§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on capacity in the abattoir industry; what plans he has to reduce that capacity; and by what means and under what authority he intends to take forward such plans. [16655]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 22 February 1996]: The Meat and Livestock Commission estimates that basic slaughtering capacity in Great Britain is already some 45 per cent. in excess of our current slaughter requirements and that the situation is getting worse. It is generally recognised that this has been the major cause of serious under-investment, low profitability and poor competitiveness over the last decade.
The Government have no plans to reduce abattoir capacity and believe that it is for the meat and livestock industry to determine for itself what are the needs of the market-place and how they should best be met. The Agriculture Act 1967 gives the MLC the power to prepare a development scheme to deal with excess capacity in the industry. The MLC is currently consulting the meat and livestock industry on such a scheme. My right hon. Friend is required by the Act to consider any development scheme put to him by the MLC, together with objections to it, before deciding whether to put it to Parliament for approval.