asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many poultry rearers will be affected by the EEC directive abolishing the sale of New York dressed poultry.
The directive, as now amended, lays down hygiene standards for the slaughter, dressing and cutting up of poultry, and requirements for inspection, for the purpose of protecting public health. Most poultry rearers will be affected, if only indirectly. I have no precise figures of the number of rearers who regularly or occasionally sell New York dressed birds.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much poultry meat is exported from the United Kingdom to the EEC; and what proportion of British supplies this represents.
The information is as follows:
| UNITED KINGDOM POULTRYMEAT EXPORTS AND SUPPLIES IN 1974–75 | ||
| 1974 | 1975 | |
| Exports to other EEC countries (tonnes) | 725 | 416 |
| Total supplies (tonnes) | 656,836 | 632,466 |
| Exports as a percentage of total supplies | 0·11% | 0·07% |
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what health regulations are enforced where wet plucking of poultry is practised.
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970 apply. They are enforced by district councils.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much poultry meat is imported into this country; what percentage of total domestic consumption this represents; and what percentage of these imports is derived from the EEC.
The information is as follows:—
| UNITED KINGDOM POULTRYMEAT IMPORTS AND CONSUMPTION IN 1974 AND 1975 | ||
| 1974 | 1975 | |
| Imports (tonnes) | 6,847 | 8,393 |
| Estimated domestic consumption (tonnes) | 656,836 | 632,466 |
| Imports as a percentage of domestic consumption | 1·04% | 1·33% |
| Imports from EEC (tonnes) | 6,631 | 7,251 |
| Imports from EEC as a percentage of total imports | 96·8% | 86·4% |