§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to assist small and specialist abattoirs in Devon. [118501]
§ Ms StuartAs responsibility for food safety and standards matters has now passed to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which reports to Parliament through Health Ministers, I have been asked to reply.
I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that it recognises the difficulties faced by the meat industry, especially small businesses, as a result of increased veterinary supervision levels and the associated costs. Equally, it understands very well the importance of local slaughtering facilities and it is certainly not its intention to put out of business smaller operations, particularly those specialising in a high quality product.
A number of measures have been put in place to help small and medium sized abattoirs. These include the freezing of Meat Hygiene Service hourly rates in 1999–2000 at 1998–99 levels (worth £7 million) and restricting the increase in 2000–01 to no more than the rate of inflation (2.2 per cent.), and the deferment of charges for SRM controls for a further two years until 2002–03 at the earliest (worth £44 million). Following advice received from the European Commission, the Meat Hygiene Service is reviewing its levels of inspection in individual low throughput (permanently derogated) premises. In the meantime, no increases in veterinary supervision levels in such premises have been made since the Commission's advice was received last May, nor will there be any changes made until that review has been completed.
We have accepted, or are giving further consideration to, 32 of the 35 recommendations of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group and, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed at the agriculture summit on 30 March, the Government are pressing on urgently with their implementation. Steps are being taken to secure changes in the European Union meat hygiene and charging legislation in line with the Group's recommendations but this will inevitably take time to achieve. In the meantime, a small independent task force has been set up, as recommended by the Group, to explore all the issues surrounding a "capping" approach to meat 95W hygiene inspection charges for low volume abattoirs. The task force, chaired by Colin Maclean, former Director-General of the Meat and Livestock Commission, held its first meeting on 6 April and is due to report by 31 May.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has recently received concerning the future of small abattoirs; and what action he is taking to ensure their survival. [116251]
§ Ms StuartAs responsibility for food safety and standards matters has now passed to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which reports to Parliament through Health Ministers, I have been asked to reply.
Since publication of the Government's response to the report of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and, from 1 April, the Food Standards Agency, has received a number of representations from a wide variety of sources about the future of small abattoirs. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food recently replied to an open letter from 136 organisations about the impact of meat inspection charges on small and medium sized abattoirs, copies of which are available in the Library.
I am advised that the Food Standards Agency recognises the difficulties faced by the meat industry, especially small businesses, as a result of increased veterinary supervision levels and the associated costs. We also understand the importance of local slaughtering facilities.
A number of measures have been put in place to help small and medium sized abattoirs. These include the freezing of Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) hourly rates in 1999–2000 at 1998–99 levels (worth £7 million) and restricting the increase in 2000–01 to 2.2 per cent., in line with the rate of inflation and the commitment made by us last year. Charges for enforcement of specified risk Material controls have been deferred until 2002–03 at the earliest (worth £22 million). Following advice received from the European Commission, the MHS is reviewing its levels of inspection in individual low throughput (permanently derogated) premises. No increases in veterinary supervision levels in such premises have been made since the Commission's advice was received last May. No changes will be made until that review has been completed.
In addition, we have adopted, or are giving further consideration to, 32 of the 35 recommendations of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group. We are pressing on with their implementation as was confirmed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the agriculture summit on 30 March. Steps are being taken to secure changes in the European Union meat hygiene and charging legislation in line with the Group's recommendations and discussions are underway in Brussels. The Food Standards Agency has also acted on the Group's recommendation and has set up a small task force to explore all the issues surrounding a 'capping' approach to meat hygiene inspection charges for low volume abattoirs. Its membership and working arrangements were announced in a Food Standards Agency press release on 11 April, copies of which are available in the Library.
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§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason the "Action Plan for Farming", published on 30 March, contains no proposals to assist the re-establishment of abattoir facilities in areas that have lost such facilities; and if he will make a statement. [117697]
§ Ms QuinAssistance for the re-establishment of abattoir facilities was not included in the "Action Plan for Farming" published on 30 March because the Government have already put in place a number of measures to help this sector.
Veterinary supervision levels in low throughput (permanently derogated) abattoirs have been frozen at May 1999 levels pending completion of a review of supervision levels in such plants following advice from the Commission (published by the Government in October 1999). The introduction of charges for cattle passports and MHS enforcement of SRM controls has been deferred until at least 2002–03 (worth £44m). Meat inspection charges for 1999–2000 were capped at 1998–99 levels (worth £7m) and will rise by only 2.2 per cent. in 2000–01, in line with the rate of inflation as previously announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister. As recommended by the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group (the Pooley Report) a small task force has been set to urgently explore alternative ways of recovering the costs of inspection work, within the framework of Community law. This will report and make recommendations to the Food Standards Agency who now have responsibility for meat hygiene.