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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Lindane
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Advisory Committee on Pesticides will conclude its investigations on lindane.
Mr. Maclean : The Advisory Committee on Pesticides should conclude its investigations on lindane by this autumn.
Investment
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give figures for investment in agriculture for each of the last eight years in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) England.
Mr. Gummer : Estimates of investment in fixed capital in agriculture for the United Kingdom and for England in the last eight years are as follows :
Year |United |England
|Kingdom
--------------------------------
1983 |1,366 |903
1984 |1,353 |850
1985 |1,267 |804
1986 |1,048 |641
1987 |968 |622
1988 |1,125 |776
1989 |1,123 |754
1990 |1,182 |<1>-
<1> Not yet available.
Experimental Husbandry Farms
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the experimental husbandry farms that have been closed since 1980, giving in each case the date of their closure.
Mr. Gummer : The only experimental husbandry farm to close since 1980 was Great House which closed on 26 May 1982. The experimental husbandry farm at Trawsgoed was transferred to the Agriculture and Food Research Council on 1 April 1991 to form part of the new Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research.
Meat Inspection
Mr. Alison : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to review the levels of charges paid by the meat industry to local authorities for the inspection of fresh meat.
Mr. Gummer : Charges for the inspection of fresh meat, including poultry meat, are levied in accordance with Community legislation intended to harmonise their collection by member states. This legislation is currently under review. In Great Britain, charges are levied by local authorities to recover the costs of the inspection services which they provide ; under the new arrangements for meat hygiene enforcement which I have announced today, this work will transfer to the new service when it is established.
In preparation for future discussions on this subject within the Community, and reflecting our concern over existing variation in the levels of charges set by local
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authorities for the inspection services which they provide, the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have decided to carry out a review of inspection charge levels at a sample of plants in Great Britain. This review will be carried out by the Government in conjunction with independent consultants, and will seek to identify any possible means of reducing inspection costs whilst maintaining existing inspection requirements. It will also seek to collect information relevant to the operation of revised United Kingdom and Community charging arrangements. We intend to publish the results of the review within two months.Under EC legislation the European Commission was due to submit a report to the Council of Ministers on the operation of the harmonised arrangements in the light of experience acquired before 1 January 1992, accompanied by any proposals for their revision. This report is still awaited and I have written to the Agriculture Commissioner to emphasise the importance which the United Kingdom attaches to this review, in order to achieve conditions of fair competition which have not yet been attained. I have also drawn his attention to some of the charges set by the French Government, which appear not to conform to Community rules. I have written to the French Minister of Agriculture on the same point.
Meat Hygiene
Mr. Alison : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made on future meat hygiene enforcement arrangements.
Mr. Gummer : The review of fresh meat hygiene enforcement was commissioned last year by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health, for Scotland and for Wales, and myself as part of our preparations for implementing the European single market. My right hon. Friends and I have given careful consideration to the findings of the detailed study of methods of providing a meat hygiene service, which was carried out by officials of my Department and the Department of Health, assisted by Price Waterhouse. We have concluded that for Great Britain the interests of the meat industry, our consumers and overseas customers would best be served by the creation of a national meat hygiene service. The service would be constituted as an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and would therefore be fully accountable to British Ministers. We are confident that this is the best way of achieving a consistent and cost-effective enforcement service in the special circumstances of the fresh meat sector. Local authorities' responsibilities for enforcing other food legislation are not affected by the decision to create a specialist meat hygiene agency.
Officials will work very closely with the local authority associations, the organisations representing the veterinary and environmental health professions and the meat inspectors, and the meat industry, to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements. The date for transfer of responsibility of meat hygiene enforcement to the agency will depend on the availability of parliamentary time for the necessary primary legislation. For the time being, local authorities will remain responsible for enforcing the meat hygiene legislation and providing the meat inspection service.
The decision to create this service is a further element in the Government's policy of ensuring that food safety
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standards in this country remain second to none. The new service will ensure that hygiene standards in the British meat industry allow it to compete effectively both in the single market and worldwide, and further enhance consumer confidence in the high standards of British meat.Pesticides
Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the use of ethylene
bisdithiocarbamate pesticides.
Mr. Maclean : The Environmental Protection Agency--EPA--has, I understand, decided to reinstate approval for the use of ethylene bisdithiocarbamate pesticides--EBDCs--on 42 crops. This decision is very much in line with the view we took on this issue over two years ago, based on advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides--ACP--which was published in January 1990. After an exhaustive examination the committee found no evidence of cancer or other adverse health effects to consumers from the use of EBDCs or from the metabolite ethylenethiourea. I am glad that the EPA has now reached a similar conclusion. This is a further vindication of work carried out by the ACP and reinforces the confidence the public should have in the effectiveness of the United Kingdom system for approving pesticides.
Fishing Vessel Licences
Mr. Harris : To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the new rules applying to the aggregation and transfer of fishing vessel licences, and to the licensees of vessels of 10 m registered length and below.
Mr. Gummer : The required reduction in capacity where fishing vessel licences are aggregated is increased with immediate effect from 10 to 20 per cent. In addition all transfers of single licences between vessels are now subject to a 20 per cent. reduction in capacity. The formula for calculating vessel capacity remains unchanged. Fisheries Departments are writing to fishing organisations notifying them of the change and seeking views as to whether these reductions should be varied, for instance, according to type and/or age of vessel.
These rules apply to all new applications. Applications for transfers or aggregations lodged with Fisheries Departments on or before 27 February will be dealt with under the rules in force at the time.
In addition, from 1 January 1993 all vessels of 10 m and below wishing to fish for sea fish for profit will require a licence. However, fishing for salmon or migratory trout and fishing by vessels used wholly for the purpose of conveying persons wishing to fish for pleasure with rod and line and by hand line will continue to be exempt from this requirement. Licences will in principle be issued only to vessels which are already actively involved in fishing. This will be assessed by reference to whether the vessel was registered under part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 on 27 February 1992, the date of my original announcement, and whether it was fishing for profit in the preceding 12 months. Fisheries Departments will be consulting the industry about the detailed operation of these rules, including their application to replacement vessels, and about other matters arising from the licensing of this part of the fleet.
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Correspondence
Sir Robin Maxwell-Hyslop : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a full reply will be sent by his Department to the letters dated 26 November and 18 December from Cheriton Bishop parish council to his divisional veterinary officer at Exeter, and passed by him to his London headquarters.
Mr. Maclean : The Ministry's regional veterinary officer did discuss the matters raised in this correspondence with the clerk of the parish council. However, I concede that an unacceptable delay has occurred in concluding this correspondence, because the papers were lost. This is an unusual occurrence for which I apologise. The omission had in fact been noticed when the parish council recently wrote to the Prime Minister, myself and others and a repy covering the points raised in all these letters will be sent shortly.
TRANSPORT
Network Express
16. Mr. Moate : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with British Rail concerning the ordering of the Network Express trains for the Kent coast services.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet the chairman of British Rail regularly when we discuss all current issues.
30. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the new Networker rolling stock to be supplied for the north-west Kent commuter service is still scheduled for introduction from April ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The first Networker units delivered to network SouthEast are currently undergoing testing. NSE expects to introduce some Networkers into service with the May timetable.
Roads, London
17. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with local authorities and service providers about the state of roads in London.
Mr. Chope : I chair the London Consultative Committee which provides a forum to discuss road and traffic issues with the London local authority associations. The committee last met on 6 February 1992.
M66
18. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress on the M66 from Denton to Middleton.
Mr. Chope : I expect work on the first construction contract at the the northern end of the scheme to start early next year, subject to resources being available. A public inquiry into revised orders and compulsory purchase order for the central and southern sections of the scheme ended on 5 February. Subject to a satisfactory
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outcome, I expect work to start on the Tameside section south of the River Medlock next year and on the final section north of the River Medlock in 1995.BR Maintenance Repairs
19. Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from organisations concerning the disruption to other transport users and pedestrians by British Rail when carrying out maintenance repairs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : I am aware from British Rail that a bridge renewal scheme in the hon. Member's constituency has led to a petition from local residents about the disruption to bus services. British Rail consults highway authorities and the police where road closures and diversions are needed. In this case, I understand that BR has also recently agreed to pay for extra bussing while the bridge is closed for three weeks.
Underground Proposals
20. Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in developing proposals to extend the tube network to Camberwell, Dulwich and beyond.
Mr. Freeman : London Transport and the five London boroughs directly affected are working together on the south London rail study. I understand that phase I of the study, which looks at the transport needs of the area, is now close to completion. Phase II, which will look at the case for extending underground lines, should start later this year.
Pensioners' Travel Concessions
21. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial arrangements are being made with the transport authorities in the west midlands to ensure that pensioners can continue to use their travel concessions at all times of the day and without additional costs to them.
Mr. McLoughlin : The responsibility for concessionary fares schemes in the west midlands lies entirely with the passenger transport authority and the district councils. It is for them to decide what level of concessions is appropriate in relation to other local spending priorities.
Buses, London
22. Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much capital investment has been made in London Buses Ltd. in 1991-92.
Mr. Freeman : Capital investment in London Buses Ltd. is expected to reach £38 million in 1991-92, an increase of £10 million over the previous year. Of this, some £24 million will be spent on purchasing almost 300 new buses.
27. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many double-decker buses, how many hoppa buses and how many buses of other types are currently licensed for use in the metropolis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : London Buses Ltd.'s vehicle fleet is made up as follows : 3,705 double-deckers, 991 midibuses
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and 154 single deckers and coaches. There are vehicles other than those owned by London Buses Ltd. which operate bus services in London : for example, vehicles owned by private bus operators running services under contract to London Transport or on London local service licences. Information on the number and types of those vehicles is not held centrally.Train Builders
23. Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what encouragement he intends to give to British train builders to develop new techniques and services for British Rail.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 21 February a £15 million collaborative research programme for the railway equipment industry. The programme will operate in close co-operation with the Department of Transport and other interested parties.
Freight Transport
24. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that more freight is transferred from road to rail and that the freight passes round rather than through London.
Mr. McLoughlin : We are actively supporting BR's participation in joint ventures with the private sector ; paving the way for liberalisation of access to the rail network to widen customer choice ; backing investment for BR's new channel tunnel services ; and encouraging companies to take advantage of freight facilities grants. The routeing of freight services is a matter for British Rail.
Bypasses
25. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the number of bypasses commenced in 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Mr. Chope : In 1990-91, 21 bypasses, 93 miles in length, were started. It is expected that a further 13 bypasses, 33 miles in length, will have been started by the end of March 1992. In addition to these schemes, there were 34 other scheme starts in 1990-91 and 34 planned for 1991-92. Although not described as bypasses, most of these relieve one or more communities of through traffic. For example, the 13-mile long A30 Okehampton-Launceston improvement will benefit a number of villages on the existing trunk road.
Speed Limits (Commercial Vehicles)
26. Mr. Enright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the Council of Ministers towards agreeing speed limits for commercial vehicles.
Mr. Chope : The Commission made a proposal in 1988 to harmonise vehicle speed limits in the European Community, but it has not been discussed in the Council. A directive agreed at the Transport Council on 16 December 1991 will set a maximum speed for EC-registered heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes. The setting of speed limits will remain, however, a national responsibility.
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Multi-airline Business
28. Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of implementing a competitive multi- airline business in the United Kingdom.
Mr. McLoughlin : The United Kingdom has a large number of airlines which operate in a very competitive market. This has been aided by the United Kingdom's liberal licensing policies. The Government are seeking to ensure that the new European Community licensing regime, which will come into force throughout the EC as part of the single market, is as liberal as possible. The Government believe that this is the best way to bring about a market in which a range of airlines can compete and thus meet effectively the needs of consumers.
New Road
29. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road have been opened since 1979.
Mr. Chope : A total of 1,250 miles of new road has opened between April 1979 and December 1991, including 840 miles of trunk road and 410 miles of motorway.
Roads Programme
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the roads programme involves expanding capacity on existing routes.
Mr. Rifkind : Over 90 per cent. of the roads programme covers projects which are either bypasses or involve the improvement of existing roads.
Trunk Roads
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amount of public money was spent on motorway trunk road construction in 1990-91.
Mr. Chope : Expenditure on construction of motorways and trunk roads in England during 1990-91 was £1,281 million.
Central European Time
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken on the potential effect on the number of road accidents if the United Kingdom were to move to central European time.
Mr. Chope : The research carried out by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory is referred to in "Summer Time : A Consultation Document", Cm 722, June 1989.
Transatlantic Air Services
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he discussed transatlantic services between Birmingham and the east coast of the United States at the bilateral talks between the United States Administration and Her Majesty's Government in connection with transatlantic air services.
Mr. McLoughlin : The interests of Birmingham and other regional airports are very much borne in mind as we
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pursue our negotiations with the Americans. The recent round of discussions covered the possibilities for opening up additional opportunities for both sides, including new routes, without going into the detail of specific services at this stage.Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the bilateral talks between the United States Administration and Her Majesty's Government in connection with transatlantic air services.
Mr. McLoughlin : Discussions with the United States Government are continuing about the possibilities for the liberalisation of transatlantic air services. Our aim is to remove obstacles to fair competition between airlines, and to remove unnecessary regulation.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total cost of strengthening roads and bridges from 1999, following implemention of EC regulations to allow 44-tonne heavy goods vehicles on United Kingdom roads ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The Department has an existing 15-year programme of bridge rehabilitation for trunk roads and motorways, which commenced in 1987-88. The programme includes the assessment and where necessary strengthening of bridges and other structures, to deal with shortfalls in existing bridge strengths which have occurred as a result of the increased loading from and density of heavy traffic since the bridges were designed, and to get ready for heavier axle weights in 1999. The Department is also funding corresponding activities by local authorities in respect of their own bridges. Similar programmes exist in respect of the bridge stock owned by British Rail, British Waterways Board and London Underground Ltd. Expenditure after 1999 will depend on the progress with these programmes.
Pavement wear after 1999 will depend on the growth of heavy goods vehicles, the extent of changes in the composition of the goods vehicle fleet including the take up of 44-tonne vehicles and whether 44-tonne vehicles are equipped with five or six axles.
Construction Companies (Contracts)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the construction companies awarded contracts worth over £250,000 by his Department since 1 April 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : Since 1 April 1991 the following companies have been awarded works contracts valued at £250,000 or more :
A. R. C. Ltd.
Amey Construction Ltd.
Armstrong Addison and Co. Ltd.
T. Armstrong (Construction) Ltd.
Associated Asphalt Co. Ltd.
Balfour Beatty Ltd.
Birse Construction Ltd.
Henry Boot Northern Ltd.
Henry Boot Southern Ltd.
Bovis Construction Ltd.
A. F. Budge (Contractors) Ltd.
C. M. R. Electronics Ltd.
Cambridgeshire Construction Ltd.
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P. J. Carey (Contractors) Ltd.Cementation Construction Ltd.
Colas Roads Ltd.
Costain Civil Engineering Ltd.
Cumbrian Industrials Ltd.
Currall Lewis and Martin Ltd.
R. M. Douglas (Construction) Ltd.
Eden Construction Ltd.
Exploration Associates Ltd.
Fairclough Civil Engineering Ltd.
Fitzpatrick Contractors Ltd.
Galliford (UK) Ltd.
The Glacier Metal Co. Ltd.
M. J. Gleeson Group plc.
Hargreaves Quarries Ltd.
Kier Construction Ltd.
Kimbell Construction Ltd.
John Laing Construction.
Lilley Construction Ltd.
Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd.
Alfred McAlpine Quarry Products Ltd.
Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons Ltd.
H. W. Martin (Safety Fencing) Ltd.
May Gurney and Co. Ltd.
Midland Oak Construction Ltd.
Miller Construction Ltd.
Monk Construction Ltd.
Morrison Shand Construction Ltd.
John Mowlem Construction plc
Norwest Holst Construction Ltd.
Norwest Holst Soil Engineering Ltd.
Edmund Nuttall Ltd.
Peek Traffic Ltd.
Pirelli Construction Co. Ltd.
Prismo Ltd.
Protek Fencing Ltd.
Rawlings Brothers (EP) Ltd.
Redland Aggregates Ltd.
Rees Hough Ltd.
Remsdaq Ltd.
Ringway Ltd.
Roadstone Surface Dressing Ltd.
Roadworks (1952) Ltd.
Rochford Tree Landscapes Ltd.
S. I. A. C. Construction Ltd.
Serco Ltd.
Shephard Hill Civil Engineering Ltd.
Stenoak Fencing and Construction Ltd.
Surrey Operational Services Ltd.
Tarmac Construction Ltd.
Tarmac Quarry Products Ltd.
T. Taziker and Co. Ltd.
Tilcon Ltd.
W. and H. (Roads) Ltd.
Walcon Construction Ltd.
Thomas W. Ward (Roadstone) Ltd.
R. and C. Williams Ltd.
Wimpey Asphalt Ltd.
Wimpey Geotech Ltd.
Wimpey Hobbs Ltd.
Wrekin Construction Co. Ltd.
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