§ Mr. CawseyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the additional costs to the pig sector as a result of the Welfare of Animals at Slaughter Act 1991 and the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 since they came into force on 1 January 1999. [105435]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 17 January 2000]: The cost to the pig sector of the prohibition on sow stalls and tethers introduced through the 1994 Regulations will have included capital costs prior to the prohibition's entry into force on 1 January 1999 as well as ongoing management costs since. These were all covered in a Compliance Cost Assessment which was placed in the Library of the House at the time the Regulations were made: we have not assessed the costs since 1 January 1999.
575WThe Welfare of Animals at Slaughter Act 1991 does not contain provisions imposing costs on the pig sector.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek the introduction of a European ban on stall and tether rearing of pigs and the introduction of standard animal welfare regulations in the European Union. [105029]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 17 January 2000]: We shall continue to press the EU Commission to bring forward their overdue proposals for updating the existing rules on pig welfare. The Commission's expert Scientific Veterinary Committee—on whose report the Commission's proposals must be based—was published in October 1997 and confirms our view that stalls and tethers for sows are unacceptable.
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the import from the EU of pork reared in stalls and tethers. [105028]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 17 January 2000]: Under the Treaty of Rome it is illegal to ban imports of meat on animal welfare grounds. We are actively seeking to improve welfare standards at EU and Council of Europe level.