§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the operation of the cattle passport scheme. [129065]
§ Alun MichaelThe cattle passport scheme is operated by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) and became part of the Rural Payments Agency on 1 April 2003. The cattle passport scheme has been in operation for over six years and the national cattle database contains the details of the 9.7 million animals that make up the national herd. We are currently investing a further £12 million to upgrade the system and improve its performance.
BCMS operates to ISO 9001:2000 standards, is registered with the British Standards Institute and its operating practices have received the Kite mark. In addition to paper reporting systems, we have provided online facilities via a website for cattle keepers to use. BCMS are constantly striving to improve their service and efficiency.