| Previous Section | Home Page |
Free Milk
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list those local education authorities which have made an application under the Welfare Food Act 1988 for the provision of free milk for under- fives in local education authority nursery units and classes.
Mr. Freeman : The following 24 local education authorities have been approved (under the Welfare Food Regulations 1988) to participate in the scheme to receive reimbursement of costs for the supply of milk to children under five in nursery schools and classes :
Avon County Council
London Borough of Bexley
London Borough of Brent
Derbyshire County Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Durham County Council
London Borough of Hounslow
Inner London Education Authority
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Leicestershire County Council
Liverpool City Council
Manchester City Council
Column 488
City of Newcastle upon TyneNorth Tyneside Council
North Yorkshire County Council
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Sheffield City Council
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
In addition, the following six local education authorities have indicated they will be applying for approval to participate in the scheme :
Birmingham City Council
Cambridgeshire County Council
Hereford and Worcester County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Metropolitan District of Sefton
London Borough of Sutton
Family Practitioner Committees (Expenditure)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, for the last year for which figures are available, the total for England and Wales and a breakdown for each family practitioner committee of (a) the number of general practice premises and (b) the amount directly reimbursed to unrestricted principals in general practice for the cost of providing premises under the rent and rates scheme.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 29 January 1990] : Information on the number of general practice premises is not collected centrally. Expenditure by family practitioner committees in England in 1988-89 on direct reimbursements to general medical practitioners under the rent and rates scheme is set out in the table. Information in relation to family practitioner services in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Avon |1,530,724
Barking and Havering |852,785
Barnet |901,554
Barnsley |345,840
Bedfordshire |1,032,585
Berkshire |2,246,091
Birmingham |1,666,604
Bolton |247,554
Bradford |720,774
Brent and Harrow |1,397,754
Bromley |695,912
Buckinghamshire |1,723,275
Bury |175,821
Calderdale |304,813
Cambridgeshire |1,505,494
Camden and Islington |1,044,917
Cheshire |1,535,343
City and East London |1,471,921
Cleveland |733,423
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |911,570
Coventry |480,872
Croydon |601,840
Cumbria |633,392
Derbyshire |1,531,595
Devon |2,180,958
Doncaster |342,820
Dorset |1,647,729
Dudley |358,425
Durham |1,090,251
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow |1,517,446
Enfield |1,166,622
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the impact upon those engaged in milk distribution from the discounting of welfare milk tokens ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1990, column 682] : I regret that the reply contained an error.
The second sentence in the second paragraph should read : "Milk Tokens will continue to be issued in respect of pregnant women and children under five in families receiving income support and to handicapped children aged five to 16 who, because of their handicap, are not registered at a school."
Residential Care
Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to increase financial provision for residential care to cover fully the cost of such care.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 29 January 1990] : I have been asked to reply.
No. It has never been the policy of the Government to undertake to meet all fees, however high, charged by independent residential care homes.
Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the actual costs of residential care and the sums provided to cover such care.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 29 January 1990] : I have been asked to reply.
We receive a considerable number of representations from a variety of interested organisations and individuals.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Meat and Bone Meal
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount of meat and bone meal exported from the United Kingdom by the United Kingdom rendering industry for each of the last two years for which figures are available.
Mr. Curry : Exports of flours, meals and pellets, of meat or meat offal, greaves, for the last two years that figures are available are as follows :
1987 |12,299
1988 |13,228
Source: Her Majesty's
Customs and Excise Overseas
Trade Statistics.
Column 489
Flours and meals of meat and offals, greaves, unfit for human consumption
|Kgs |Value £ |Kgs |Value £
FR France |244,030 |33,916 |3,459,750 |590,839
BE Belgium-Luxemburg |1,889,862 |215,350
NL Netherlands |805,086 |139,435
DE Federal Republic of Germany |23,000 |6,468 |73,000 |20,557
IE Irish Republic |158,645 |20,109 |2,092,155 |332,794
United Kingdom Exports (CDT) General Trade December 1988 Flours, Meals and Pellets, of Meat or Meat Offal: Greaves
December Year to Date
Country Kilograms Value (£) Kilograms Value (£)
FR France 2,012,225 363,330 7,222,394 1,270,181
BE Belgium-Luxembourg -- 0 273,620 39,974
NL Netherlands 93,180 19,711 1,826,385 370,451
DE Federal Republic of Germany 59,520 22,019 558,530 205,357 IT Italy 14,000 3,430 3,7650 9,370
IE Irish Republic 322,740 41,545 2,554,832 358,260
PT Portugal -- 0 80,000 18,310
SE Sweden 19,000 5,100 76,000 18,600
MT Malta 19,800 3,479 299,220 48,293
GH Ghana -- 0 16,050 6,138
ZA South Africa -- 0 5,000 3,645
LB Lebanon 60,000 13,920 60,000 13,920
IL Israel 18,000 6,035 92,000 38,271
SA Saudi Arabia -- 0 4,950 1,777
LK Sri Lanka -- 0 121,000 44,080
EC Total 2,501,665 450,035 12,553,411 2,271,903
Non-EC Total 116,800 28,534 674,220 174,724
All Countries Total 2,618,465 478,569 13,227,631 2,446,627
Note: Latest available data for 1989.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what European quality standards apply to the production of meat and bone meal.
Mr. Maclean : Standards for meat and bone meal are laid down in EC directives which are enacted in the United Kingdom by the Feedingstuffs Regulations 1988. These require that the product should be substantially free of hair, bristle, feathers, horn, hoof, skin and blood and of the contents of stomach and viscera ; and technically free of organic solvents.
Agriculture Industry
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing (a) the amount borrowed and (b) the consequent liability for interest of the agricultural industry in each year since 1978.
Mr. Curry : The figures are as follows :
|in £ million at year end|in £ million
1978 |3,400 |184
1979 |4,150 |318
1980 |4,650 |464
1981 |5,400 |468
1982 |6,300 |501
1983 |7,300 |494
1984 |7,650 |569
1985 |8,250 |704
1986 |8,350 |700
1987 |8,550 |637
1988 |9,250 |690
1989 |not yet available |949 (forecast)
<1> Total liabilities include trade credit, most of which will not incur interest.
<2> Interest paid excludes interest paid on loans taken out for land purchase.
Bovine Somatotropin
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the study by the European Community Commission into the economic and social implications of the use of bovine somatotropin.
Mr. Maclean : The report (doc 8975/89) the Commission presented in October identified a number of issues which could arise were BST to be licensed and which it considered to need more study. The Commission has work in hand and a further report is expected this autumn.
Food Surpluses
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise at the next meeting of the Agriculture Council the sums being spent on the disposal of food surpluses.
Mr. Curry : My right hon. Friend is well aware of the considerable success the United Kingdom Government
Column 494
have had in bringing about reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), in particular through the measures agreed in February 1988. These reforms are beginning to bear fruit. Surplus stocks are a fraction of what they have been ; expenditure is well below the financial guideline. In negotiations in the Council of Ministers of the Commission's price proposals, we will be seeking to ensure that this progress towards a more rational and sustainable CAP is maintained.Turkeys
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to protect the traditional farm fresh turkey sold uneviscerated.
Mr. Maclean : We have ensured that the EC Commission is in no doubt about the importance we attach to our right to permit farmers to market uneviscerated poultry. We shall oppose any proposal which might seek to prohibit this.
Pollution (Farms)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what forms of assistance are available to farmers seeking to deal with on- farm pollution problems.
Mr. Curry : My Department offers a free initial visit to farmers by an ADAS expert and grants to meet 50 per cent. of the cost of new investment to handle, store and treat farm waste.
Basking Sharks
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total catch in United Kingdom waters of basking sharks in 1989.
Mr. Curry : There is no requirement on United Kingdom fishermen to report catches of basking sharks but these are thought to be minimal. Norway may take basking sharks in United Kingdom waters as part of the annual EC-Norway fisheries arrangements, but catches in 1987, 1988 and the first part of 1989 were nil.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any proposals to control catches of basking sharks by issuing licences.
Mr. Curry : No. The data available indicate that there has been no decline in the stock in Community waters since 1978.
National Fruit Collection
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will play a co-ordinating role in relation to the responsibilities for science in relation to the decision to move the national fruit collection from Brogdale to Wye college.
Column 495
Mr. Maclean : The arrangements for moving the national fruit collection to Wye college and for its subsequent maintenance there will be covered by a contract between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the college. This will include any Ministry-funded scientific work in the collection. A small advisory group of independent scientists will oversee compliance with the contract. We see no need for further co-ordination.Live Cattle Imports
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those countries currently enforcing bans or partial bans on live cattle imports from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Member states of the European Community, Australia, Austria, Finland, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States of America.
Non-governmental Organisations
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the meeting between non-governmental organisations represented by Tony Juniper, Peter Knights, Dave Currey, Peter Wilkinson, Karen Bradbury, Colin Booty and David Williams and officials of his Department on 30 January.
Mr. Maclean : Officials from my Department and the Department of the Environment had a useful exchange of views with these representatives on the trade in wild-caught birds and possible measures to reduce mortality among imported birds.
Lead-contaminated Feed
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lift restrictions on the movement and sale of cattle affected by lead-contaminated feed ; and what progress has been made in meeting compensation claims.
Mr. Maclean : I announced further measures on 1 February which will ease livestock restrictions. We shall continue our comprehensive research programme with a view to lifting all restrictions as quickly as possible, consistent with the need to ensure that the food chain remains fully protected.
There is no provision for statutory Government compensation in the event of incidents of this kind. The National Farmers Union is, however, advising its members on the subject of compensation.
Scrapie
Mr. Martlew : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will prohibit the sale of meat for human consumption from sheep that are suspected of having scrapie.
Mr. Curry : No, because scrapie has been present in this country for at least two centuries without any evidence to suggest that it has been, or can be, a risk to humans. Nor has research over 20 years identified any such risk.
Column 496
Sheep
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's procedure to ensure that the Economic Community sheepmeat premium is paid annually in respect of eligible sheep.
Mr. Curry : The annual ewe premium provided for by the EC sheepmeat regime is paid annually to eligible claimants.
Food Irradiation
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any further representations concerning the irradiation of food.
Mr. Maclean : I receive letters about food irradiation as about other topical matters.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the Government's policy towards the irradiation of food.
| Next Section
| Home Page |