§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking (a) to increase incineration capacity for cattle culled over the over-30-months slaughter scheme, (b) to reduce storage costs and (c) to increase throughput of cattle; and if he will make a statement. [14523]
§ Mr. BaldryThe Government are seeking to increase the incineration capacity available to the over-30-months scheme by competitive tender.
The unit cost of storing frozen carcases has been minimised by the competitive procurement of commercial cold store capacity and the conversion of three Government-owned stores; it will be further minimised by the consolidation of residual stocks and release of storage capacity. Stocks are being reduced as quickly as the availability of suitable rendering and direct incineration capacity allow.
Producers are now able to present animals for processing under the over-30-months scheme at their normal point of slaughter. To increase throughput would not therefore be justified.
§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incinerators are available to deal with BSE casualties; what is their capacity; and what is their daily throughput. [14522]
§ Mr. BaldryThere are currently 13 incinerators accepting on-farm slaughtered cattle over 30 months of age. The theoretical capacity available is 285 cattle per day, but actual capacity depends upon the volume of other business. The average daily throughput of over-30-monfhs cattle through incinerators since the beginning of the year has been 180 cattle.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what means of disposal is planned to be used for the disposal of the remaining meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme; [14026]
(2) what is the planned timetable for completing the disposal of meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme. [14027]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 5 February 1997]: The Government are actively pursuing a number of options for the disposal of rendered meat and bonemeal in store derived from cattle slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme. The Intervention Board executive agency recently agreed a contract with a high temperature incineration company to burn MBM and is in the process of tendering for further incineration capacity from which additional MBM disposal facilities are expected to emerge. Also, combustion trials have been carried out at PowerGen's test facilities at Ratcliffe on Soar, Nottinghamshire, and at National Power's test facilities at Didcot, Oxfordshire, to establish the feasibility of burning 719W MBM in power stations. These trials have been monitored by the Environment Agency and the results will be placed on the public register. The test results are being fully evaluated, with full weight being given to the protection of human health and of the environment in reaching any conclusion. It is too early to say when a decision will be made or, therefore, when the disposal of the MBM from cattle slaughtered under the OTMS will be completed.