§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the closure of formerly profitable small and medium abattoirs, brought about solely by the inability of their owners to meet increased hygiene charges, can be attributed to market forces. [HL2394]
§ Lord DonoughueIt is not the Government's intention to put out of business small and medium-sized abattoirs, and in particular those specialising in a high quality product. The Government have listened carefully to the representations made by the industry and others about the level of meat hygiene charges. As a result, the Government have announced a complete deferral of the Specified Risk Material inspection costs for this financial year—a saving to the industry of around £20 million.
In addition, the Government have also announced a further close examination of the dynamics of the slaughtering sector and the impact of these charges on abattoirs and on livestock producers. The Government will also look at the EC legislation and the way in which inspections are carried out to ensure that, when charges are set, they are as low as possible consistent with maintaining public safety and honouring our obligations under EU law. The Government remain of the view, however, that it is right in principle to recover inspection costs from the industry.