§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from farmers who have bought holdings unaware that the previous holding owner's herd was considered BSE-infected.
§ Sir Hector MonroOne farmer has made representations to my Department about the BSE status of a holding which he had purchased.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have contacted the BSE hotline since it began.
§ Sir Hector MonroDuring the period between 1 August and 12 November this year, 16,769 requests for information have been dealt with by the national BSE hotline.
In dealing with the inquiries, 276,342 herd numbers have been checked.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received regarding decision 94/474.
§ Sir Hector MonroForty-seven representations have been received by my Department regarding EC decision 94/474 concerning protection measures relating to BSE.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of marts operating in Scotland and the number of marts that provide systems whereby information on whether an animal comes from a BSE infected holding is available.
§ Sir Hector MonroThere are currently 33 auction markets in Scotland. The Department has no information about which of these markets provide information to purchases about the health status of an animal's farm of origin.