§ Sir Robert SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has made to the EU regarding the ban on fishmeal being fed to livestock. [439]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 28 June 2001]: As a result of representation from the UK fishmeal has not been banned from feeding to non-ruminant livestock. The UK has raised the possibility of a relaxation of the ban on feeding fishmeal to ruminants in the Standing Veterinary Committee and the Council. In the Agricultural Council of 19 June the Commission promised to review this ban once a test has been validated capable of differentiating between animal and fish protein in feed. The UK uses an ELISA to test compound animal feedingstuffs for the presence of mammalian protein, but this test has not yet been validated. Until this problem can be resolved we have no option but to implement the Community ban.