HC Deb 01 November 1990 vol 178 cc644-6W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any restriction is placed on the evisceration of culled deer on New Forest land; and what steps he has taken to restrict the spread of tuberculosis from culled deer.

Mr. Maclean

Surveys since 1971 have shown that the incidence of tuberculosis in wild deer is very low. There are no restrictions on the evisceration of culled deer, although local authorities have been advised to consider extending meat inspection to venison. Tuberculosis in deer was made notifiable in June 1989, and it is for local authorities to take appropriate action when a suspect infected carcase is notified. A proposal providing for compulsory meat inspection of venison is under consideration in the Community.

The practice in the New Forest is that evisceration of culled deer takes place only in a deer larder, where the carcases are inspected. Suspect carcases are kept separate from other carcases and samples are sent to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's veterinary investigation centre for clinical examination. Carcases which are deemed unfit for human consumption are removed from the forests for final disposal to prevent reinfection of the wild population.

Fallow deer Sika deer Red deer Roe deer
Estimated current population 1,300 85 170 360
Total cull 1989–90 640 26 — 6

All the deer culled were shot.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will require the deputy surveyor of the New Forest to reply to the questions submitted to him by Mr. Eric Ashby on 14 and 26 October.

Mr. Curry

The deputy surveyor replied to Mr. Ashby's letter of 14 October on 19 October. His letter of 26 October, received by the deputy surveyor on 30 October, will be replied to soon.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions during the present hunting season the programme for each of the New Forest hunts has been changed; and what were the circumstances, in each case.

Mr. Curry

There was only one change during the present season. For their meet on 13 October the New Forest hounds were given permission to extend their ground over part of an adjacent beat because they believed that people opposed to hunting were likely to attempt to draw hounds on to a trunk road, thus causing a nuisance to the general public.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of the permissions to hunt in respect of those hunts licensed to hunt the New Forest, together with details of any special conditions imposed.

Mr. Curry

These documents were placed in the Library on 15 January 1990 in response to an earlier question from the hon. Member.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the Forestry Commission has received any complaints concerning the use by followers of the New Forest hounds of mountain bikes to cross open heathland on 3, 10 and 17 September; and what action he proposes to enforce commission regulations relating to such use.

Mr. Curry

The Forestry Commission has received complaints about the use of mountain bikes on open land in the New Forest and is considering what action it may be possible to take.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents of tuberculosis in deer have been recorded in the New Forest during the last three years; and whether Forestry Commission officials routinely examine culled deer for such infection.

Mr. Curry

There have been two confirmed cases of tuberculosis in deer in the New Forest in the last three years. All deer carcases for human consumption are examined by Forestry Commission staff for infection.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his current estimate of the deer population of each species of the New Forest; and how many were culled and by what means during the 1989–90 season.

Mr. Curry

The information is as follows:

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take in respect of damage caused by the New Forest hounds to a recorded badger sett in Markway enclosure on 18 December 1989; and whether such action was in breach of the hunting licence.

Mr. Curry

On 16 December the hunt allowed hounds to mark a disused badger sett, in contravention of its authority to hunt, as it had mistaken it for a fox earth. The hunt was penalised by the loss of one day's hunting.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances the Forestry Commission agrees to variation in the programme of hunts; how much notice is required of such applications; and what steps are taken to minimise nuisance to the general public resulting from such changes.

Mr. Curry

The Forestry Commission is asked only occasionally to agree to variations in the programme of hunts. Requests are received for a variety of reasons, for example the planned programme might be impossible because of the weather. There is no standard period of notice, although some permissions require a week's notice. The commission takes into account any possible nuisance to the general public before agreeing to changes.