§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the provision of slaughter facilities for OTMS cattle in the county of Shropshire; [9457]
(2) if he will list the abattoirs available for the slaughter of OTMS cattle emanating from Shropshire farms. [9453]
§ Mr. RookerContracts for the slaughter of OTMS cattle have been awarded to 26 abattoirs in Great Britain. None are in Shropshire, but seven are in counties neighbouring Shropshire and are available to producers in Shropshire. These include:
- North West Meats
- F. Redfern
- Bradeley Meats
- R. B. Elliot
- Nottingham Processing Co.
- ABP Nuneaton
- The Baker Group.
This does not preclude cattle from the county going further afield if appropriate. As such, I am satisfied the producers in Shropshire are well served under the new arrangements.