BSE, the cost of a crisis : thirty-fourth report, together with the proceedings of the Committee relating to the report, the minutes of evidence and appendices / Committee of Public Accounts.

  • Public Accounts Committee
Date:
1999
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: BSE, the cost of a crisis : thirty-fourth report, together with the proceedings of the Committee relating to the report, the minutes of evidence and appendices / Committee of Public Accounts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/68 (page 4)
    30 November 1998] [Continued to remove animals which may have been infected through maternal transmission, the only known route of infection after 1 August 1996. The scheme, which will be made compulsory as soon as proposals for the Date Based Export Scheme are agreed in Brussels, may result in the slaughter of around 10,000 animals. NUMBER OF ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED 6. The total number of animals slaughtered, as reflected in our report as at 30 September 1997 and the current position, is: Million As at 30 September Report 1998 Over Thirty Month Scheme 1.74 Py) | Calf Processing 0.835 1.47 Selective Cull 0.03 0.07 Total 2.6 4.11 Over TuirTy Monto SCHEME 7. The main costs of the scheme are: £ Million 1996-97 1997-98 1 Compensation payments 670 274 Slaughter payments to abattoirs 71 28 Storage and transport costs 55 aod Payments for rendering 55 52 Incineration costs 7 30 Total 858 428 8. The compensation rates applicable from 1 September 1997 were approximately 56 pence per kilogram for cull cows and 63 pence per kilogram for other cattle (paragraph 2.40). These rates fell to 54 pence and 61 pence respectively on 1 June 1998 following a revaluation of the agricultural exchange rate. However, they returned to their former levels on 1 November 1998 following a devaluation. 9. The number of animals being entered for the scheme since January 1997 varied between 10,000 and 20,000 animals a week and averaged 15,000 (paragraph 2.51). In the period since our report, there has been a seasonal increase from around 10,000 to over 20,000 animals a week, accelerated by poor weather conditions. 10. As at March 1998, £1.5 million of advances paid to farmers in July 1996 remained outstanding (paragraph 2.57). By September 1998 this had reduced to £1.1 million and is categorised as follows: Total amount outstanding £ million Farmer agreed to pay 0.12 In dispute 0.03 Farmer in liquidation or untraceable 0.07 Legal proceedings initiated 0.87 SELECTIVE CULL 11. The selective cull aims to identify cattle born at about the same time and within the same herd as confirmed BSE cases. The progress on the selective cull (paragraph 3.31) is: