Mr. Gummer :sx I refer my hon .sx Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon .sx Friend the Member for Fulham ( Mr. Carrington) .sx Mr. Harry Greenway :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the recent agreement in the Farm Council on the transport of horses and other animals .sx Mr. Maclean :sx The directive on protection of animals during transport has now been adopted formally by the Council and will be published shortly .sx The agreement reflects the deep public concern in this country over the transport of horses and other animals and the Government are grateful to all those who gave support in the negotiations by making their views known to the Commission and throughout the Community .sx Fishing Grounds ( Pollution ) .sx 28 .sx Dr. Kim Howells To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken to safeguard fishing grounds from pollution originating offshore .sx Mr. Curry :sx This Ministry works closely with other Departments in operating a comprehensive range of measures under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 and the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to protect fisheries , and the marine environment generally , from pollution originating offshore .sx State Veterinary Service .sx Mr. McAvoy :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food when he last met the British Veterinary Association to discuss the future of the state veterinary service .sx Mr. Maclean :sx My right hon .sx Friend the Minister has not met the British Veterinary Association specifically to discuss the future of the state veterinary service .sx However , Ministers and officials have regular contact with the association and its representatives on a wide range of issues .sx Agriculture Council .sx Mr. Bellingham :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Agriculture Council held on 18 and 19 November .sx Mr. Gummer :sx I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting of the Council together with my hon .sx Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon ( Mr. Curry ) , the Parliamentary Secretary in my Department .sx There was a discussion of the significant progress that has been made recently in the discussions towards an agricultural agreement in GATT .sx I stressed that genuine reform required reductions in support over time whatever form such support took , with only genuine environmental and similar measures being exempted from the process of reduction .sx I urged the Commissioner to negotiate accordingly .sx Unfortunately he seems to take the view at present that only direct price support need be subject to reduction and in particular that any compensation for such reductions need not be reduced .sx We shall continue to press our view .sx There were detailed discussions on the arable , tobacco and sheepmeat dossiers included in the proposed reforms of the common agricultural policy .sx On the arable dossier I stressed that payments on set-aside land must not discriminate against larger producers .sx On tobacco we urged the need to scale down support significantly consistent with the Community's position on health issues .sx On sheepmeat , I said that the proposed reductions in headage limits - maximum payments per producer - were unacceptable to the United Kingdom and urged that savings be made instead by price cuts or other means .sx Discussion will resume at the next meeting on 11-12 December .sx Veterinary Products .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the technical competence of the Veterinary Products Committee and of the EC Veterinary Products Committee to judge the safety and human health aspects of the use of veterinary products .sx Mr.Gummer: Members of the Veterinary Products Committee are expert in a number of scientific disciplines relevant to the consideration of the safety , quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines .sx When aspects falling outside their specific fields of expertise arise , they take advice from the Department of Health and other suitably qualified experts .sx Apart from the Medicines Commission , we are satisfied that no other body of equivalent competence exists in this country .sx Members of the EC Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products are officials from member states .sx They are not required to have personal scientific expertise in the same way as VPC members , but draw on expertise available in all member states , including that of the Veterinary Products Committee .sx Poultry ( Rare Breeds ) .sx Mr. Ron Davies :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will amend the poultry regulations to ensure that rare breeds , housed and kept separately for breeding purposes , are defined as individual flocks .sx Mr. Curry :sx I have no plans to do so .sx Milk Production .sx Mr. Strang :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the total volume of United Kingdom milk production last year ; and what proportion this represents of total EC milk production .sx Mr. Curry :sx Total United Kingdom milk production , including milk fed directly to calves , was estimated at 15,212,000 tonnes during 1990 , 13 per cent .sx of the EC total .sx Deliveries to dairies amounted to 14,574,000 tonnes , 13.75 per cent .sx of the EC total .sx Animals and Birds ( Imports ) .sx Mr. Cohen :sx To ask the Minster of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken in the light of recommendations by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to restrict the number of United Kingdom ports through which live animals and birds may be imported .sx Mr. Maclean :sx The recommendation to consider restricting the number of ports through which live animals may be imported was one of a number of recommendations made by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in its recent report on trade in wildlife .sx As the wildlife trade raises many complex issues which do not affect the United Kingdom alone , my hon .sx Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment and I wrote recently to the European Commissioners for agriculture and the environment drawing the JNCC report to their attention and pressing for stricter Community-wide controls over international trade in wildlife .sx A Commission proposal for a new regulation on the wildlife trade is expected to be published soon and we shall take full account of the JNCC advice in the subsequent discussions .sx Bovine Somatotropin .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food what tests have been carried out by his Ministry concerning the safety of bovine somatotropin and food products derived from it for humans ; and if he will make a statement .sx Mr Gummer :sx It is for licence applicants to undertake , in accordance with internationally accepted rules of good laboratory practice , all tests which are considered necessary to satisfy the licensing authority .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food how many applications for the use of bovine somatotropin he has received in each of the last three years and to date in 1991 ; if he will indicate in each case whether the applications have been refused , and how many are going through appeal ; and if he will make a statement .sx Mr Gummer :sx No product licence applications were received during this period .sx One application for an animal test certificate was received in 1988 :sx that application is currently the subject of an appeal to the Veterinary Products Committee which is minded to advise that it should not be granted .sx In addition , applications to renew ATCs granted before 1988 were received in each of the years identified , and were granted .sx Applications to vary these ATCs were received in 1988 , two ; 1989 , nine ; 1990 seven ; and 1991 to date , four ; and have been granted .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the discussions in the EC about the continuation of the moratorium on the use of bovine somatotropin after 31 December ; and when he expects a decision to be taken about its continuation .sx Mr. Gummer :sx Progress made by the Commission with its report on the future use of BST was raised under other business at the Agriculture Council on 18-19 November .sx The Commission indicated that it expects to report to the Council within the next few weeks .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minster of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will list the research that has been considered by the Veterinary Products Committee concerning the effect of food produced by the use of bovine somatotropin on human health ; and if he will make a statement .sx Mr. Gummer :sx The Committee has seen the results of research into the composition of milk from treated and untreated cows which identified minute differences in the average content of lipids , biotin , IGF1 and BST .sx It has also seen the results of research into the effect of these four substances on humans and has taken advice from nutritional experts .sx It is satisfied that the widespread use of BST to increase milk yields would not adversely affect the health of consumers .sx Mr Ron Davies :sx To ask the Minster of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the possible extension of the present EC ban on bovine somatotropin ; and when he expects the matter to be further discussed at the Council of Ministers .sx Mr. Maclean :sx The Commission has made no proposals for arrangements to apply after the current moratorium on the use of BST expires .sx If it does , my right hon .sx Friend will determine his policy according to the merit of the proposals .sx Progress made by the Commission with its report on the future use of BST was raised under other business at the Agriculture Council on 18-19 November .sx The Commission indicated that it expected to report to the Council within the next few weeks .sx Fishing Vessels .sx Mr. Cohen :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food whether he will state the number of draft proposals he has received from sea fisheries committees to regulate the use of fixed engines and the number he rejected in respect of the last 12 months for which data are available .sx Mr. Curry Ministerial confirmation has been sought for three byelaws made by sea fisheries committees to regulate the placing or use of fixed engines .sx One needs to be re-advertised and we are in active correspondence with the relevant SFC on the other two on drafting and procedural points respectively .sx None has been rejected .sx 'Our Farming Future' .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food how he intends to distribute copies of 'Our Farming Future' to individual farmers ; mad if he will make a statement .sx Mr. Gummer :sx Copies of 'Our Farming Future' are available to farmers on request from the Ministry , particularly through its regional and divisional offices .sx Copies have also been provided to the National Farmers Union .sx Dr. David Clark :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish the follow-up to 'Our Farming Future' ; and if he will make a statement .sx Mr. Gummer :sx Decisions on any future statements of Government policy on agriculture will be taken in the light of the outcome of negotiations on CAP reform and on the Uruguay round .sx Environmental Health .sx Ms .sx Walley :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he will meet the Institution of Environmental Health Officers to discuss whether meat inspection should remain a local authority function .sx Mr. Maclean :sx Our officials and those of the Department of Health are in regular contact with representatives of the institution , and have on a number of occasions discussed with them the future arrangements for meat hygiene enforcement .sx In addition , the institution has submitted written evidence to the review of meat hygiene enforcement in Great Britain and was represented on the review consultative panel .sx The views of the institution will be taken fully into account by the Agriculture and Health Ministers when a decision is reached on future meat hygiene enforcement arrangements .sx Dairy Industry .sx Mr. Geraint Howells :sx To ask the Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present state of the dairy industry ; and if he will make a statement .sx Mr. Curry :sx Dairy farming remains a relatively profitable sector of United Kingdom agriculture , sustained by support prices substantially above world market levels .sx Despite the existence of quotas limiting production , more than 20 per cent .sx of EC milk production in 1990 required subsidised disposal .sx