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Hormone Growth Promoters
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those hormone growth promoters currently approved for use in the United Kingdom and state the species for which each is authorised.
Mr. Maclean : No hormonal products are approved for use as growth promoters.
Food Safety
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates within the last 12 months he has met representatives from (a) the Food and Drink Federation, (b) the Co-op, and (c) Grand Metropolitan to discuss food matters.
Mr. Curry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Tuesday, 28 November 1989 at column 192.
Eggs
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last reviewed the import penetration of the United Kingdom egg market ; and on what figures his current estimate is based.
Mr. Curry : We monitor the trade position on the basis of monthly Customs and Excise data. In addition, we conduct an annual review of agriculture, the results of which are now published in the series "Agriculture in the UK". "Agriculture in the UK 1988", which was published early in 1989, covered the position to the end of last year. The results of the current review will be published in due course.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether any eggs are imported to be sold in the United Kingdom without undergoing salmonella checks ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what tests for salmonella are required for (a) domestic and (b) imported eggs ; and what are the reasons for any differences.
Mr. Curry : We are testing domestic flocks. Clearly we cannot do this for imports. But imported eggs are monitored for salmonella. When we find invasive salmonella in imports we take the case up with the member state concerned.
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Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will exclude small-scale breeders of rare and fancy poultry breeds where eggs are not sold for human consumption from the provisions of his salmonella control measures ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Breeding flocks of less than 25 birds are excluded from the scope of the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries (Registration and Testing) Order 1989. For flocks of 25 birds or more the order provides for exemption from some of the testing requirements. This provision may, depending on the circumstances, be applied to small flocks of rare breeds.
Public Appointments
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many persons above the age of (a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Curry : I regret that the information requested is not readily available.
Microwave Ovens
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will impose regulations on the temperature controls of microwave ovens ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : As the Minister made clear in the House on 6 December at column 325 the microwave ovens tested in the recent study are, in large measure, not defective. The manufacturers have issued updated instructions about their use, where the ovens were found to be not heating evenly, and have agreed to ensure that new microwave ovens will meet the higher standards which the tests have shown to be necessary.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of his survey into microwave ovens ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The cost of the report by the Institute of Food Research on testing uniformity and reproducibility of reheating in domestic microwave ovens was £28,490.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what payment he received from industry towards the costs of his survey into microwave ovens ; what was the value of models of ovens donated by the manufacturers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Industry made no financial contribution towards the cost of the survey. The models to be tested were decided by the researchers on the basis of sales figures for both branded and own-brand microwaves. The particular ovens were selected at random by the researchers from manufacturers' or retailers' warehouse stock. We do not have details of the potential cost if the Ministry had had to buy the 102 ovens concerned, as it would have made no difference to the study.
Mr. Beith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which microwave cookers failed to heat food to a safe temperature in tests carried out by his Department.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the manufacturer's
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name and model type of those microwave ovens which fail to heat products above 70 deg. C in his recent study ; and if he will make a statement ;(2) whether he will now issue guidelines to consumers about the use of microwave ovens which fail to reach 70 deg. C ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : As the Minister announced on 6 December at col. 323, the manufacturers of microwave ovens have at his request issued updated instructions about their use, in cases where the recent study showed that food was not evenly heated. The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances (AMDEA) issued a press release that day listing the ovens and brief instructions and a copy is in the Library of the House.
Market Research
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many market research and sample surveys were carried out by or for his Ministry in the last 12 months ; what was the cost of each ; what was the total cost ; how many were carried out in house ; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations ; and what percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.
Mr. Curry : Information is not available in the form requested. Most statutory and other sample surveys are carried out using the Department's own resources and are reviewed at regular intervals to ensure they are cost -effective. The only major market research survey in the last 12 months was one on public attitudes to food safety which was conducted by outside organisations at a cost of £33,000.
Coffee
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received any representations about the retail price of coffee.
Mr. Gummer : Yes. I have asked the Director General of Fair Trading to look into the matter.
Poultry Laying Flocks
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional financial support he is making to enable county council animal health inspectors to enforce his orders dealing with the registration and testing of poultry laying flocks ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The resources required for this work will be taken into account in future decisions on funding of local authorities.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
Mr. Amos : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to ensure that any changes to hill livestock compensatory allowances agreed at the Agriculture Council meeting on 11 December do not discriminate against the interests of British farmers in less favoured areas.
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Mr. Curry : The changes to the EC rules governing hill livestock compensatory allowances will not take effect until 1991. We have yet to take the policy decisions about the consequential effects on our national arrangements.
Food from Britain
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he decided not to appoint a representative of consumer interests to the council of Food from Britain.
Mr. Curry : Food from Britain's primary role is to assist British food producers better to respond to consumer requirements both at home and in the export market. The range of talent, expertise and experience now represented on the Food from Britain council will ensure that all interests concerned in Food from Britain's work, including the consumer interests to which the Government attach a great deal of importance, will be taken properly into account.
Ractopamine
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the uses of ractopamine in pig rearing.
Mr. Maclean : I understand that ractopamine is the active ingredient in growth promoters used in some other countries, but no such product has been authorised for use in the United Kingdom.
Fishing Quotas
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to bring forward his proposals for the 1990 fishing quotas, total allowable catches and other restrictions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The EC Commission's proposals on total allowable catches and quotas for 1990 are expected very shortly. The United Kingdom will of course be pressing for the best possible fishing opportunities for the United Kingdom fleet consistent with the conservation of the stocks.
North Sea
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 4 December, if he will list the competent international organisations which have agreed that (1) harsh waters from the synthesis of intal ; (2) aqueous residues from preparation of paracetemol ; and (3) salt solution from manufacture of O-tolex-bighamide cause no harm to the marine environment under the terms of article XVI (a) of the ministerial declaration of the second international conference of the protection of the North sea ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The ministerial declaration provides for a country to show to the competent international organisation that a waste causes no harm in the marine environment. It has been agreed that the Oslo Commission is the competent international organisation for this purpose, and the Oslo Commission has agreed an appropriate procedure to be followed. The Government have initiated the procedure and, as required by it, are currently in touch with other countries.
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DEFENCE
Market Research
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many market research and sample surveys were carried out by or for his Department in the last 12 months ; what was the cost of each ; what was the total cost ; how many were carried out in-house ; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations ; and what percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : During the financial year 1988-89, the latest 12 months for which information is available, 28 market research and sample surveys were carried out for the Ministry of Defence at a total cost of £247,362. All were carried out by outside organisations.
Atomic Control Office
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials from his Department are assigned to the Atomic Control Office ; what changes in numbers of personnel in the Atomic Control Office have been made since 1979 ; and how many meetings have been held between officials of the Atomic Control Office and officials or political representatives from the United States Government in each year since 1979 on the 1958 United Kingdom--United States mutual defence agreement on atomic energy matters.
Mr. Alan Clark : In 1979 the complement of the Atomic Control Office (London) (ACO(L)) was four persons. This was increased to five in the spring of 1987. Since January 1986 meetings between ACO(L) personnel and United States officials have averaged two per year. Figures for the years 1979 to 1985 are not readily available and the cost of obtaining them would be disproportionate.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation plans to deter the use of chemical weapons by the Warsaw treaty organisation forces following the complete withdrawal of United States chemical weapons from Europe by 1992.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We believe that the strategy of flexible response will continue to provide the best means of deterring any aggression in Europe.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the deployment of United States binary chemical weapons to the United Kingdom in time of crisis under the terms of the United States' contingency deployment plan ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 3 November at column 625.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's chemical deterrence posture of the complete withdrawal of United States chemical weapons from Europe by 1992.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United States will on present plans continue to retain a limited retaliatory chemical warfare capability, which will form a contribution to NATO's overall strategy of deterrence.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether NATO has adopted procedures for the authorised release of chemical weapons in Europe in time of crisis.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 June 1986 at columns 163-64.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States of America has adopted a contingency deployment plan for the deployment of chemical weapons in Europe in time of crisis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 July 1986 at columns 489-90, to which I have nothing to add.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation policy on retaining the nuclear capability, specifically to hit targets in the western districts of the Soviet Union, in the aftermath of the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Alliance reaffirmed at the NATO summit in May that for the foreseeable future there was no alternative to the policy of flexible response as a strategy of deterrence, and that this strategy requires a mix of nuclear and conventional forces, including European-based ground-launched nuclear missiles, which should be kept up to date where necessary.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sub- strategic nuclear systems the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation currently possesses that are capable of reaching targets in the western districts of the Soviet Union.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to volume 1 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989 (Cm 675-I). The information he requires is listed in figure 12 under NATO's intermediate nuclear forces.
Tax-free Concessions
Mr. Nicholas-Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the tax-free concessions available to British service men based (a) in the United Kingdom, and (b) abroad.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to my hon. Friend.
Atomic Weapons Establishment
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what statute the Government will appoint a management contractor to run the atomic weapons establishment.
Mr. Neubert : No specific statutory authority is necesssary for the appointment of the initial management contractor at AWE by Government contract following selection by competion.
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Mr. O'Neill : To as the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current annual labour costs of the atomic weapons research establishments at (a) Aldermaston, (b) Burghfield, (c) Cardiff and (d) Foulness.Mr. Neubert : For security reasons, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to release information of this nature.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average length of service of (a) administrative, executive and clerical staff, (b) specialist staff, (c) industrial-craft staff and (d) industrial non-craft staff at the atomic weapons establishment site at Aldermaston.
Mr. Neubert : The average length of service of staff at AWE Aldermaston is :
Industrials: 8 years.
Non-industrials: 14 years.
A more detailed breakdown is not readily available.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of (a) administrative, executive and clerical staff, (b) specialist staff, (c) industrial-craft staff and (d) industrial-non craft staff employed by the atomic weapons establishment.
Mr. Neubert : It is not our practice to disclose details of the number or deployment of staff employed on the nuclear programme.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of staff attached to the safety division of the atomic weapons establishment ; and what is its current budget.
Mr. Neubert : For reasons of national security it has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal the number or deployment of staff employed at the atomic weapons establishment.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current shortfall in staff at the atomic weapons research establishments in Aldermaston in the following grades (a) administrative, executive and clerical staff, (b) specialist staff, (c) industrial-craft staff and (d) industrial-non craft staff.
Mr. Neubert : The current staff shortfalls at AWE Aldermaston broken down by category are as follows :
|Number
------------------------------------------------------------
Administrative, Executive and Clerical Grades |43
Specialist Staff |129
Craft Industrials |66
Non Craft Industrials |54
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of overtime that has been paid out at the atomic weapons establishment sites at (a) Aldermaston, (b) Burghfield, (c) Cardiff and (d) Foulness.
Mr. Neubert : The total amount of overtime paid out at the AWE sites during 1988-89 is :
-------------------- Aldermaston |6.6 Burghfield |0.9 Cardiff |0.4 Foulness |0.5
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans exist for the retention of the safety division of the atomic weapons establishment after the introduction of private contractors at the atomic weapons establishment.
Mr. Neubert : Safety will remain the highest priority. The detailed relationship between the existing safety division and the proposed compliance office is still under consideration.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the nature of the relationship between the chief executive of the atomic weapons establishment and the compliance director of that establishment under the Government's proposals for the future organisation of the atomic weapons establishment.
Mr. Neubert : Following the appointment of the management contractor, it is planned that the compliance director will be responsible for advising the chief executive on environmental, safety and health requirements. In addition, the compliance director will be responsible to the Ministry of Defence on safety and security issues, with particular reference to the contractor's performance in these respects.
Frigates
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to place any orders for type 23 frigates.
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