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Mr. Ryder : Sexual harassment at work, of which the display of sexually offensive material is a form, is not tolerated and is dealt with, if appropriate, as a disciplinary matter through the usual Civil Service complaints procedures. Existing guidance in Her Majesty's Treasury on sexual harassment is being reviewed with a view to incorporating it in a new booklet on equal opportunities.
Premium Bonds
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether payments other than those paid to persons who have been randomly selected by the electronic random number indicator equipment situated at Lytham St. Annes have been made by ERNIE in any year since 1979.
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Mr. Ryder : No.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sewage Sludge
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement about the dumping of sewage sludge at sea.
Mr. Gummer : The arrangements reached at the 1987 North sea ministerial conference included an undertaking in principle not to dump materials in the North sea unless there are no practical disposal alternatives on land. In the case of sewage sludge more than 70 per cent. of the United Kingdom's production of this material is now disposed of on land. The Government have continued to encourage sewerage undertakers to develop the use of practical land-based disposal methods for the remainder. In particular, we have identified significant advances in incineration techniques both as regard their efficiency and environmental impact.
In view of this encouraging progress in the development of alternative methods, we have now decided to terminate the sea disposal of sewage sludge. This will mean a substantial programme of work to be undertaken in order to implement alternative disposal methods. A major capital investment will be required. Planning permission where necessary must also be obtained. We shall proceed as rapidly as possible. But some dumping will need to continue until new facilities are ready. We intend to have finished all dumping by the end of 1998.
Chemical Wastes
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the incineration of chemical wastes at sea.
Mr. Gummer : At the 1987 North sea ministerial conference it was agreed that marine incineration should be phased out by 31 December 1994 as alternative means of dealing with the wastes concerned were becoming available. Land-based incineration facilities capable of dealing with the United Kingdom wastes which are currently burnt at sea are now being developed. I have therefore decided that no more United Kingdom waste will be licensed for marine incineration after the end of this year.
Industrial Waste
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to reduce to zero by the year 2000 inputs of toxic discharges into the North sea.
Mr. Trippier : I have been asked to reply.
It is the Government's policy to prevent or (where prevention is not possible) minimise releases of toxic substances to the aquatic environment. Our current target reductions are of the order of 50 per cent. by 1995. They were agreed at the London North sea conference in 1987. The United Kingdom national action plan published on 5 March shows the good progress we have made to date. The progress made by each North sea state will be reviewed at the Hague North sea conference this week.
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Equal Opportunities
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of Agricultural Development Advisory Service staff are women.
Mr. Curry : The proportion of women in the Ministry's Agricultural Development Advisory Service is currently 31 per cent.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to encourage women to use his Department's sponsored training courses.
Mr. Curry : All courses provided by my Department are fully publicised to women staff ; we also run specific courses for women managers to help them develop their personal effectiveness. Additionally, to encourage women with young families, any extra child care expenses incurred as a result of attending a training course, may be reclaimed.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of his Department's management training courses include sessions on equal opportunities for women ; and what proportion of managers at grade six level and above working outside headquarters has received training on equal opportunities for women.
Mr. Curry : All initial and middle management training courses run by my Department include sessions on equal opportunities for women. Training for staff at grade six level and above is more individually structured and staff are encouraged to undertake training in a range of competencies, including equal opportunities for women, but separate statistics are not available.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what child care provision his Department provides for pre-school age children of employees ; what childcare provision for school holidays or after-school care is provided for employees' children aged five years or over ; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years ; and how these are to be funded.
Mr. Curry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 31 January ( Official Report, column 236 ). Once the results of the studies mentioned are available, consideration will be given to the matter of funding. School holiday play schemes for children aged over five years have been operating at Guildford since 1988 and at Leeds since last year, the latter scheme being run in partnership with the DSS and PSA. A further scheme will be introduced at the central veterinary laboratory, Weybridge, this summer. Discussions are currently in progress on the possibility of introducing a play scheme at Tolworth, in co-operation with other Government Departments in the area. Pump-priming funds have been available and continue to be available for such schemes.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grade is his Department's equal opportunities officer.
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Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of civil servants in his Department are women at each of the grades (a) seven, (b) six, (c) five, (d) four, (e) three, (f) two and (g) one.Mr. Curry : The percentage of women in the following grades and grade equivalents as at 28 February 1990 is as follows :
Women as percentage of total staff in grade Grade |Per cent. ------------------------------ 7 |12 6 |9 5 |8 4 |- 3 |8 2 |- 1 |-
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken, and what action he intends taking, to implement the recommendations within his area of responsibility of the European Commission's childcare network report "Caring for Children--Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom".
Mr. Curry : The report was prepared for the European Commission, which has not yet developed any proposals. The Government believe that policy on child care is a matter for member states. The United Kingdom's policy is that it is for families themselves to determine how their children are to be brought up and how parents, who wish to do so, can best combine paid work and family responsibilities. The Government, through the Department of Health and the ministerial group on women's issues, have encouraged the development of a range of high quality child care options for both parents and employers.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has implemented to ensure that recruitment and promotion policy in his Department does not directly or indirectly discriminate against applicants who were mature students or women returning to work following a career-break due to child care.
Mr. Curry : The Department is directly responsible for the recruitment of staff up to and including administrative officer and equivalent grades and the departmental grade of fishery officer. Selection panels are instructed on the need to guard against any form of discrimination. Selection criteria based, for example, on sex, are strictly forbidden as are criteria which might discriminate on age grounds against mature students or women returning to work after a career break. Age limits and qualification requirements for departmental grades which are recruited by the Civil Service Commission on our behalf are currently under review with the aim of ensuring that no unnecessary restrictions are placed on eligibility to apply to work in the Department.
A domestic absence reinstatement scheme, designed to give staff who resign for domestic reasons preferential consideration for reinstatement and encouragement to rejoin my Department when they are ready to return to work, was introduced in October 1988. Formal arrangements governing part- time working and job
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sharing were introduced in December 1989. These are intended to promote and expand the opportunities available in the Department for those who wish to work reduced hours.Those responsible for assessing staff for promotion are regularly reminded of the need to assess staff who work reduced hours on exactly the same basis as all other staff, without regard to their status as part-timers or job-sharers. Officers recommended for promotion, who take maternity leave before they are posted to a higher grade, may have the validity of their promotion
recommendations extended, normally for up to one year, to cover their period of absence.
Proposed new arrangements for promotion are currently under discussion with the Department's trade union side. These will remove seniority, which may indirectly discriminate against those who take career breaks, from promotion procedures. They will also ensure that staff approaching retiring age remain eligible for consideration for promotion until they reach the normal retiring age of the higher grade. I hope these new arrangements will be in place by 1 January 1991.
The Department also monitors recruitment competitions, promotions and allocations to duties with the aim of ensuring that there is no discrimination against women.
Sexual Harassment
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's policy of sexual harassment at work ; whether guidance on reporting complaints has been issued to all staff ; how many complaints have been reported in the past five years ; and what disciplinary action has been taken.
Mr. Curry : The Civil Service policy on sexual harassment is set out in the programme of action to achieve equal opportunities for women in the Civil Service, which was published by the Cabinet Office (management and personnel office) in 1984. Sexual harassment at work is not tolerated and is dealt with as a disciplinary matter through the usual Civil Service complaints procedures. In my Department a network of sexual harassment contact officers has been set up and guidance on reporting complaints has been issued to all staff. Three formal complaints have been reported centrally to personnel division in the past five years ; all were investigated and disciplinary action was taken as appropriate.
Pin-ups
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.
Mr. Curry : Guidance has already been issued in my Department which makes it clear that sexual harassment at work is not tolerated and in particular requires managers to ensure that potentially offensive material is not displayed in the workplace.
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Coastal Protection
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the new way in which grant aid for coastal protection will be calculated, and indicate the rate at which such grants will be paid.
Mr. Curry : It is our intention that the revised method of calculating grant rates for coast protection schemes will parallel the existing one as far as possible. The rates at which grant may be paid will be the same as those that obtain at present (that is, up to a maximum of 70 per cent.). Details of the new method of calculation will be circulated to the coast protection authorities as quickly as possible.
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of rising sea levels, he will review the provisions and working of the Coast Protection Act 1949 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Curry : The Coast Protection Act 1949 allows maritime district councils to carry out such work as is necessary. The requirement for work will vary from location to location and will depend on local as well as global factors. A rise in mean sea level will have no direct implication for the workings of the Act. Nevertheless, the latest developments on climate change are closely monitored and careful consideration is given to the likely consequences for both coast protection and sea defence.
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research projects on coastal protection and sea defences are being funded by his Ministry ; and at what percentage rate.
Mr. Curry : the Department is spending £1.4 million in 1989-90 on a national programme of research on coastal protection and sea defence and a list of the projects being funded is given in the table. The Department discusses its national research programme with the National Rivers Authority and other relevant bodies.
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National programme of R and D on coastal defence and protection currently funded by MAFF
|(a) |(b) |(c)
Research objective Location Amount of MAFF funding
|MAFF funding |as percentage of
|in 1989-90 |total cost
|£'000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. |To ensure that the Storm Tide Warning Service |NERC's Institute of Oceanographic Services |95 |100
| Operational Model is properly maintained, |(IOS) at Merseyside or Wormley
| performance monitored, shortcomings |Laboratory
| identified and rectified and developed in line
| with modern technology
2. |To develop numerical surge forecasting models |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |88 |100
| for the south and west coasts of Britain for
| future extension of the Storm Tide Warning
| Service
3. |To develop a single numerical modelling system |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |120 |100
| embracing tides, surges and waves for
| predicting extreme sea states and for use as
| a forecasting tool
4. |To improve tidal predictions and develop |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |154 |100
| methods for predicting sea state extremes
5. |To maintain and improve the quality, reliability |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |67 |100
| and availability of sea level data obtained
| from the national tide gauge network
6. |To assemble, analyse and maintain a bank of |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |90 |100
| well documented and verified observations
| from the principal tide gauges round Great
| Britain
7. |Studies of wave set-up and comparison with |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |37 |100
| wave models
8. |Parameterization of air/sea interaction |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |25 |100
| processes
9. |Effects on waves of climatic variations |IOS, Merseyside or Wormley |25 |100
10. |To carry out model tests on structures in order |Hydraulics Research Laboratory (HRL), |65 |100
| to assist in design and construction of | Wallingford
| effective and economical coastal defences
11. |To develop models to provide engineering tools |Hydraulics Research Laboratory (HRL), |65 |100
| for predicting waves at or near the coastline | Wallingford
12. |Sea wall design |Construction Industry Research and |7 |100
| Information Association (CIRIA), London
13. |Assessment and integrated management of |University of Strathclyde, Glasgow |12 |100
| coastal cliff systems
14. |Further macro review of the coast of England |HRL, Wallingford |4 |100
| and Wales
15. |Rehabilitation and maintenance of old |CIRIA, London |15 |30
| waterfront walls
16. |Modelling sediment transport in combined |University College of North Wales, Bangor |29 |100
| wave current flow
17. |Sediment transport by combined waves and |HRL, Wallingford |83 |100
| currents (phase II)
18. |Shingle Beach Dynamics 3D aspects |HRL, Wallingford |63 |100
19. |Mathematical model of groynes on shingle |HRL, Wallingford |32 |100
| beaches
20. |Performance of permable revetments |HRL, Wallingford |61 |100
21. |Design of quarried rock slope protection |CIRIA, London |15 |20
| against wave attack
22. |Process of sand transport by tidal currents and |NERC's Proudman Oceanographic |9 |100
| waves | Laboratory, Birkenhead
23. |Climatic change-United Kingdom sea level |NERC's Proudman Oceanographic |40 |100
| trends | Laboratory, Birkenhead
24. |A review and collation of beach data within the |HRL, Wallingford |7 |100
| United Kingdom
25. |Mathematical modelling of wave climate near |HRL, Wallingford |10 |100
| offshore breakwaters
26. |Development of environmental assessment |University of East Anglia, Norwich |14 |100
| manual: a pilot study
29. |Agricultural benefits of coast protection and sea|Middlesex Polytechnic Flood Hazard Research |50 |100
| defence | Centre, Enfield
30. |Post project appraisal of urban flood protection |Middlesex Polytechnic Flood Hazard Research |25 |100
| Centre, Enfield
|---
|Total |1,400
Veal Crates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to seek to persuade the Council of Ministers to ban the use of veal crates in the European Community.
Mr. Maclean : This is already the policy which we are pursuing in discussions on Commission proposals for minimum standards for the welfare of intensively kept calves.
Global Warming
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to put forward proposals at the next European Council of Agriculture Ministers, on 5 and 6 March in Brussels, on initiatives that may be taken in the agriculture sector to mitigate the global warming greenhouse effect.
Mr. Gummer : The Agriculture Council on 5-6 March will concentrate on the Commission's farm price
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proposals. I shall ensure that the issue of global warming is taken into account in the United Kingdom's position in so far as it relates to matters on the Council agenda.Live Animal Stock (Exports)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations are carried out by his Department to ensure that live animal stock exported from the United Kingdom receive the correct exercise and food while in transit in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Mr. Maclean : The Department administers arrangements for resting, feeding and watering and inspecting farm animals prior to export from Great Britain for fattening or immediate slaughter. We seek assurancesabout the onward journey from exporters and their importers although other member states are responsible for applying EC measures on their territories. Enforcement of statutory controls covering welfare during journeys in this country is a matter for local authorities.
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In addition, we have launched an initiative in the EC on animal welfare in which we have underlined the need for proper standards during transport.Flood Damage
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what help he will give to restore the damaged sea wall and to prevent further flood damage (a) along the north Devon coast and (b) to the towns of Ilfracombe and Lynmouth.
Mr. Curry : Apart from Ilfracombe and Lynmouth, we are aware of only minor damage to sea defence along the north Devon coast. At Lynmouth the county council, as highway authority, is taking responsibility for the damage to the works protecting the coastal road. At Ilfracombe temporary works to repair the damage to a section of the sea wall are already in place, and the National Rivers Authority south-west region is designing a scheme to provide a permanent defence. We understand that the North Devon district council is currently dealing with another flooding problem in the town. Grant is available (at rates up to 70 per cent.) on works which are economically, technically and environmentally acceptable. National Rivers Authority and local authority programmes of flood defence works may change as a result of recent storm events, so we have asked authorities for an early indication of these changes in order to assess the future work and funding implications. It is our intention to ensure that Government funding is sufficient to support a programme which takes full account of these needs.
Aphids
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposals put to his Department by the Agriculture and Food Research Council Institute at Rorthamsted on aphid research and aphid surveys.
Mr. Curry : A number of proposals have been put to my Department on aphid research and surveys. The importance of aphids as crop pests is fully appreciated but all research proposals have to be judged not only on their individual merits but according to the priority of Ministry requirements. The chief scientist has now given approval in principle for the funding of one proposal on aphid surveys linked to studies of climate change.
Cricket Bat Willows
Mr. Allen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance his Department issues on pollarding or copsing cricket bat willows.
Mr. Curry : Guidance on growing cricket bat willows is given in Forestry Commission bulletin 17, "The Cultivation of the Cricket Bat Willow". This bulletin is out of print, but I am arranging for a photocopy to be placed in the Library of the House. Photocopies can also be bought from the Forestry Commission's library at Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LH.
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Inshore Fishing
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on the question of the United Kingdom inshore fishing fleet.
Mr. Curry : The Minister and I are in regular contact with fisheries organisations about a wide range of issues affecting the inshore fleet.
EC Agriculture Ministers
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent meetings he has had with other European Economic Community Agriculture Ministers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Minister and I meet other European Community Agriculture Ministers frequently, both at meetings of the Council of Ministers and elsewhere.
EC Food Exports
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the amount of food exported by the European Economic Community to the Soviet Union and eastern Europe ; and what was the cost of the export rebates involved over the past 12 months.
Mr. Curry : For the main agricultural commodities, the table shows the most recent data available on the volume of exports. The cost of the export refunds involved could be obtained only at
disproportionate cost.
Volume of EC Exports, January-August 1989 (000 tonnes)
|To USSR |To Eastern
|Europe<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------
Wheat |2,980 |1,085
Barley |1,997 |1,096
Wheat flour |<2>- |5
Rice |<2>- |2
Malt |61 |1
Whole milk powder |31 |1
Skimmed milk powder |<2>- |<2>-
Condensed milk |0 |<2>-
Butter (incl. butter oil) |118 |14
Beef and veal |72 |105
Pigmeat |<2>- |<2>-
Poultrymeat |<2>- |<2>-
Sugar total (white equivalent) |91 |213
(of which refined sugar) |(91) |(213)
Olive Oil |2 |<2>-
Notes: <1>German Democratic Republic, Poland, Czechoslavakia,
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania.
<2>denotes trade under 500 tonnes.
Poultry
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the percentage value of the poultry siezed for slaughter under the Zoonoses Order 1989, paid as compensation to the poultry's owner.
Mr. Maclean : When a poultry flock in which the presence of salmonella has been confirmed is compulsorily slaughtered, compensation is paid in accordance with the requirements of the Animal Health Act 1981. The amount paid is based on the scale of values depending on the age of the birds and represents 60 per cent. of the value of a healthy flock.
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Fisheries Research
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show (a) vessels based in Great Britain which are engaged in fisheries research, (b) the draught and tonnage of the vessels, (c) the type of fish covered by the research, (d) the number of full-time crew employed on each vessel, (e) the number of scientists employed in each vessel, (f) the number of other staff employed on the vessel, (g) the number of staff employed at the shore establishment and which directly support each vessel, (h) the port at which the vessel is based, (i) the sea area which is normally covered by each vessel and its extent in square miles, (j) the number of days spent at sea in each of the last three years and (k) the costs attributed to the work of each vessel in those three years or as much of such information as is available to him.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 27 February 1990] : Two vessels, RV Cirolana and RV Corystes, are operated by my Department for fisheries research. RV Corystes entered service in April 1988.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Natural Environment Research Council also operate fisheries reseach vessels.
Information about the vessels operated by the Ministry is as follows :
Draught and tonnage
(i) Cirolana
Draft 5.11m
Net registered tonnage 440.81
Gross registered tonnage 1,731.48
(ii) Corystes
Draft 4.30m
Net registered tonnage 384.00
Gross registered tonnage 1,280.00
Mean.
Type of fish covered by the research
All fish and shellfish in principle, but particularly the 40 or so species of interest to the United Kingdom's commercial fishermen and subject to EC common fishery policy regulations on total allowable catches. A total of 50 per cent. of the vessels' time is engaged in marine environmental protection-related work.
(i) Cirolana |10 (ii) Corystes |6
Scientific staff
Those staff are shore-based. The number of scientists normally carried per cruise is :
(i) Cirolana |10 (ii) Corystes |6
Other staff employed on the vessels
Nil.
Shore based support staff
Five and half.
Base port
Lowestoft.
Operational sea area
(i) Cirolana
Worldwide capability but operated mainly in the North
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Atlantic from the Azores to the polar ice shelf andEurope/Scandinavia to Canada. Approximate area 4.4 million square miles.
(ii) Corystes
North-west European shelf sea contiguous with the British Isles, although capable of working anywhere in the Atlantic in reasonable weather conditions. Approximate area 1 million square miles.
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