§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risks of using pigswill prepared to the required standards; and if she will further review her Department's ban on the use of pigswill. [2097]
§ Mr. MorleyA veterinary assessment of the risks of using pigswill was made before the ban on swill-feeding was introduced. This assessment concluded that, owing to the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak, the disease risks from swill-feeding are very much greater than they were previously.
No further review of the ban will be made as agreement was reached at the Agriculture Council on 19 June to introduce an EU wide ban on the feeding of swill to livestock.