§ Mr. CranstonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to place research on animal health and welfare on the basis of a requirements document, similar to that for food research; and if he will make a statement. [39195]
§ Mr. RookerWe are today publishing a Document setting out our future animal health and welfare research requirements, and inviting tenders for research work to be financed in the year starting on 1 April 1999, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. This document focuses particularly on animal welfare, organisms capable of causing food poisoning, and bovine tuberculosis. Further documents setting out animal health and welfare research requirements will be published in future years.
This is a broad programme. One of the key elements builds on our current work to improve our understanding of how E. coli behaves on farms, and to identify the critical control points for risk management. This will complement work being financed by other Departments.
The Document also takes forward the recommendations in the Krebs Report that our research effort into bovine tuberculosis should be refocused along two main approaches: understanding the causes of outbreaks, and 470W
as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency.The newsletter produced within my Agency is unclassified, intended purely for internal circulation and, dependent on material for inclusion, is issued on a monthly basis. It was originally entitled "DTMX Developments" and ran from July 1995 until November 1996, when it was renamed "DTMX press". It has continued to be distributed to all staff since then.