§ Sir Nicholas LyellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of the national herds of cattle and national flocks of sheep which die each year and have to be disposed of as fallen stock; what estimates he has made of the costs involved; and to what extent such work is currently performed by hunts. [130264]
§ Ms QuinThis Department has made no estimates of the proportion of the cattle and sheep populations which have to be disposed of as fallen stock, or of the costs involved. However, the Meat and Livestock Commission estimates that for all livestock production, the proportion is between 2 and 4 per cent. For cattle, the Licensed Animal Slaughterers and Salvage Association has estimated the proportions as 7.5 per cent. (dairy) 3.5 per cent. (beef) and 5.5 per cent. (other cattle). A small-scale and limited survey carried out by this Department suggested that, of these 263W fallen stock, around 40 per cent. of calves, 32 per cent. of adult bovines and 15 per cent. of sheep were disposed of to hunt kennels in 1999.