§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will close the Date-Based Export Scheme when the Over Thirty Months Scheme is closed. [HL358]
§ Lord WhittyThe Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS) is likely to be amended when the OTM rule is replaced with a system of BSE testing.
Work is continuing in parallel both to ensure that there is a robust testing system in place so that the OTM rule can be amended and to ensure that export restrictions are eased and the Date Based Export Scheme can be closed.
Any changes in the domestic OTM rule are unlikely to come into effect until the latter half of 2005. Changes in export restrictions are not expected to come into effect until late 2005.