Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of cows born annually in the UK prior to 1996; what estimate he has made of the number of cows which will have been culled by the Government by the end of 2008; and how many of these he expects will not meet the deadline for compensation.
Answer
[holding answer 15 September 2008]: Before 1996 detailed data of calves and cattle on UK agriculture holdings were compiled through the MAFF annual agriculture survey, and are available in the form of historical datasets through the Defra statistical website (data for years before 1983 available upon request).Data supplied by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) show that there are (as of end of June 2008) 230,757 cattle born before 1 August 1996 still remaining on farm, and it is expected that at least 362,000 cattle will have entered the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme (OCDS) from its inception by its closure on 31 December 2008; the predicted throughput indicates some 85,000 cattle remaining once the OCDS closes.All animals culled under this scheme, up to 31 December 2008, providing they meet the eligibility criteria, will meet the deadline for compensation.