| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 476
(b) Enhancement of new germplasm created by hybridising Italian and perennial ryegrass and development of new gene combinations in Italian ryegrass.(c) Develop and evaluate ryegrass/fescue hybrids with new potentials for coping with climatic change.
Location--IGAP, Aberystwyth
Funding in 1989-90--£322,000
37. Develop techniques and exploit genetic variation to improve legumes
Exploit genetic variation to improve yield, reliability of yield persistency and seed yield in white clover.
Location--IGAP, Aberystwyth
Funding in 1989-90--£114,000
38. Field boundaries : biological components influencing invertebrate predator overwintering
(a) To create overwintering habitats on farmland which favour the development of high numbers of polyphagous predatpors by modifying existing boundaries and by creating new ones.
(b) To monitor the accumulation of predators in autumn and winter in these new habitats together with their dispersal, distribution and predation rate in the crop in spring and summer.
(c) To convert the data into packaged' advice which could be made available via Videotex methods with ADAS cooperation.
Location--University of Southampton
Funding in 1989-90--£17,000
39. Exploitation of predatory beetles and parasitic wasps resident in field margins, hedgerows and shelter belts around grassland To enhance the number and variety of predators and parasitic invertebrates present by increasing the size, stability and diversity of the flora in hedgerows, field margins and shelter belts around grassland and to investigate ways of how this may best be achieved. Location--IGAP, Hurley
Funding in 1989-90--£30,000
40. Epidemiology and inter-relationships between clover viruses of pasture crops and field boundary ecosystems
To determine the field host range and interactions of the major viruses and their vectors that infect white clover, relating this to the ecology of hosts in field boundaries and in grassland crops. To identify for development resistant genotypes in white clover and related species and genera.
Location--IGAP, Aberystwyth
Funding in 1989-90--£23,000
41. Development of cold-active nematodes for insect pest control Location-- IHR, Littlehampton
Funding in 1989-90--£36,000
Bovine Somatotropin
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when tests being carried out on United Kingdom farms into bovine somatotropin are expected to end.
Mr. Maclean : Three BST products which have already satisfied consumer safety and quality requirements have been authorised to undergo field trials to generate the additional data needed to support product licence applications and the conduct of the trials is a matter for the companies concerned.
Veterinary Profession
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he intends to publish the Page report on the future of the veterinary profession ;
Column 477
(2) when he expects to receive the Page report on the future of the veterinary profession.Mr. Maclean : I have asked for the report of the committee, chaired by Dr. Ewan Page, on veterinary manpower needs and the demand for veterinary education, to be completed by the end of the year. Decisions on its publication have not yet been taken.
Veterinary Products Committee
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates of the meetings of the veterinary products committee since January 1988.
Mr. Maclean : Since 1 January 1988 the veterinary products committee has met on the following dates :
1988
21 January
17 to 18 February
24 March
21 April
23 June
20 to 21 July
21 to 22 September
20 October
17 November
14 December
1989
19 January
15 to 16 February
15 to 16 March
19 to 20 April
17 to 18 May
29 June
3 August
20 to 21 September
18 to 19 October
23 November
Microwave Ovens
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library the results of his survey into the effectiveness of microwave ovens.
Mr. Maclean : Yes, in accordance with our declared policy when I initiated the microwave study. I intend to publish the results of the survey once they have been submitted to me.
Contaminated Feed
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to make the results of the tests of lead in milk and meat available to the individual farmers affected by lead-contaminated cattle feed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The results of the tests on milk are now being made available to individual farmers.
I recently announced schemes which will provide for the removal of restrictions on cattle in circumstances where this can be done without risk to public health. The results of tests made pursuant to these schemes will be given to the farmers concerned as soon as possible.
Column 478
Details of the schemes have already been sent out to the farmers concerned and I shall be sending a copy to the hon. Gentleman for information.Cumbrian Fishermen
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 27 November to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark), whether fishermen who reside in Cumbria and are residents of the United Kingdom will be permitted to fish within the proposed territorial sea for the Isle of Man being explored for implementation under provisions of the Territorial Sea Act 1987.
Mr. Gummer : Yes. Any arrangement to implement the provision to extend the territorial sea to 12 miles around the Isle of Man in relation to fishing must safeguard the interests and traditional rights of all fishermen of all the nationalities (British, French, Belgian, Irish) who currently have access to the area concerned.
Lead-contaminated Feed
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received, and what measures of relief he is proposing, in the case of milk producers whose dairy cows have not been fed lead-contaminated feed but where orders of blanket coverage have been imposed because the farmer has received a quantity of contaminated feed designed for other animals.
Mr. Maclean : Milk restrictions have been lifted from farms as soon as contaminated feed has been removed and testing of milk has confirmed that lead levels remain consistently below 0.05 mg/l.
Hormone Implants (Cattle)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where each of the two convictions of farmers following the discovery of cattle with hormone implants were obtained ; and on what dates.
Mr. Maclean : The first of the two convictions was obtained at Rugby magistrates court on 5 May 1989 and the second at Wimborne magistrates court on 16 May 1989.
Chernobyl
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Minister of Agriclture, Fisheries and Food what checks or monitoring his Department carries out on radiation levels in food imported from eastern European countries, either direct or via other European Community countries, following the accident at Chernobyl ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Port health checks are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
|
| Home Page |