§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will prevent the importation of all meat from countries where BSE is present and where mammalian meat and bone meal is included in animal feed. [20574]
§ Mr. RookerNo. There is no reasonable basis on which I could take such action.
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken to ensure(a) that all beef entering the United Kingdom for human consumption is less than 30 months old and (b) that over 30 month old beef imported into the United Kingdom to be processed for pet food does not enter the human food chain. [20490]
§ Mr. RookerThe Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No. 2) Regulations 1996 prohibit the sale for human consumption of bovine meat from animals over 30 months old. Responsibility for enforcement falls to Local Authorities.
It is not an offence to import meat from animals more than 30 months old.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the import of beef from cattle aged over 30 months from countries where BSE is present. [20573]
§ Mr. RookerAction to prohibit the sale of human consumption of meat derived from bovine animals born, reared and slaughtered in any country was taken by the previous Government on 28 March 1996 in the Beef (Emergency Control) Order 1996. This prohibited the sale for human consumption of meat derived from bovine animals slaughtered on or after 29 March 1996 which "showed signs of more than one pair of permanent incisors". (This test is used to identify animals aged over 30 months). The prohibition was subsequently modified to exclude beef from certain countries where BSE is not known to occur, and is now contained in the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No. 2) Regulations.