Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will consider the immediate construction of a national network of incinerators to destroy proscribed cattle offal and the carcases of BSE-affected cattle;
(2) what is his estimate of the proportion of slaughtered BSE-affected cattle that are (a) incinerated, (b) buried in licensed landfills and (c) buried by farmers under their own land.
§ Mr. MacleanThe information for BSE carcases is as follows:
Per cent. Incinerated 83.3 Buried on licensed landfill sites 16.4 Used for research 0.2 Buried on farm 0.1 New incineration capacity is expected to become available later this year.
198WSpecified bovine offal is banned from any use in human or animal food and must be disposed of within the framework of health and environmental restrictions.
Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will advise dairy farmers not to bury under their land slaughtered cattle suspected or confirmed as having contracted BSE;
(2) if he will consider introducing a ban on the indiscriminate burial of BSE-affected cattle on farms.
§ Mr. MacleanThe disposal of animals slaughtered as suspect BSE cases is the responsibility of the state veterinary service (SVS). On farm burial is used only when other options are not available and is strictly supervised by the SVS to ensure there is no risk to human or animal health. In 1990 only 19 out of 16,432 carcases were buried on farm.
§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made to set up the review of the animal feed industry announced in the Government's reply to the fifth report of the Agriculture Committee, Session 1989–90, on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
§ Mr. GummerThe Government undertook to establish a small group of experts to review the regulation of the whole animal feed industry in its response to a recommendation of the fifth report of Agriculture Select Committee, 1989–90. I am now able to announce that the group of experts has been set up. It comprises:
- Professor Lamming—Chairman, Professor of Animal Physiology, Nottingham University
- Professor Thomas, Principal and Chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural College
- Mr. Colin Maclean, Technical Director, Meat and Livestock Commission
- Dr. Mary Cooke, Deputy Director Public Health Laboratory Service
The terms of reference are:
To review the existing regulatory framework covering the animal feed industry in the United Kingdom. To advise on whether any improvements are required in the mechanisms by which the responsible Departments take account of food safety requirements in regulating the industry and to report to Ministers by the end of 1991".The first meeting of the group will be held very shortly.