Swill Feeding (Hansard, 15 July 2002)

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it
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her policy to ban the import of pig meat and other products from countries which have not banned swill feeding. [68490]

§ Margaret Beckett
Imports of pig meat and other products are governed by European Community rules. These do not prohibit swill feeding but do require that products imported from third countries are produced to standards at least equivalent to those applied to Community production. The products must come from approved establishments in approved countries and must be accompanied by agreed veterinary certification confirming that public and animal health requirements for import have been complied with. All imported consignments are subject to veterinary checks at an authorised Border Inspection Post to ensure that import requirements have been complied with. Consignments that do not comply are rejected and will be re-exported or destroyed.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects an EU-wide ban on swill-feeding to come into force. [68491]

§ Margaret Beckett
The proposed EU Regulation on health requirements for animal by-products includes a ban on the feeding of catering waste to livestock.
To secure adoption of the EU Regulation, expected this year, and to apply in member states six to seven months thereafter, it is likely that Germany and Austria, who opposed the ban, will be granted a transitional period in which to phase out swill feeding. The length of that period and the controls to apply during it will be proposed by the European Commission.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to compensate swill feeders for the financial losses caused by the ban on swill-feeding. [68486]

§ Margaret Beckett
Farmers have not under previous Governments been compensated for changes in feed material available for their livestock, and the Government do not consider it should alter this position in the light of the ban on feeding swill.