asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost both to farmers and to the Government of the national fallen stock scheme in the past 12 months. [HL823]
By 24 November 2006 more than 40,000 farmers had chosen to join the voluntary national fallen stock scheme, each paying a £28 annual fee for membership. This equates to around £1 million per annum in subscription fees. However, farmers may choose to dispose of their fallen stock outside of the scheme, provided that they comply with the Animal By-Products Regulations (EC) No. 1774/2002.
From November 2005 to November 2006, more than £7 million of funding was provided by the Government to the farming industry via the national fallen stock scheme to assist with the cost of complying with the regulations. Farmers who are members of the scheme contributed just over £8.5 million towards the collection and disposal costs.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What additional levels of carbon dioxide have been generated by incineration of carcasses that would hitherto have been buried; and what additional carbon dioxide was generated by the vehicles collecting fallen stock in the past 12 months. [HL824]
No assessment of this kind has been made. However, even before the complete ban on burial of fallen stock in 2003 there were very limited circumstances when burial of fallen stock was permitted because of the potential risk to animal and public health from doing so.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek a derogation under the European Union subsidiarity arrangements to enable the United Kingdom to dispose of fallen sheep by traditional burial; and [HL825]
Whether, in view of the fact that farmers can currently be licensed to incinerate fallen stock, they will license the burial of sheep where there is no danger of water pollution and a potential reduction of energy costs and pollution caused by incineration. [HL826]
There is no provision under the European Union animal by-products regulation (which bans on-farm burial of fallen stock) for seeking a derogation to permit the burial of sheep. The only derogations which permit burial are in the event of an outbreak of a notifiable disease and for certain designated remote areas. In the case of a disease outbreak, the derogation would apply if there were a lack of capacity at rendering plants and incinerators, or if transport of the carcases would spread disease.
Pollution control is not the main aim of this regulation. The regulation is there to protect public and animal health from any potential risks associated with the burial of fallen stock. Rendering and incineration provide safe, controlled routes of disposal.