§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the measures taken by the Government to ensure that no feed containing meat and bone meal was fed to farm animals over the past 30 months. [31383]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 10 June 1996]: The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Amendment) Order 1996, which came into effect on 29 March, prohibits in Great Britain the sale or supply of any mammalian meat and bone meal, for the purposes of feeding to farmed animals, including poultry, horses and farmed fish. The order also made it an offence, from 4 April, to use any mammalian meat and bonemeal, or feed containing it, for feeding to farmed animals. These measures are being reinforced by a programme of inspection and sampling on 434W farms and at feed mills. This programme is due shortly to be widened in scope and intensity to increase the current rate of sampling.
§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what agency will be responsible for identifying proscribed animal feed and for initiating legal proceedings against those holding it; and what estimate he has made of the manpower and budget consequences of this proposal. [31626]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 10 June 1996]: The state veterinary service and local authorities will be responsible for identifying proscribed mammalian meat and bonemeal and feed containing meat and bonemeal and will initiate proceedings in accordance with the appropriate legislation. Such activities will be carried out as part of their normal enforcement responsibilities.