Illegal Meat Imports (Hansard, 3 March 2004)

§ Mr. Gardiner
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the sufficiency of resources allocated to HM Customs and Excise to address illegal meat imports and of how they compare with those of its equivalent in other European countries. [155847]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
We have almost doubled the amount of funding available to HMCE in 04/05 to put more resources into addressing illegal imports of meat, fish, plants, and their products. We do not have details of what resources other EU countries have in place but know that the UK is viewed as being more advanced in this area.

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in tackling the import of illegal meat. [156488]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for policy issues relating to imports of products of animal origin and plant and plant products.
HM Customs and Excise are responsible for enforcement at points of entry to the UK and local authorities are responsible for enforcement inland.
We continue to liaise closely with HM Customs and Excise and the Food Standards Agency to ensure a coherent approach in tackling illegal imports.

§ Mr. Gardiner
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 will consult organisations outside Government when undertaking the review of step change; [155396]
953W
(2) if she will ask Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 to broaden the scope of the review into step Change to include a review into the effectiveness of the Government's illegal meat strategy; [155397]
(3) when Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 has met; and if she will publish The minutes and agenda; [155398]
(4) if she will list the members of Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23; and what its remit is. [155399]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
The Ministerial Committee on Illegal Imports (Misc 23) was established by the Prime Minister in july 2003 to Co-ordinate policy on imports of animals, plants, fish and their products. It is composed of the following members:

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Chair)

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Economic Secretary

Minister of State, Home Office (Beverley Hughes)

Minister of State, Department for Transport

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Health (Melanie Johnson)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh)

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Phil Hope)

The Chairman of the Food Standards Agency is invited to attend.
It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part ii of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.