Chlor Chem Acidic effluent from production of water treatment chemicals 1,000 Fine Organics Effluent from pharmaceutical production 8,000 Tate and Lyle Sugars Filtration sludge from sugar refining 33,000 Woolcombers Waste from washing wool 900 Allied Colloids Acid ammonium sulphate effluent from acrylics production 15,000 To be terminated by 1992: National Power Pulverised fuel ash 550,000 Sterling Organics Effluent from pharmaceutical manufacture 33,000 ICI Chemicals and Polymers Ltd. Acid ammonium sulphate effluent from acrylics production 165,000 For the last two wastes licences will be extended into 1993 only if absolutely necessary on technical grounds and for the shortest possible part of that year.