Questioner: Victoria Prentis (CON - Banbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will provide guidance on the Government buying standards for food and catering services on sourcing game meat.
Answered by David Rutley
The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF) covers the categories of food typically served in public sector establishments. The Standards require that all UK legislative standards of production are met which, for meat and meat products, includes traceability, authenticity and animal welfare. These standards also apply to farmed game animals.
A complimentary tool to the GBSF is the Balanced Scorecard, which helps to evaluate the value of contract bids for bid and services. This tool references Statutory Management Requirements for wild birds.
In addition, the Food Standards Agency also provides a Meat Industry Guide and Wild Game guidance which set out comprehensive guidance on meeting legislative standards for meat production and hygiene regulations for supplying game for human consumption.
Questioner: Victoria Prentis (CON - Banbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is carrying out research to evaluate the cause of and potential threats posed by Alabama Rot to dogs in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
A private veterinary group is coordinating an investigation into the cause of the syndrome known as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) in the UK, which is sometimes referred to as Alabama rot. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has been engaging with this investigation since the outset and continues to do so.
Questioner: Victoria Prentis (CON - Banbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Chief Veterinary Officer on including Alabama Rot as a notifiable disease in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
Ministers have discussed the syndrome known as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) in the UK, which is sometimes referred to as Alabama rot, with the Chief Veterinary Officer. The pathogen for the syndrome has yet to be confirmed, and as there is no diagnostic test for the syndrome in living dogs, there are currently no plans to make CRGV a notifiable disease. CRGV poses no risk to human health.