The measures I put in place to control the use of meat and bonemeal are the strictest in the world and they are credible. Under a new labelling requirement which will come into effect on 1 January next, meal bags must be labelled stating that they contain meat and bonemeal and that it is illegal to feed it to animals or, alternatively, that the bags do not contain meat and bonemeal.
Herds were being depopulated and smuggled animals were being brought in. We are storing meat and bonemeal and under international law we cannot dump it at sea. We do not have a national incinerator and a landfill site would be horrific because of a rotten smelling odour. We must consider rapidly the question of a national incinerator. An interdepartmental committee is currently considering the matter, but we are awaiting an EU directive. Such a directive will probably be issued next year stating that the heads of all sheep and cattle cannot go into meat and bonemeal and that they should be incinerated. We must address that crisis next year.
I was asked, should we feed meat and bonemeal to pigs and poultry? The best scientific information available to me is that in every member state, barring Britain and Northern Ireland, they do allow it. We export meat and bonemeal to them. Leaving aside the practicalities of what else we would do with it — it is a waste management problem in that context — I assure the House that I am trying to crack down using the task force that was used in illegal substance abuse to get them to monitor and police stocks of meat and bonemeal not accounted for. We must be tough on anyone buying it.
If I was to pinpoint one reason we have run into difficulties and continue to do so, it is because the ban was there in letter but not in name. I regret that but it is a public health issue. When I am asked how these cases can be explained, that is the best explanation I can come up with. It is the reason younger cows contract BSE, although the three cases announced today are all pre-1990.