To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tonnes of (a) raw and (b) processed meat passed into the food chain from the Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk after the announcement of the outbreak of avian influenza there. (122094)

The Food Standards Agency informs me that their enquiries have shown that, from the announcement of the confirmation of the outbreak of avian influenza at 10 pm on 2 February 2007, until the resumption of production on 12 February 2007 the total tonnage of raw and processed poultry meat entering the food chain was:

Turkey 850 tons; and

Chicken 50 tons.

All this meat was from birds slaughtered prior to 2 February and none of it came from birds from the infected premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the origin was of the (a) raw and (b) processed meat which passed into the food chain after the announcement of the outbreak of avian influenza at the Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk. (122095)

The Food Standards Agency informs me that their inquiries have shown that the origin of the meat that entered the food chain after the announcement of the outbreak of avian influenza was as follows:

Of the turkey meat deboned and trimmed in Holton:

757 tons was from United Kingdom; and

93 tons was from Hungary.

All the chicken was from Brazil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any of the staff employed in the processing of meat at the Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk had contact with live birds during their duties. (122097)

The Food Standards Agency inform me that their enquiries have shown that no staff handling meat at the plant handled live birds. The only staff coming into contact with live birds are those working in the lairage/killing area (which is separate from the main processing area). For hygiene reasons, these staff are not deployed in meat processing areas and there is no swapping of roles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the remit and role is of scientists in the Food Standards Agency in providing advice on avian influenza; and if she will place in the Library copies of the advice provided by those scientists since 19 January 2007. (122290)

The role of scientists in the Food Standards Agency is to gather and use appropriately and effectively all the available information on food safety aspects of avian flu and provide advice based on that evidence. The advice on the potential food safety risks associated with avian flu is based upon the conclusions of the Agency's independent Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), and research reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards. Copies of the advice provided by the Agency and the ACMSF are available in the Library.