Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 395
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was (a) the total amount paid by each member state of the EEC in cereals co-responsibility levy for each year since the co-responsibility levy has been operative, expressed in both the member state's national currency and in pounds sterling and (b) the total tonnage of cereals produced in each member state of the EEC, showing in each case how much per tonne the co-responsibility levy represents.
Mr. Curry : The latest information provided by the Commission of the European Communities on cereals co-responsibility levy receipts in each member state was given to my hon. Friend on 18 December 1990, Official
Column 396
Report column 133. The sums collected are expressed in budgetary ecus. It is not possible accurately to convert them into national currencies and sterling because no information is available on the timing of levy payments over the course of each year.Commission figures for annual cereals production in each member state where co-responsibility levy was collected are set out below, as is the levy collected divided by national production. It should be noted, however, that there is not an exact correspondence between the year in which grain is harvested and the following year's levy receipts. Nor is levy necessarily collected in the country of origin of the grain.
Column 395
1985-86 1986-87 1987-88 1988-89 |Production|Receipts |Production|Receipts |Production|Receipts |Production|Receipts |MT |divided by|MT |divided by|MT |divided by|MT |divided by |production |production |production |production |ECU/T |ECU/T |ECU/T |ECU/T ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Belgium |2.1 |2.48 |2.3 |8.24 |1.9 |7.27 |2.2 |5.86 Denmark |8.0 |0.23 |8.0 |1.51 |7.3 |1.32 |8.1 |4.37 Germany |25.9 |0.65 |25.5 |2.55 |23.8 |5.58 |27.1 |2.48 Greece |4.3 |0.20 |5.3 |0.28 |5.1 |1.19 |4.6 |1.35 France |56.1 |0.18 |50.1 |2.07 |52.2 |5.84 |55.9 |5.57 Ireland |1.8 |0.43 |1.8 |2.30 |2.0 |4.70 |2.0 |3.34 Italy |17.1 |0.59 |17.8 |2.10 |17.4 |1.93 |16.6 |3.39 Luxembourg |0.1 |0.69 |0.1 |4.19 |0.1 |2.80 |0.1 |3.00 Netherlands |1.1 |0.70 |1.3 |17.01 |1.1 |18.37 |1.2 |5.62 Spain |20.3 |- |16.0 |2.42 |19.8 |1.72 |23.1 |3.03 United Kingdom |22.5 |0.43 |24.5 |2.56 |21.7 |3.31 |21.1 |5.50
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current state of the cereal sector.
Mr. Curry : The 1990 United Kingdom cereals harvest is estimated to have been 22.4 million tonnes. Yields were higher than in 1989 and the quality of both wheat and barley crops were good, with a marked increase in supplies of malting barley. Ex-farm prices for breadmaking wheat have been 5 to 11 per cent. higher than last year for most of the season, feed wheat prices 4 to 7 per cent. higher and feed barley prices 2 to 6 per cent. higher ; premium malting barley prices have generally been 7 to 12 per cent. lower than last season. By the end of February some 146,000 tonnes of grain had been offered into intervention. Provisional figures show exports of 4.2 million tonnes by mid-February. The net farm income for cereal farms in the United Kingdom is forcast to have risen in real terms over the last two years.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what the total tonnage and average price of imported grain from each country which exported grain to the United Kingdom was in 1990 ;
(2) what the total tonnage and average price per tonne of all cereals imported into the United Kingdom was in 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Curry : In 1989, the United Kingdom imported 5,102,000 tonnes of cereals valued at £361,486,000. Information for 1990 is shown in the table in total and by country. The list of individual countries is restricted to those for which the amount imported was in excess of 50,000 tonnes in 1990. Total value has been provided instead of price because of the difficulty of providing meaningful comparative figures for the latter.
Column 396
United Kingdom imports of cereals<1> --------------------------------------------------- EC countries of which: |2,213 |314,645 Belgium-Luxembourg |79 |10,424 Denmark |76 |12,046 Greece |92 |14,278 France |1,530 |215,888 Irish Republic |255 |32,683 Spain |127 |20,686 Non-EC countries of which: |610 |60,297 Argentina |119 |9,553 Canada |320 |33,754 South Africa |101 |8,011 Unites States of America |66 |7,997 |-------|------- Total |2,823 |374,942 <1>Excluding rice. Source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the level of imports into the United Kingdom of (a) cereals and (b) cereal substitutes in each year since 1979.
Mr. Curry : The information requested is as follows :
Volume of United Kingdom imports of cereals and cereal substitutes ('000 tonnes) |Cereals<1> |substitutes<2> ------------------------------------------------------------ 1979 |6,187 |432 1980 |5,339 |519 1981 |4,191 |1,382 1982 |3,747 |2,129 1983 |3,245 |1,440 1984 |2,769 |1,049 1985 |3,308 |1,037 1986 |3,517 |1,036 1987 |3,521 |1,091 1988 |3,370 |1,144 1989 |5,102 |833 1990 |2,823 |1,235 <1> Excluding rice. <2> As defined in Annex D of EC Regulation 2727/75. Source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports of damage to farm workers have been received as a result of handling or being exposed to organophosphorous sheep dip.
Mr. Maclean : The Department has received 55 reports of suspected adverse reactions affecting farmers and farm workers following exposure to organophosphorous sheep dips since 1985. Five of these concern a product withdrawn from the market in 1986.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions officials of his Department have had with the Somerset trust for nature conservation regarding water levels on the Somerset moors.
Mr. Curry : Our officials have received representations from the Somerset trust for nature conservation pressing for a higher water level regime on the Somerset moors. Its views will be fully taken into account in my current review of the ESA policy.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions are contained in Somerset levels ESA agreements on the maintenance of water levels to assist nature conservation.
Mr. Curry : The agreements require that, where rhyne water levels are within the farmers' control, suitable levels must be maintained for grazing livestock between 31 March and 1 November and that at no time are the ditches or rhynes allowed to dry out.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the proportion of the value of food which has gone to (a) the producer and (b) the processor, wholesaler and retailer in each year since 1973.
Mr. Curry : I have no information to add to that given to my hon. Friend on 29 March 1990, Official Report, column 255.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many letters he has received since 4 January 1990 from Members of the European Parliament concerning local or national matters ; and if he will make it his practice where the former are concerned to provide the hon. Member for the local constituency with copies of any such correspondence for his or her information.
Column 398
Mr. Curry : We have received a number of inquiries during the period. Where Members of the European Parliament raise matters in correspondence which are exclusively of local interest, the practice is to reply suggesting that the MEP should refer the matter to the hon. Member for the constituency concerned. As with other correspondence, replies to such communications would normally be copied to the hon. Member concerned only if the MEP had himself copied his letter in this way.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received applications for approval for licensing irradiation plants in the United Kingdom ; if he will list any plants which have received such approval ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I have received inquiries, but no formal application has yet been made.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out the process for the approval of plants in the United Kingdom which will irradiate food ; what is the name of the committee which will consider such approvals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Applications for licences will be considered by a committee of officials of the Argiculture and Health Departments of the countries concerned. The committee will include scientists and administrators with expertise in the fields of medicine, radiation science, toxicology, microbiology, nutrition, and food hygiene. The committee will seek such other advice as it considers necessary. The recommendations of the committee will be considered by the Agriculture and Health Ministers acting jointly.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answers to the hon. Member for South Shields of 20 December, Official Report, column 297, whether he has now (a) given approval to irradiation plants in non-EC countries or (b) given official authorisation to irradiation plants in EC countries to import irradiated foods into the United Kingdom ; and if he will list all such plants.
Mr. Gummer : I have nothing to add to the answers given to the hon. Member on 20 December 1990, at column 297.
Mr. Amos : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to support smokers in his Department to give up smoking on the eighth No Smoking Day, on 13 March ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : All staff in my Department have been advised of No Smoking Day. We are soon to introduce a smoking policy with restrictions on areas where smoking is permitted. All staff will be told that welfare officers in the Department have been given training which will enable them to advise and give practical help to anyone who wishes to stop smoking.
Column 399
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 26 February, Official Report, column 433, whether any butter from the United Kingdom has been or is due to be exported to the Soviet Union.
Mr. Gummer : No butter was exported from the United Kingdom to the USSR in January, the latest month for which data are available. I am not aware of any future exports.
Miss Lestor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Her Majesty's Government propose to support European directive iii/3712/90/EN revision 3 on infant formulae and follow-up foods ; and what are its implications for labelling of such foods.
Mr. Maclean : The Government have been pressing, and will continue to do so, for amendments to the text of the draft directive to align it more closely with the World Health Organisation international code on the marketing of breast milk substitutes. Nevertheless, mindful of the important compositional, nutritional, health and safety controls in the draft we do not rule out a United Kingdom vote in favour of the directive. If adopted, for the first time there will be specific labelling controls laid down in law for infant formulae and follow-on formulae.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement regarding the implications of the Ministry of Agriculture's research at Torry for the planned implementation of the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply on Tuesday 26 February to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan).
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many licences were issued for mink farms for each region in Scotland for each of the last five years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is as follows :
------------------------------ Central |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 Grampian |2 |2 |1 |1 |1 Lothian |1 |1 |1 |- |- Shetland |1 |- |- |- |- Strathclyde |2 |2 |3 |2 |3 Tayside |2 |2 |2 |2 |1 |--|--|--|--|-- Total |9 |8 |8 |6 |6
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those Acts passed by Parliament since 1979 concerning (a) local government finance and (b) local authority duties, powers and responsibilities that relate to Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The following Acts passed since 1979 have contained provisions relating to local government finance in Scotland :
Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980
Local Government and Planning (Amendment) Act 1981
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1981 Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982
Local Authorities (Expenditure Powers) Act 1983
Rating and Valuation (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 1984
Local Government Act 1986
Local Government Finance Act 1987
Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987
Local Government Act 1988
Local Government Finance Act 1988
Local Government and Housing Act 1989
Caravans (Standard Community Charge and Rating) Act 1990 The second part of the hon. Member's question could be answered only at disproportionate cost given the wide range of local authority activities affected by legislation since 1979.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the regulations applying to the conditions relating to whether vehicles are allowed to park on a double yellow line.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Double yellow lines give effect to a traffic regulation order made under the provisions of sections 1, 2, 4, 9 or 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to prohibit or restrict the waiting of vehicles for at least eight hours during the period between 7 am and 7 pm on at least four days per week. The timing and direction of the prohibition or restrictions are displayed on plates placed at regular intervals along the length of the carriageway so restricted. It is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend to make orders prohibiting or restricting the waiting of vehicles on trunk roads and of the local authorities for their roads. The terms of each order may vary according to the circumstances for which it is required.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the total annual cost of the national tests in primary schools, including all aspects of design, compilation, printing, marking, standardisation and collation of results.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 6 February 1991 at col. 87.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the exact arrangments to be made for transferring primary seven test results to secondary schools ; when and by whom a decision was made on this ; and when the decision was communicated to the regional councils, COSLA and the unions.
Column 401
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Testing in Primary Schools (Scotland) Regulations 1990 require test results from 1992 onwards to be entered in the pupil's progress record. This document goes with a pupil throughout his or her school career. The intention to pass the P7 test results of pupils to secondary schools was made clear in the consultation document "Curriculum and Assessment : A Policy for the 90s" issued in November 1987.Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he obtained from (a) the General Teaching Council, (b) the Scottish Examination Board and (c) the Scottish Council for Research in Education on national primary tests.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The General Teaching Council and the Scottish Council for Research in Education responded to the consultation document "Curriculum and Assessment : A Policy for the 90s". Tests have been developed through the primary assessment unit of the Scottish Examination Board.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who is responsible for the design of the national tests for primary school children ; and what recommendations were made to him by Her Majesty's inspectorate about the tests, the subjects to be included and validation and standardisation of the tests.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The preparation of test units, including their validation and standardisation, is the responsibility of the primary assessment unit of the Scottish Examination Board. Representatives of Her Majesty's inspectorate maintain close liaison with the unit. The intention to introduce tests in language and mathematics was announced in the consultation document, "Curriculum and Assessment : A Policy for the 90s" issued in November 1987.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what organisations or individuals have contacted him expressing (a) support and (b) opposition to national tests in primary schools.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 6 March 1991 at columns 281-82.
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his office has considered the views of the housing committee of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in response to the policy statement on rural housing published by Scottish Homes ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No. The views of the housing committee of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities are in response to the Rural Strategy document issued by Scottish Homes. It is therefore for Scottish Homes to consider the views put forward by the convention and respond accordingly.
Column 402
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information and statistics he has from health boards in Scotland relating to increases in cold-related diseases during periods of cold weather ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information and statistics on cold-related diseases during periods of cold weather are not held centrally.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters he has received, since 4 January 1990, from Members of the European Parliament concerning local or national matters ; and if he will make it his practice to provide the hon. Member for the local constituency with copies of any such correspondence for his or her information.
Mr. Lang : One hundred and six. There are no plans to copy such items of correspondence to the hon. Members for the constituencies concerned.
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans his Department has to provide support to smokers seeking to give up smoking on No Smoking Day on 13 March ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In Scotland the main responsibility for health education and the prevention of ill health lies at present with the Scottish Health Education Group. The group is supporting No Smoking Day through sponsorship of a free telephone helpline to provide support to smokers seeking to give up smoking. In addition the United Kingdom No Smoking Day Committee, on which the group is represented, has distributed supportive materials to over 1,000 organisations in Scotland, including health boards, local authorities, youth organisations and large businesses.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the recommendations of the committee set up to review child care law in Scotland and in particular to the recommendations relating to the issue of parental access to children in care.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : We are considering the recommendations of the review, including those of parental access, in the light of the comments that we have received.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) in respect of place of safety orders executed in Scotland in 1990, what information he has on the number of occasions the relevant children's hearing considered the order on (a) the same day as execution, (b) the following day, (c) two days after execution, (d) three days after execution, (e) four days after execution, (f) five days after execution, (g) six days after execution and (h) seven days after execution ;
Column 403
(2) what information he has regarding the number of place of safety orders executed in Scotland in 1990.Mr. Michael Forsyth : Latest available information is for the calender year 1989, when 1,329 place of safety authorisations were made. Of those 1,238 resulted in a hearing taking place. Figures showing the number of days a child was detained in a place of safety prior to a hearing are as follows :
|Number ----------------------- 1 day<1> |115 2 days |101 3 days |125 4 days |197 5 days |160 6 days |221 7 days |319 <1> Includes detentions which are shorter than 24 hours.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of intervention food stores by commodity, respectively, at the most recent date for which figures are available in public and private storage, respectively.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer Tuesday 5 March 1991] : Information on a United Kingdom basis is deposited regularly in the Library of the House. Information on stores located in Scotland as at 31 January 1991 is given in the table. Comparable United Kingdom figures are shown in brackets.
<