Beef (Hansard, 25 November 1999)

§ 12. Mr. Swayne
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent advice he has received from the Chief Medical Officer regarding the safety of eating beef on the bone. [98848]

§ Mr. Nick Brown
I announced on 20 September that I and my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Health had accepted the Chief Medical Officer's advice that it is now possible to lift the ban on retail sales, but desirable to retain it for manufacturing uses.

§ 17. Dr. George Turner
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in enabling British farmers to sell their beef overseas. [98853]

§ Ms Quin
As part of the progressive lifting of the beef export ban, the Government secured the adoption of the Date-based Export Scheme in November 1998. After demonstrating that we had the procedures in place to run the Scheme, exports were permitted from 1 August 1999. So far, two establishments have sought and gained approval to operate under the Scheme, and have begun exporting British beef to several EU member states.

§ 21. Mr. Pike
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in respect of the export of beef(a) within the EU and (b) to the rest of the world. [98858]

§ 22. Dr. Iddon
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made on the resumption of British beef exports. [98859]

§ Ms Quin
So far, two establishments have sought and gained approval to export British beef under the Date-based Export Scheme. While details of their 203W activities are commercial-in-confidence, I can say that these establishments have been exporting British beef to several EU member states. As yet, no consignments have been sent to non-EU countries, but the Government have approached countries with a view to ensuring that they will accept British beef. To date, we have agreed export certification with Cyprus, the Falklands, Hong Kong and Mauritius and are at different stages in concluding certification with other countries. Only Russia, Singapore and Malta have said that, at present, they will continue to not admit British beef.

§ 23. Mr. Bradshaw
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in getting the beef export ban lifted for non-EU countries. [98860]

§ Ms Quin
We have approached the authorities in non-EU countries to lobby them to lift their import bans, where they exist, or to agree the necessary export certification. This is a concerted campaign which follows up, and builds upon, earlier approaches to key markets. So far, we have agreed export certification with Cyprus, the Falklands, Hong Kong and Mauritius, and are at different stages in concluding certification with other countries. Only Russia, Singapore and Malta have said that, at present, they will continue to not admit British beef.

§ 24. Mr. Wyatt
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of domestic consumption of home-produced beef since the BSE crisis. [98861]

§ Ms Quin
Domestic consumption of beef has recovered sharply from the depressed levels following the BSE crisis of 563 thousand tonnes in 1996 to 707 thousand tonnes in 1998.

§ 28. Mr Gray
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what scientific analyses he has received on the presence of(a) human and (b) animal excrement traces in Franch beef; and if he will make a statement. [98865]

§ Ms Quin
The Summary of advice provided to Ministers included an analysis of the report prepared by the European Commission, which confirmed that all material was heat treated before use in animal feed. The advice was drawn up in consulation with the chairman of three scientific independent advisory committees and concluded that there is no immediate public health risk from the use of sewage sludge in French animal feed.