BSE (Hansard, 27 January 1997)

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate for the number of selective cull subjects which may already have been slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme; and if he will make a statement. [12462]

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 2 December 1996,Official Report, column 568, to his earlier question on this subject. The position remains the same.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he intends to put forward to the European Commission on the staged removal of the export ban to ensure that(a) Scottish beef herds and (b) Northern Irish beef herds are included in the first wave of exemptions; and if he will make a statement. [12577]

§ Mr. Robertson
Proposals for a UK certified herds scheme will be presented to the European Commission shortly. The proposals are intended to facilitate exports of beef and beef products from animals in the UK whose movements are fully documented and which could be certified as having no association with BSE.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the results of his Department's study of maternal transmission of BSE will be published; and if he will make a statement. [12578]

§ Mr. Robertson
Interim findings of the long-running study on maternal transmission were released in August last year. These are now being given further consideration in view of subsequent evidence and it is expected that the final results will be made available soon.

§ Mr. Welsh
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if(a) hill livestock compensatory allowances, (b) beef and (c) suckler cow premium payments will be paid to those producers who will no longer be able to meet the animal retention conditions of those schemes due to the requirements of the over-30-months scheme or the selective cull; and if he will make a statement. [12644]

§ Mr. Robertson
We are consulting with the European Commission on the position of animals slaughtered under the selective cull while in a retention period for the schemes listed. The normal retention period rules apply to animals entering the over-30-months scheme.