§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the impact on costs to the sausage industry of a ban on the use of natural sausage casings; [68494]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on the cost base of British abattoirs of a ban on the use of natural sausage casings. [68493]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 9 July 2002]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the basis of their recommendation to the European Commission that sheep intestine be banned as specified risk material is outlined in a report compiled by a group of stakeholders endorsed by the board of the FSA on 13 June 2002. The report considers the potential risk reduction, costs and practicability of a range of further precautionary measures against the theoretical risk of BSE in sheep. Estimates provided by the Meat and Livestock Commission, one of the stakeholders on the group, indicate that the turnover of the sheep sausage casings sector is £24 million per annum, and that the loss of income to licensed abattoirs from the sales of sheep intestine to the sausage casings industry would be approximately £6.5 million per annum. No analysis has been made of the compensating increase 355W in turnover for other suppliers that could arise if other sausage casings were to be substituted for those made from sheep intestines.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the traceability of natural sausage casings imported into the EU from third countries. [68496]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 9 July]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that all imports of meat and meat products from third countries must come from establishments which are approved or authorised by the European Commission and which satisfy the health conditions set out in the relevant EC legislation.
Third country imports must enter the European Union through a designated border inspection post, where they are subject to documentary and physical checks. Consignments must be accompanied by commercial documentation indicating the nature of the product, and the name and identification number of the originating plant. EU establishments receiving consignments of products such as natural animal casings are required to keep the accompanying commercial documents for at least one year after receipt and make them available on request to the enforcement authority.
These arrangements provide traceability of a consignment of natural animal casings back to the plant of origin.
In addition, meat and meat products containing sheep material imported from third countries must be accompanied by a veterinary declaration certifying that the product does not contain, nor is it derived from, specified risk material.