Mammalian Meat and Bone Meal: Disposal of Stocks

HL Deb 17 June 1996 vol 573 c5WA

Lord Kingsland

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What arrangements he is making for the disposal of surplus stocks of animal feed containing mammalian meat and bone meal (MBM) following the recent ban on feeding MBM to farm livestock.

Lord Lucas

The Government have sent a letter to all livestock farmers, feed merchants and feed compounders in the United Kingdom offering to fund the collection and disposal of any residual stocks of MBM or feed containing MBM. Thereafter, after consultation with the appropriate organisations, an order will be laid to make it illegal to have MBM, or feed containing MBM, on farms or in the premises of feed merchants or at feed mills.

Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for Class III Vote 2 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food operational expenditure, agencies and departmental administration). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £ 6 million will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.