Extract from Lords debate on Food Supply and Security - May 14
Friday, 15 May 2020 08:13
Baroness Sheehan (LD):...The British Veterinary Association states
that 95% of official veterinarians working in abattoirs come mainly
from the EU. These OVs are essential to ensuring compliance with
food standards and regulations, as well as upholding levels of
animal welfare. A reduction in their numbers will seriously
compromise the FSA’s ability to sustain a sufficient service. How
has the food safety inspections regime been coping with reduced
personnel, the difficulty of maintaining...Request free trial
(LD):...The British
Veterinary Association states that 95% of official veterinarians
working in abattoirs come mainly from the EU.
These OVs are essential to ensuring compliance with food standards
and regulations, as well as upholding levels of animal welfare. A
reduction in their numbers will seriously compromise the FSA’s
ability to sustain a sufficient service. How has the food safety
inspections regime been coping with reduced personnel, the
difficulty of maintaining social distancing measures in food
production settings, and a shortage of PPE? Essentially, is enough
being done to safeguard the public against the risk of food-borne
disease? Lastly, what advice have scientists given about the risk
of SARS-CoV-2 jumping the species barrier from humans back to the
animal kingdom—to, say, chickens?
(Lab):...Secondly,
the bottom fell out of the market for not just milk but beef and
lamb too. Producers are trying hard to find new markets with direct
sales to the public both locally and online. Small and medium-sized
local abattoirs are essential for this, but few
remain. The giants are often distant and do not cater for small,
private kills. The benefits of short supply lines are now apparent
to us all, as are the public benefits of reduced food miles and
local food from known provenance. In relation to future funding,
local abattoirs need to be recognised as a public
benefit by local enterprise partnerships, the shared prosperity
fund—which we are all looking to—and local authority planning
applications...
(Con):...Imports of fruit, meat and vegetables are higher than what
we currently produce, so will the Government take action to ensure
that we have greater self-sufficiency by boosting home production?
That is not to say that exports are not important, particularly in
areas such as pig-farming—pig parts are appetising to the Chinese
and provide a great export opportunity for somewhere such as the
Malton bacon factory. Will the Minister ensure that we do more to
improve our self-sufficiency, by taking more home-produced food,
and that animals are moving through the chain, through livestock
marts and abattoirs?
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