§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safety assessment his Department has conducted on the spreading of condensate from abattoirs on to agricultural land. [57102]
§ Mr. RookerCondensate is produced from the steam driven off during the rendering of carcases or offal. Most Tenderers dispose of their condensate to sewers but a small number spread theirs on agricultural land. The spreading432W of waste on agricultural land is subject to control by the Environment Agency under the waste management provisions of Part II of the Environment Protection Act 1990.
In response to concerns about the practice, the Environment Agency commissioned a risk assessment report by independent technical consultants about the safety of condensate spread from a plant. The independent Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee are reviewing the practice, based on the results of the risk assessment and associated work, and we await their advice.