§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the dioxin hot spots identified by his Department; and what action has been taken in respect of each site. [5463]
§ Mrs. BrowningSurveillance conducted by the Ministry since 1990 has found unacceptable concentrations of dioxins only in cows' milk from three farms in the Bolsover district of Derbyshire. Milk from these farms was prevented from entering the human food supply. Regular monitoring of cows' milk from this area 689W continues. No other areas have been identified where concentrations of dioxins in cows' milk are above the normal background range.
§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to monitor wind-blown deposition of dioxin-contaminated particles arising from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food identified dioxin hot spots in the United Kingdom. [5682]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will continue its programme of monitoring the dioxins content of cows' milk produced in the vicinity of selected industrial sites which are representative of processes that may release dioxins. This programme assures the safety of the food supply and assesses environmental contamination.