HC Deb 13 January 1997 vol 288 c163W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 18 December,Official Report, columns 648–49, concerning the actions of the Agriculture Council of the European Community, which members of the Commission proposed to ban the use of specified risk materials in the manufacture of animal feeds; if he will list the materials and animals concerned; and what was the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the proposal. [10819]

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The proposal in question was by the Commission for a Council decision on the exclusion from human and animal feed of specified risk material as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

For the substance of the proposal—reference number SEC(96) 2300 of 10 December 1996—I refer the hon. Member for Newham, South to the related explanatory memorandum submitted on 6 December 1996 which was deposited in the Library of the House. At the Agriculture Council discussions on 16 and 17 December the United Kingdom Government were one of five to support this proposal.