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Livestock Welfare
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the recommendations of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of livestock when slaughtered by religious methods he proposes not to implement ; which would require primary legislation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Government's response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on religious slaughter was published on 29 October 1987 (MAFF press release No. 326/87) and a copy is available in the Library of the House. This explains the Government's conclusions on each of the council's recommendations and the reasons for them. Proposals for regulations to implement many of the council's recommendations were issued for public comment on 20 June 1989. Representations received are now being considered and regulations will be laid before Parliament in the near future.
Primary legislation is required to implement a council recommendation that deer should not be slaughtered by religious methods in abattoirs, although my understanding is that no such slaughter takes place. The legislation will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary programme permits.
Food Irradiation
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what departmental representation there was at the international meeting on food irradiation organised through the international consultative group on food irradation, held in the United States between 27 November and 1 December.
Mr. Maclean : There was no departmental representation ; the meeting was concerned solely with the harmonisation of regulations on trade in irradiated food between the countries on the continent of America in which the process is applied.
Sheep Dips
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to offer new guidance concerning the disposal of organophosphate sheep dips ; and if he has any proposals to ban the use of soakaways for this purpose.
Mr. Maclean : Sheep dip disposal is currently being reviewed by the pesticide disposal working group, which reports to the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides. Moreover sheep dip product licences--including organophosphates--are being included in a review of ectoparasiticide product licences commencing this year. In the light of the conclusions of these reviews I shall consider whether to revise existing guidance. Increased restrictions on the use of soakaways would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
Column 820
Nitrates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals to introduce maximum limits of nitrates permissible in winter vegetables grown in intensive growing systems ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Levels of nitrates in vegetables are kept under close review as part of the Government's ongoing programme of food surveillance. The committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment has examined the results of this monitoring and concluded that any possible risk to health from dietary intake of nitrates is likely to be small. Accordingly, I have no proposals to introduce maximum limits.
Cattle Imports
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date he was notified of each of the bans imposed by those countries operating restrictions against the import of live cattle from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : The table provides information in respect of those countries which at present do not permit the import of live cattle from the United Kingdom because of concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Country |Date of notification
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sweden |21 October 1988
Australia |1 December 1988
New Zealand |20 December 1988
Finland |4 January 1989
United States of America |24 July 1989
Member states of the European
Community:
(i) Cattle born before 18 July 1988 |28 July 1989
(ii) Cattle more than 6 months of age
|With effect from 1 March 1990
Israel |Not applicable<1>
<1>Israel has issued no licences for imports of cattle from the United Kingdom for a number of
years.
Overfishing
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he is giving to the ruling by Sheriff Douglas Risk at Aberdeen sheriff court on 19 January that charges of overfishing are not a criminal offence under the Sea Fish Conservation Act 1967 ; whether he has any plans to seek to amend current legislation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her today by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office.
United Kingdom Fishing Fleet
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of the required reduction of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet in (a) percentage terms, (b) terms of gross registered tonnage and (c) engine power and approximate number of vessels under the multi-annual guidance programme over the next two years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows :
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------------------------------------------------------------------
Active fleet size
30 June 1989 |165,878|- |849,032|-
Target reductions
31 December 1990 |150,336|9.4 |785,340|7.6
31 December 1991 |141,620|14.6 |748,145|11.9
Notes:
1. Figures are based on commercially active fishing vessels.
2. Flags of convenience vessels are excluded.
3. Figures are currently being renegotiated with commision
officials.
4. Vessels numbers are not required for MAGP purposes.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the size of the United Kingdom's fleet of active, commercial fishing vessels in each of the past seven years.
Mr. Curry : The size of the United Kingdom's fleet of active, commercial fishing vessels in each of the past seven years is as follows :
Year |Number of
|vessels
------------------------------
1982 |6,797
1983 |7,227
1984
1985 |7,920
1986 |8,166
1987 |8,193
1988 |8,125
Information for 1989 is not yet available. The figures have been taken from MAFF's annual publication "Sea Fisheries Statistic Tables" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office and are as at 31 December of each year.
Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to include a site or sites in south Wales on the short list of locations for relocation of the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, Reading.
Mr. Curry : A site in south Wales has been shortlisted, along with sites in other parts of the United Kingdom, for the relocation of a major part of the work of the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce a decision on the relocation of part or all of the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, Reading.
Mr. Curry : As soon as my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland, and for Northern Ireland and the Minister of Agriculture have concluded their consideration of the advice received from the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.
Livestock Welfare
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the recommendations of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of livestock--red meat animals--at the time of slaughter, he proposes not to implement ; which would require primary legislation to implement ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 822
Mr. Maclean : The Government's response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter was published on 20 August 1985 (MAFF Press Release No. 235) and a copy is available in the Library of the House. This explains the Government's conclusions on each of the council's recommendations and the reasons for them.
A number of the council's recommendations are included in proposals for regulations which were issued for public comment on 20 June 1989. Representations received are now being considered and regulations will be laid before Parliament in the near future.
Primary legislation is needed to :
require local authorities to designate an official to be responsible for welfare supervision in red meat slaughterhouses ; enable Ministers to issue directions to local authorities on supervision and enforcement matters relating to welfare ; give Ministers power to require slaughterhouse management to nominate a member of staff to be specifically responsible for animal welfare ;
give Ministers powers to issue codes of practice with statutory backing on matters relating to welfare of animals in slaughterhouses ;
add rabbits to the species covered by the welfare provisions of the Slaughterhouses Act 1974 and the Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) Act 1980 ;
require licences for slaughterhouses to be renewed on an annual basis in Scotland (this is already a requirement in England and Wales) ;
provide additional powers necessary for the training and licensing of slaughtermen.
Primary legislation will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary programme permits.
Quarantine
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if animals imported into the United Kingdom for experimentation purposes are subject to normal quarantine regulations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : There are no exceptions to the general quarantine regulations.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures for the total numbers imported into the United Kingdom for experimentation purposes during 1989 of (a) dogs and (b) primates.
Mr. Maclean : During 1989 647 dogs and 3,671 primates were imported into the United Kingdom for research purposes.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Contracts
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988-89 financial year and in the current financial year to date ; and how many of these were (a) automatically renewed and (b) open to competition by advertisement throughout the European Community.
Column 823
Mr. Cope : The number of contracts awarded by Northern Ireland Departments and covered by the provisions of the EC supplies directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000, was 23 in the 1988-89 financial year and 26 in the current financial year to date. Of these 11 were awarded following advertisement in the EC journal and 38 were considered to be exempt from advertising and may have been awarded to the previous supplier.Police Liaison Committees
Mr. Ashdown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many district councils in Northern Ireland have official or unofficial police liaison committees.
Mr. Cope : A total of 21 of the 26 district councils have police liaison committees.
Recruitment Advertising
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the amount expended on recruitment advertising for the last three years by each
Column 824
Northern Ireland Department and the total amount, together with a breakdown of the spending between (a) regional press, (b) national press, (c) specialist or periodical press and (d) other.Mr. Cope : Recruitment of all permanent non-industrial staff for NI Departments is the responsibility of the Civil Service Commission for Northern Ireland and expenditure cannot be disaggregated. Total expenditure for the last three financial years for NI Departments and the NIO is given in the table.
The recruitment of industrial staff is usually done through job markets with some expenditure on local press advertising as follows :
Recruitment advertising costs incurred by the Civil Service Commission and the NIO
Financial Year ending |Regional |National |Professional |Other |Total
|press (NI) |press (United |journals etc
|Kingdom)
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31 March 1987 |83,948.70 |13,393.19 |34,800.93 |2,381.40 |134,524.22
31 March 1988 |84,301.05 |20,722.09 |38,771.50 |Nil |143,794.72
31 March 1989 |87,723.22 |22,252.29 |23,415.70 |4,617.40 |138,008.61
Recruitment advertising costs incurred by the Civil Service Commission and the NIO
Financial Year ending |Regional |National |Professional |Other |Total
|press (NI) |press (United |journals etc
|Kingdom)
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31 March 1987 |83,948.70 |13,393.19 |34,800.93 |2,381.40 |134,524.22
31 March 1988 |84,301.05 |20,722.09 |38,771.50 |Nil |143,794.72
31 March 1989 |87,723.22 |22,252.29 |23,415.70 |4,617.40 |138,008.61
Bathing Water
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will announce the results of the survey of bathing water quality made in 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The results for the survey carried out during the 1989 bathing season showed that all of the 16 identified bathing waters in Northern Ireland met the mandatory coliform bacteria standards of the EC bathing water directive. The corresponding figure for 1988 was 14.
The 1989 results for Northern Ireland are set out in summary form. Arrangements have been made to place a more detailed summary of the results in the Library and also to send copies to the Commission of the European Communities.
|Result
---------------------------------------------
Magilligan |Pass
Castlerock |Pass
Portstewart |Pass
Portrush (Mill Strand) |Pass
Portrush (Curran Strand) |Pass
Ballycastle |Pass
Brown's Bay |Pass
Helen's Bay |Pass
Crawfordsburn |Pass
Ballyholme |Pass
Groomsport |Pass
Millisle |Pass
Newcastle |Pass
Cranfield (Nicholson's Strand) |Pass
Cranfield (Cranfield Bay) |Pass
Tyrella |Pass
RUC (Firearms Section)
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilian employees, and of what grades, are employed in the Royal Ulster Constabulary firearms section ; what are their salaries ; and what were the numbers, grades and salaries five years and 10 years ago.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 9 January 1990] : The Chief Constable has informed me that the information on staffing levels and salaries as at 1 January 1990 and five and 10 years ago is as follows :
Grade |Numbers |Salary
|£ (each)
----------------------------------------------------
January 1990
Executive Officer II |1 |9,686
Administrative Officer |5 |8,029
Administrative Assistant |27 |6,529
Typist |2 |6,754
|------ |------
Total |35
January 1985
Executive Officer II |1 |7,481
Administrative Officer |3 |5,748
Administrative Assistant |16 |4,628
|------ |------
Total |20
January 1980
Administrative Officer |5 |3,123
Administrative Assistant |21 |2,600
|------ |------
Total |26
Column 825
Firearms Certificates
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the reasons for the increase in cost of a new firearms certificate to the present level in January 1990.
Mr. Cope : Fees for firearms certificates are set so as to recover the costs of administering the licensing system, the largest single element of which is police staff costs. The fee
Column 826
for a new firearms certificate was increased from 1 January 1990 to reflect the increased costs since the fee was last set in 1986.Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many firearms certificates have been issued to visitors to Northern Ireland in each of the last five years for (a) shotguns, (b) .22 rifles, (c) rifles of a calibre larger than .22 and (d) other firearms.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 9 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that the information is as follows :
Column 825
------------------------- 1989 |156|37 |42 |8 1988 |70 |29 |13 |6 1987 |83 |15 |21 |4 1986 |108|4 |7 |3 1985 |153|7 |26 |5
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many persons in Northern Ireland hold certificates as firearms dealers.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 9 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that there are 155 registered firearms dealers in Northern Ireland.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons in Northern Ireland, not being firearms dealers, have firearms certificates on which are listed more than 10 firearms which are a mixture of muzzle loading and cartridge firing weapons ; whether such persons are treated as collectors of firearms ; and what were the numbers of such persons five and 10 years ago or as much of such information as is available to him.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 9 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that the information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Nursing and Residential Homes
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents of (a) private residential homes, (b) private nursing homes, (c) National Health Service residential homes and (d) National Health Service nursing homes are in receipt of income support ; and if he will give details for each health board unit of management.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 19 January 1990] : The information in relation to (a), (b) and (c) is not readily available and there are no Health Service nursing homes. The available figures are as follows :
Numbers of income support recipients in private and voluntary
homes: May 1989
Board/unit of management |In homes for |In nursing
|persons in |homes
|need<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern
Antrim/Ballymena |84 |139
Magherafelt/Cookstown |28 |79
Coleraine/Ballymoney/Moyle |166 |191
Larne/Carrickfergus/
Newtownabbey |42 |259
Southern
Armagh/Dungannon |74 |119
Craigavon/Banbridge |10 |132
Newry/Mourne |86 |183
Eastern
South Belfast |323 |51
East Belfast/Castlereagh |102 |72
North and West Belfast |172 |242
Down |149 |151
North Down/Ards |158 |169
Lisburn |32 |16
Western
Omagh |10 |37
Fermanagh |13 |33
Londonderry/LImavady/Strabane |192 |51
|----- |-----
Totals |1,641 |1,924
<1>Excluding Abbeyfield Homes.
Numbers of income support recipients in health and social services boards homes: May 1988, 980 (Not
available by area. Source: 5 per cent. sample).
Post Office Counters Ltd.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether Post Office Counters Ltd. was requested, prior to the nominated date of 15 January 1990, to register with the Fair Employment Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 22 January 1990] : I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 23 January 1990 at column 635.
Cerebral Palsy
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of children born in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, who have been diagnosed as having cerebral palsy.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 22 January 1990] : This information is not available centrally.
Column 827
Mines
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list his powers in relation to the licensing of the opening or operation of mines in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January 1990] : With the exception of precious metals the responsibility for the licensing of any prospecting or mining operations in Northern Ireland falls to the Department of Economic Development under the Mineral Development Act (NI) 1969. The Act vests ownership of most minerals in the Department and empowers it to grant prospecting licences and mining leases, licences, and permissions. Mining applications are subject, of course, to the normal planning procedures operated by the Department of the Environment (NI). The licensing of precious metals is dealt with by the Crown Estate Commissioners.
Brandywell Stadium
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the safety and fire regulations that apply to the Brandywell stadium.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January] : Duties are laid upon the employers of work people in the Brandywell stadium and upon the persons in control of the Brandywell stadium by the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.
Regulations made under that order which the Department of Economic Development's health and safety inspectorate considers applicable to work activities at the Brandywell stadium are :--
The Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979.
The Safety Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1981
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982
The Petroleum--Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1983
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Brandywell football ground was last inspected in regard to fire and safety regulations and if any improvements were required.
Column 828
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The last inspection of the Brandywell football ground by an inspector from the Department of Economic Development's health and safety inspectorate was on 8 April 1986. At this inspection it was confirmed that certain improvements had been made in compliance with recommendations arising out of an earlier inspection on 9 July 1985.
The last inspection by the Northern Ireland fire brigade was on 14 December 1989. No improvements were required.
Sporting Events (Disturbances)
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those sporting events in Northern Ireland in 1989 at which there were disturbances either during the event or among supporters preceding or following the event which required action by the police ; how many persons were arrested at each such disturbance ; and what were the events and teams involved.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has informed me that the information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Tourism
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show for each of the last three years the sums paid by the Government to each district council in Northern Ireland to encourage tourism ; what sums for capital expenditure have been paid to each council for tourist amenities ; and what are his projections for the current and future two years.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 23 January 1990] : Government assistance to district councils for tourism development takes the form of grants toward the cost of providing tourist amenities. The amounts paid in each financial year are as follows :
Column 827
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Antrim |0 |7,602 |0 |53,030
Ards |151,367 |64,654 |83,290 |119,596
Armagh |10,147 |1,461 |12,757 |3,096
Ballymena |0 |0 |0 |0
Ballymoney |1,875 |0 |8,772 |59,639
Banbridge |3,532 |0 |0 |4,156
Belfast |133,753 |216,521 |196,444 |97,698
Carrickfergus |0 |3,474 |0 |0
Castlereagh |0 |0 |0 |0
Coleraine |405,183 |34,444 |89,531 |159,385
Cookstown |0 |0 |10,005 |50,000
Craigavon |0 |0 |13,124 |690
Derry |2,772 |17,957 |10,465 |33,815
Down |58,807 |14,571 |95,044 |123,591
Dungannon |2,176 |20,329 |20,602 |54,523
Fermanagh |61,407 |160,732 |42,245 |74,066
Larne |49,959 |55,363 |143,653 |35,778
Limavady |50 |10,910 |51,990 |93,393
Lisburn |0 |0 |0 |12,000
Magherafelt |0 |0 |0 |22,000
Moyle |99,288 |52,633 |0 |0
Newry and Mourne |17,193 |25,552 |28,624 |53,423
Newtownabbey |0 |0 |0 |0
North Down |11,070 |3,787 |0 |14,682
Omagh |8,503 |7,450 |18,338 |122,268
Strabane |0 |655 |18,588 |45,512
|---------|---------|---------|---------
Total |1,017,082|698,095 |843,472 |1,232,341
Present estimates for the total expenditure for 1990-91 and 1991-92 are £1.17 million and £1.2 million respectively. Expenditure in respect of each council will depend on the extent and speed with which that council takes forward eligible projects.
Column 830
Suckler Cows
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to what was the average gross margin for a suckler cow in Northern Ireland in the years 1984 to 1989; and what information he has as to the average net profit per cow.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 23 January 1990] : Average gross margins for suckler cows for the years 1984-85 to 1988-89 are presented in the table.
Column 829
Suckler cow gross margins (£s per cow) Cow Type |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lowland |233 |140 |140 |277 |229 Original Less Favoured Area |232 |191 |180 |253 |299 New Less Favoured Area<1> |- |- |234 |282 |330 <1> Insufficient data in 1984-85 and 1985-86 to justify publication. Source: The Northern Ireland Farm Business Survey.
An estimate of net profit per cow would require that farm fixed costs are allocated to individual enterprises. It is not possible to do this on a realistic basis.
Animal Feeds
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what safeguards have been implemented to ensure that imported grain which has been contaminated with lead or other substances dangerous to animal health will not be incorporated into animal feeds sold in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 23 January 1990] : It is a requirement that animal feed, including imports and imported ingredients, comply with the Feeding Stuffs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1988. These regulations, which are enforced by inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, prescribe the maximum permitted limits for undesirable substances, including lead, in animal feed.
Students Unions
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums from public funds were paid to the student's union in each of the following institutions of higher education in Northern Ireland in the academic years 1987-88 and 1988-89, or financial years if more convenient (a) Queen's university, (b) University of Ulster, Coleraine, (c) University of Ulster, Jordanstown, (d) University of Ulster, Londonderry, (e) Stranmillis college, (f) St. Mary's college and (g) St. Joseph's college.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The sums are as follows :
Column 830
Academic Years
|1987-88|1988-89
|£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(a) The Queen's University of Belfast<1> |464,162|358,315
(b-d) University of Ulster<2> |453,450|528,000
Financial Years
|1987-88|1988-89
|£ |£
(e) Stranmillis College |34,500 |36,980
(f-g) St. Mary's College<3> |27,793 |28,935
<1> At QUB there was an apparent decline in funding, but this
reflects the rationalisation of overspending in a previous year.
<2> It is not possible to subdivide the amount of funding
between the various campuses of the University.
<3> St. Joseph's college ceased to exist as a separate entity
when it merged with St. Mary's college on 1 September 1985 to
become St. Mary's college.
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