§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any measures are taken to detect E.coli 0157 and other organisms harmful to animals in abattoir waste products and sewage before they are spread on agricultural land. [HL3773]
§ Lord DonoughueTesting for human pathogens in organic wastes is not routinely carried out. Some limited information on their prevalence in organic wastes is available in the scientific literature. Further information on the occurrence and survival of these organisms in the wastes mentioned will be collected as part of a government programme of research and risk assessment on the use of all organic wastes on land. Following a recent review of controls on the agricultural use of sewage sludge the Government have announced, as a precautionary measure, more stringent requirements for treatment and use, including phasing out the use of untreated sewage sludge by the end of 2001.