1-14 of 14 results for subject:Contamination
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Q3
.
Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab):
In March, the Prime Minister rightly apologised for successive Governments who had failed to address properly the claims and the righteous indignation of the families whose lives were torn apart and of those who lost their lives in the contaminated blood scandal. He also said in response to a question that he would deal with this matter as a priority if he was re-elected. Can he update us now on his commitment to and progress on that issue, so that it is dealt with finally and fully for all those people who have lost their lives and for those who live with the damage caused by this scandal?
Q3
.
Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab):
In March, the Prime Minister rightly apologised for successive Governments who had failed to address properly the claims and the righteous indignation of the families whose lives were torn apart and of those who lost their lives in the contaminated blood scandal. He also said in response to a question that he would deal with this matter as a priority if he was re-elected. Can he update us now on his commitment to and progress on that issue, so that it is dealt with finally and fully for all those people who have lost their lives and for those who live with the damage caused by this scandal?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue. All of us as Members of Parliament have come across people who, through no fault of their own, were infected with blood with either HIV or hepatitis C, which has had very serious consequences for them.
In terms of what we are going to do about it—as the Scottish National party Member, the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart), shouts from a sedentary position—I said very clearly before the election that we have made available £25 million to help those families, and there will be a full statement by the Government before the summer recess to make sure that we deal with this issue in the best way we possibly can.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the industry samples tested for horsemeat contamination were tested outside of the UK.
[152821]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the industry samples tested for horsemeat contamination were tested outside of the UK.
[152821]
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not hold this information. The FSA cannot recommend or advocate to industry any particular laboratory for the analysis of meat products for the presence of horse DNA. The FSA can confirm however, that some industry testing has been undertaken outside of the United Kingdom.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) name, (b) location and (c) ownership of meat plants which may have been the sources of the horsemeat found in beefburgers.
[142943]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) name, (b) location and (c) ownership of meat plants which may have been the sources of the horsemeat found in beefburgers.
[142943]
Any information received by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson) in response to the current investigation into the use of horsemeat in the food chain is forwarded on to the Food Standards Agency as the appropriate competent enforcement authority.
The FSA and the police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are involved in a complicated and far-reaching investigation. It would not be appropriate to provide information that may affect a live investigation at this time.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has discussed with his Irish counterpart potential prosecutions in connection with the adulteration of meat products.
[142944]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has discussed with his Irish counterpart potential prosecutions in connection with the adulteration of meat products.
[142944]
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has had several discussions with Minister Coveney of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland. The police in both the UK and Ireland have been involved in the ongoing investigations of meat products.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that adulterated meat can in future be detected in the UK.
[142370]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that adulterated meat can in future be detected in the UK.
[142370]
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I are working closely with our counterparts in Ireland and across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, the first results of which will be received on 15 April. In addition, both domestic and imported horsemeat
will be tested for bute. The current paperwork based system will be replaced by a programme of testing real products.
Secondly, we have agreed to a new intelligence system so that information about the current investigations can be shared immediately. This will enable other member states to act immediately if they have any suspicions that food businesses are not playing by the rules. Member states have also agreed to use Europol to coordinate law enforcement efforts. Thirdly, because of the urgency with which we have to deal with what is clearly an international issue, we have agreed that the European Commission's report and recommendations on labelling the origin of all processed meat should be accelerated and published as soon as possible. We expect that this will provide consumers with clearer and more reliable information on where meat products come from. The Secretary of State made a statement to this effect on 13 February 2013.
We will work with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and food businesses to learn any lessons, and to make any changes that are needed to reinforce the integrity of the food chain. We want to restore and maintain consumer confidence. The FSA is working with scientists and food businesses to set a realistic maximum level of “carry over” for processing plants handling more than one type of meat if they follow good hygiene practices. Above this level there should be nothing in processed meat except what it says on the label. This is a complicated process and may take several weeks. In addition, the FSA is conducting tests for horsemeat in beef products which will help pinpoint the parts of the food supply chain which may require strengthening to minimise the risk of food fraud.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in the UK are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.
[142942]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in the UK are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.
[142942]
There are seven laboratories in the UK that are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Food Standards Agency will announce the test results on meat withdrawn from sale.
[142294]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Food Standards Agency will announce the test results on meat withdrawn from sale.
[142294]
Immediately after the results of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland's survey were issued, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched an investigation into how a number of beef products on sale in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland came to contain some traces of horse and pig DNA. The results of these investigations are being published on the agency's website at:
www.food.gov.uk
At a meeting on 4 February, the FSA agreed with the food industry to publish the results of industry testing of meat products, to provide a clearer picture of standards in the food chain. The results will also be made publicly available. The outcome of this meeting was published on our website at:
www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/feb/fsa-statement
The FSA will also publish the results from the UK-wide study of food authenticity on equine and porcine DNA in processed meat products available at retail, catering and wholesale businesses, including wholesale businesses supplying schools and hospitals. The study is already under way and results will be published in April 2013.
In addition, on 7 February, the FSA announced it is demanding a more comprehensive meat testing programme from food businesses. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horse meat in all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagne. The deadline for these results to be provided to the FSA is 15 February.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has written to local authorities and trading standards officers to encourage them to test for adulterated meat.
[142371]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has written to local authorities and trading standards officers to encourage them to test for adulterated meat.
[142371]
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) wrote to local authorities on 17 January 2013 to inform them about the Food Safety Authority Ireland's survey of beef products. This drew their attention to the FSA's four-point action plan, and in particular the plans for a United Kingdom-wide study of food authenticity of equine and porcine DNA in processed meat products, in which local authorities could take part. Subsequently, the FSA has written to the 28 local authorities selected to participate in that study with details of their sampling plans. The FSA will continue to communicate with local authorities to let them know how they can contribute to monitoring and surveillance of adulterated meat in the UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he has taken of the levels of payments made to haemophiliac patients infected by contaminated blood and blood products in the Republic of Ireland in determining the level of payments to such patients; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he has taken of the levels of payments made to haemophiliac patients infected by contaminated blood and blood products in the Republic of Ireland in determining the level of payments to such patients; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the implementation of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the National Blood Service on independent efficacy trials for blood filtering and prion filtration; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the implementation of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the National Blood Service on independent efficacy trials for blood filtering and prion filtration; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of the provisions of the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords].
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of the provisions of the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords].
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of introducing annual payments for haemophiliac patients who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood or blood products similar to those for patients who contracted HIV.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of introducing annual payments for haemophiliac patients who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood or blood products similar to those for patients who contracted HIV.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of screening processes for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in blood and blood products; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of screening processes for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in blood and blood products; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons there is a difference in the level of payments for haemophiliac patients infected with HIV by contaminated blood or blood products and those infected with hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons there is a difference in the level of payments for haemophiliac patients infected with HIV by contaminated blood or blood products and those infected with hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement.