§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial cost her Department has estimated of the impact of the Animal By-Products Regulation on small(a) abattoirs, (b) slaughterhouses and (c) butchers. [114947]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 22 May 2003]A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Animal By-Products Regulation is in the Library of the House, as part of the consultation on the enforcing Regulations dated 27 January 2003.
It has been estimated that the price that slaughterhouses pay for the disposal of blood could rise from the current £16/tonne to £60–80/tonne. In addition, some slaughterhouses currently dispose of their blood direct to sewer and do not have collection tanks. As many as one third of slaughterhouses may need to install suitable facilities. The cost of complying with the Regulation will, therefore, vary depending on individual circumstances.
§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer, of 14 May,Official Report, column 264W, on the Animal By-products Regulation, (a) what steps her Department has taken to minimize the impact of the Animal By-Products Regulation on small (a) abattoirs, (b) slaughterhouses and (c) butchers; and how the schemes are being deployed within the England Rural Development Programme. [114948]
§ Mr. MorleyOn 1 November 2002 we wrote to all slaughterhouse operators to obtain information on existing blood disposal routes.
Analysis of the responses indicated that a number of red meat slaughterhouses were concerned about the arrangements they would need to put in place to change to methods of disposal permitted under the new regulations. As a result the Department has worked closely with the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) and other industry experts to develop guidance on simple, low cost ways in which slaughterhouses could comply with the new requirements. This guidance was issued on 21 February 2003 to (a) all red meat slaughterhouses and (b) to the trade organisations listed at Annex 1.
In addition the MLC held two open days for slaughterhouse operators on 1 and 5 March to discuss this issue.
Processing and Marketing Grants and Rural Enterprise Scheme funds can be made available from the England Rural Development Programme to assist small and medium slaughterhouse operators to develop the supply of specialist meat products where a regional need has been identified for such assistance and appropriate proposals have been prioritised.
110W
- Annex 1
- List of Trade Organisations
- Association of British Abattoir Operators
- Association of Independent Meat Suppliers
- Association of Meat Inspectors
- British Meat Federation
- British Meat Manufacturers Association
- British Pig Association
- Halal Food Authority
- Institute of Grocery Distributors
- International Meat Trade Association
- Meat industry Liaison Group
- Meat Traders Journal
- National Association of Catering Butchers
- National Council of Shechita Boards
- National Farmers" Union
- National Federation of Meat & Food Traders
- National Federation of Womens Institutes
- National Pig Association
- National Renderers Association
- National Sheep Association
- Quality Meat and Livestock Alliance
- Small Abattoir Federation
- UK Renderers Association
- University of Bristol
- Worshipful Company of Butchers