Fallen Stock

Mr. Hayes
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made to date of the total cost to the farming industry of implementing fallen stock disposal regulations.

Mr. Bradshaw
Assuming 100 per cent. compliance with the regulations, the Department has estimated that the cost of collection and disposal of all fallen stock in the UK is just over £50 million per year. However, about £30 million of that cost is accounted for by arrangements for testing of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and the costs are borne by the Government.

The voluntary National Fallen Stock Scheme (NFSS) also benefits from £20 million of Government funding over four years to November 2008, to assist with the costs to the industry of complying with the regulations. From November 2004 when the scheme started to November 2006, £11.5 million of Government funding had been given, with farmers who were members contributing just over £14 million.

However, it should be recognised that many livestock producers were already disposing of their fallen stock by means other than burial before the regulations came into force. In such cases implementing the regulations did not impose an additional cost.