§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the oral statement of the Secretary of State for Health of 20 March,Official Report, columns 375–86, on the links between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, what plans he has to commission research and what research he has commissioned into the effects of the disposal of (a) offal and (b) other cattle waste on agricultural land and the water supply. [22981]
§ Mrs. BrowningThis Department, together with the Department of Environment and the Environment Agency, is funding research to provide guidance on the landspreading of industrial wastes, including abattoir waste. A prime objective of the research is to provide further technical, scientific and practical guidance on the spreading of industrial wastes on land in a manner that protects human health and the environment, as required by article 4 of the amended EC framework directive on waste. The results of the research will be published.
§ Mrs. JacksonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total estimated tonnage of abattoir waste disposed of on agricultural land over the last(a) 20 years, (b) 10 years, (c) five years, (d) two years and (e) year. [23003]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 26 March 1996]: The spreading of waste on land for the benefit of agriculture or ecological improvement, including abattoir waste consisting of blood and gut contents from animals slaughtered for human consumption, is a recovery operation for the purposes of the amended EC framework directive on waste. The spreading of waste for these purposes is controlled under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. No central record is held of the tonnage of abattoir waste spread on land for the benefit of agriculture or ecological improvement.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which agency is responsible for regulating the spreading of abattoir waste over land; and if he plans to review current arrangements. [23217]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 1 April 1996]: The spreading of waste on land for the benefit of agriculture or ecological improvement, including abattoir waste consisting of blood and gut contents from animals slaughtered for human consumption, is a recovery operation for the purposes of the amended EC framework directive on waste. The spreading of waste for these purposes is controlled under part II of the Environmental 467W Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. On 1 April 1996, responsibility for these controls was transferred from waste regulation authorities to the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Spreading must be carried out without endangering animal or human health or posing a risk to the environment. The code of good agriculture practice for the protection of water issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Welsh Office Agriculture Department provides guidance to farmers and others adopting this practice. The Scottish Office has issued a code of good practice for the prevention of environmental pollution from agricultural activity which also offers guidance.