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Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total payments made to farmers for each year encompassing existing and new entrants as a whole within each designated environmentally sensitive area and for England in total.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested is set out in the table. The payment figures relate to the cost of agreements in the years in which the applications were made, even though a minority of payments were actually made early in the following year. The 1992 figures include estimates of the costs of agreements not yet finalised.
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ESA Payments to Farmers
|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |<1>1992
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pennine Dales |813,100 |916,500 |953,300 |961,600 |998,800 |1,555,000
Broads |937,825 |1,720,000 |1,784,050 |1,813,825 |1,821,300 |2,406,000
Somerset Levels and Moors |679,562 |778,986 |826,112 |843,030 |889,734 |1,815,000
South Downs |180,640 |374,795 |580,290 |634,745 |747,620 |1,280,000
West Penwith |333,120 |345,360 |348,960 |351,840 |354,780 |360,000
Breckland |387,950 |453,275 |485,250 |496,325 |540,000
Suffolk River Valleys |740,850 |902,120 |990,360 |1,058,890 |1,100,000
Shropshire Borders |534,660 |584,450 |608,240 |627,540 |638,000
North Peak |673,080 |728,890 |730,780 |734,810 |735,000
Test Valley |21,840 |25,520 |28,080 |31,120 |32,000
|------ |----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
Totals |2,944,247 |6,494,021 |7,186,967 |7,447,750 |7,760,919 |10,461,000
<1> Provisional.
Turkeys
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the amount of turkey meat imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years ; what measures Her Majesty's Government takes to ensure that imported turkeys have been reared and transported humanely ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The amount of turkey meat imported into the United Kingdom over the last five years is as follows :
|Turkeymeat (tonnes)
------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |8,154
1988 |12,743
1989 |14,652
1990 |26,434
1991 |28,430
Any live turkeys imported into the United Kingdom would be safeguarded by the provisions of the European directives protecting the welfare of animals during transport. However, the Government have no control over welfare conditions for rearing turkeys in other member states and no Community rules exist for them. Turkeys reared in the United Kingdom benefit from our national animal welfare legislation and a specific welfare code for turkeys.
The Government have made it clear that we wish to see the highest possible Community welfare standards set for the husbandry and transport of all farm livestock.
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Dietary Supplements
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the response of the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy to the conclusions of the Denner report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : I recently met the Director of the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy to discuss the views of the society. There are differences of detail on some technical issues, but there is a wide measure of agreement that whatever legislation emerges as part of the European Commission's harmonisation programme the consumer should have continued access to safe products.
Sheep Grazing
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to monitor erosion caused by excessive sheep grazing in less-favoured areas.
Mr. Curry : I do not believe that sheep grazing is a widespread cause of erosion. Measures to discourage overgrazing in less favoured areas are however included in the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme. Also a number of current or proposed environmentally sensitive area schemes include the regeneration of moorland vegetation by offering payments to farmers to reduce sheep stocking levels and to carry out other beneficial management practices.
Water Damage
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what plans he has to make funds available to local authorities to pay for the damage caused to roads and ditches by silt-laden water from farmers' fields ;
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(2) what plans he has to make farmers pay for the damage caused to roads and ditches by silt-laden water from farmers' fields.Mr. Curry : None. Farmers who allow soil to leave fields and create a nuisance may be prosecuted under section 151 of the Highways Act 1980. This authorises the highway authority to serve a notice requiring appropriate preventive measures to be undertaken.
Erosion
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what plans he has for the future monitoring of water erosion on arable land ;
(2) what plans he has to assess the impact of wind erosion on arable land.
Mr. Curry : Government-funded research into soil erosion by both wind and water includes work on estimating the risk of erosion for different soils in England and Wales and is expected to result in the publication in 1993 of a map of erosion risk. In addition ADAS is engaged in a project monitoring the effects of water erosion on arable land.
A range of measures are available to farmers to tackle erosion problems, and the Government have recently issued for public consultation a draft Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Soil, which is designed to help farmers on this and other matters. A copy of the consultation document is in the Library of the House.
Badgers
Ms. Walley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the circumstances in which he is prepared to grant licences to fox hunters to attack occupied badger setts with spades and dogs.
Mr. Soames : There are no circumstances in which I would be prepared to grant a licence allowing fox hunters to attack an occupied badger sett with spades and dogs. However, the legislation provides that licences may be issued for interference with a badger sett for the purpose of controlling foxes in order to protect livestock, game or wildlife. I announced on 14 October that, in exceptional circumstances, a licence may be issued which would permit a dog to be entered into a badger sett to flush out a fox.
Potatoes
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations were asked to make comments on the proposals for a Council regulation regarding the common organisation of the market in potatoes ; and what were the specific dates when the formal requests for those comments were communicated to them.
Mr. Gummer : Following is the list of organisations :
Association of County Councils
British Retail Consortium
Association of Consumer Research
Co-operative Union
Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives (UK) Ltd.
Food from Britain
National Farmers Union (England)
British Potato Trades Consortium
British Society of Plant Breeders Ltd.
Consumers Committee for Great Britain
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Country Landowners AssociationBritish Society of Plant Breeders Ltd.
Consumers Committee for Great Britain
Country Landowners Association
Food and Drink Federation
Fruit Importers Association
National Association of Seed Potato Merchants
National Consumers Council
National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades Ltd.
Potato Chip Manufacturers Association
Potato Marketing Board
Processed Vegetable Growers Association
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
National Federation of Fish Friers
National Joint Council of British Potato and Vegetable Merchants Association
Potato Growers Action Group
Potato Processors Association
Produce Packaging and Marketing Association
Retail Fruit Trade Federation Ltd.
The Henry Doubleday Research Organisation
Tenant Farmers Associations
Womens Farming Union
London Fox
British Independent Grocers Association
Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd.
UK Association of Frozen Food Producers
Consumers in the EC Group
Centre for European Agricultural Studies
The Commission's proposal was received on 25 November and the consultation letter was sent on 26 November 1992.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the organisations which have replied to the request for comments on the proposals for a Council regulation regarding the common organisation of the market in potatoes ; and when those replies were received.
Mr. Gummer : Following is the list of organisations
Name of organisation |Date of reply ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- British Retail Consortium |7 December 1992 Consumers in the EC Group |9 December 1992 Consumers Committee for Great Britain |7 December 1992 Federation of Agricultural Co-operatives (UK) Ltd. |4 December 1992 London FOX |7 December 1992 National Association of Seed Potato Merchants |4 December 1992 National Farmers Union (England) |4 December 1992 National Federation of Fish Friers |4 December 1992 National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades Ltd. |4 December 1992 Potato Marketing Board |4 December 1992 Potato Processors Association |30 November 1992 Produce Packaging and Marketing Association |4 December 1992 Retail Fruit Trade Federation Ltd. |7 December 1992
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations had not replied by 7 December, in response to the request for comments on the proposals for a Council regulation regarding the common organisation of the market in potatoes.
Mr. Gummer : The following organisations had not replied by 7 December :
Association of County CouncilsAssociation of Consumer ResearchBritish Independent Grocers AssociationBritish Potato Trades ConsortiumBritish Society of Plant Breeders Ltd.Centre for European Agricultural Studies
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Co-operative UnionCountry Landowners AssociationCo-operative Wholesale Society Ltd.Food and Drink FederationFood from BritainFruit Importers AssociationNational Consumers CouncilNational Joint Council of British Potato and Vegetable Merchants AssociationPotato Chip Manufacturers AssociationPotato Growers Action GroupProcessed Vegetable Growers AssociationRoyal Institution of Chartered SurveyorsHenry Doubleday Research OrganisationTenant Farmers AssociationUK Association of Frozen Food ProducersWomens Farming UnionWool Guarantee
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of maintaining the wool guarantee in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Curry : The wool guarantee is designed to operate as a price stabilisation mechanism on the basis of advances to, or receipts from, the British Wool Marketing Board. Net expenditure (or net receipts) over the past nine financial years was as follows. The information for earlier years could be obtained in the form requested only at disproportionate cost.
|£
---------------------------------------
1983-84 |602,882
1984-85 |<1>7,838,406
1985-86 |1,458,753
1986-87 |8,082,047
1987-88 |<1>1,942,751
1988-89 |<1>3,267,593
1989-90 |2,180,700
1990-91 |18,191,215
1991-92 |40,841,371
<1>=receipts.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to retain the wool guarantee after 1 May 1993.
Set-aside Proposals
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arable acreage he expects to be set aside in each EC country arising from the MacSharry proposals ; what proportion this will be of existing arable acreage in each case, assuming constant yields and current prices ; what will be the loss in production and value in each country ; and, in each case, if he will set out the figures as an absolute figure and as a proportion of the EC total, assuming no change in the balance between cereal types, seasonal planting and cereals and oilseeds.
Mr. Curry : The information in the following table is derived from budgetary estimates of expenditure on the CAP reform package prepared earlier this year by the Commission. These estimates do not contain figures for the value of lost production, which will depend on market prices in the next marketing year.
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Estimated reduction in production
|Cereals (million|As percentage of|Protein (million|As percentage of|Oilseed (million|As percentage of
|tonnes) |total reduction |tonnes) |total reduction |tonnes) |total reduction
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Denmark |0.8 |5 |- |- |0.1 |8
Germany |3.8 |24 |- |- |0.2 |17
Greece |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Spain |1.3 |8 |- |- |0.1 |8
France |5.9 |38 |0.4 |80 |0.5 |44
Ireland |0.2 |1 |- |- |- |-
Italy |0.7 |4 |- |- |0.1 |8
Luxembourg |- |- |- |- |- |-
Netherlands |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Portugal |- |- |- |- |- |-
United Kingdom |2.7 |17 |0.1 |20 |0.2 |17
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |15.7 |0.5 |1.1
Source: Commission statistics.
Note: Minor discrepancies in totals are due to rounding.
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Estimated reduction in production
|Cereals (million|As percentage of|Protein (million|As percentage of|Oilseed (million|As percentage of
|tonnes) |total reduction |tonnes) |total reduction |tonnes) |total reduction
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Denmark |0.8 |5 |- |- |0.1 |8
Germany |3.8 |24 |- |- |0.2 |17
Greece |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Spain |1.3 |8 |- |- |0.1 |8
France |5.9 |38 |0.4 |80 |0.5 |44
Ireland |0.2 |1 |- |- |- |-
Italy |0.7 |4 |- |- |0.1 |8
Luxembourg |- |- |- |- |- |-
Netherlands |0.1 |1 |- |- |- |-
Portugal |- |- |- |- |- |-
United Kingdom |2.7 |17 |0.1 |20 |0.2 |17
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |15.7 |0.5 |1.1
Source: Commission statistics.
Note: Minor discrepancies in totals are due to rounding.
Metrication
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out the chronology of the change from acres to hectares as it has affected returns and claims required by his Department ; and the reasons for the change.
Mr. Curry : The Government have been committed to the introduction of metric units for many years and the change from acres to hectares in relation to returns and claims required by this Department is entirely consistent with this policy. The dates when specific changes to hectares were made are as follows :
Agricultural census and survey forms--1976.
Hill livestock compensatory allowances--1976.
Scheme forms and literature for capital grants phasing-in of hectares completed by 1976.
Sheep annual premium scheme--land information required for first time in 1990 when hectares specified.
Sand Dredging
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the studies undertaken by the working party in his Department on the effects of sand dredging.
Mr. Maclean : I have been asked to reply.
My Department has undertaken one specific study on the effects of marine dredging in the Hilbre Swash area of Liverpool bay. This was completed in 1990. Any application to dredge for aggregates which comes before my Department is carefully examined for potential environmental effects including the potential effect on the coastline.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Water (Direct Payments)
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications under paragraph 7 of schedule 9 of the Claims and Payments Regulations 1987, for direct payments to water companies have been made to each regional DSS office ; how many have been turned down ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : Regions were replaced by territories in April 1990. The information requested in respect of each of the Benefits Agency's three territories for the year ending October 1992 is given in the table.
|Scotland and North|Wales and Central |Southern Territory
|Territory<1> |England Territory
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of applications
made |31,500 |75,000 |47,000
Number of applications
rejected |5,000 |12,000 |9,500
<1> Figures refer to North Territory only as different arrangements for payment of water charges
apply in Scotland.
Note: The figures used are based on Management Information Statistics collected by the Benefits
Agency in the 12 months period ending October 1992. These figures, which have been rounded to the
nearest 500, are provisional and may be subject to amendment.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 70, what plans he has to extend the system of direct payments to water companies by DSS offices for claimants.
Mr. Burt : We have no plans to extend the current arrangements by which direct payments of income support are made to water companies.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report column 70, if he will list those DSS offices which currently (a) make and (b) do not make direct payments for benefit claimants to water companies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : All of the Benefit Agency's district offices in England and Wales are currently making direct payment to water companies on behalf of those meeting the criteria in paragraph 7 of schedule 9 of the Claims and Payments Regulations 1987.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 70, if he will list for each DSS regional office the number of people meeting the criteria in paragraph 7 of schedule 9 of the Claims and Payments Regulations 1987, who have direct payments made to the water companies by the DSS.
Mr. Burt : The latest information showing the total number of income support recipients with a deduction for water charges in each of the Benefits Agency's three territories at the end of August 1992 is as follows :
|Scotland and North|Wales and Central |Southern Territory
|Territory<1> |England Territory
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of applications
made |31,500 |75,000 |47,000
Number of applications
rejected |5,000 |12,000 |9,500
<1> Figures refer to North Territory only as different arrangements for payment of water charges
apply in Scotland.
Note: The figures used are based on Management Information Statistics collected by the Benefits
Agency in the 12 months period ending October 1992. These figures, which have been rounded to the
nearest 500, are provisional and may be subject to amendment.
Disability Payments
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to extend the disability premium to means-tested benefits to people who are registered as partially sighted.
Mr. Scott : We have no such plans. The disability premium in income support, housing benefit and
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community charge benefit is available to partially sighted people on the same basis as other long-term sick and disabled people.Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition his Department uses of bodily functions for the purpose of the award of disability living allowance and attendance allowance.
Mr. Scott : Bodily functions are defined in a decision of the Court of Appeal published as an appendix to a reported decision of a national insurance commissioner (decision R(A)2/80).
The Chief Adjudication Officer has advised that the list is not exhaustive and that adjudication officers, who decide individual claims to benefit, should use their own judgment in each case.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will reconsider the proposed change in the arrangements for claims in respect of service-related disability allowance so that claims involving disablement of below 20 per cent. will not be rejected.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 12 November proposals to introduce a threshold for claims for war pension in respect of noise-induced hearing loss so that no award would be made where disablement was less than 20 per cent. It is proposed also to use savings from that change to remove rank differentials in war disablement pensions by moving everyone up to the rate for officers ; this would benefit nearly 200,000 war disablement pensioners who would gain up to £5 a week.
These proposals have been discussed with the Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions chaired by my noble Friend Lord Henley. We have been considering the proposals following that consultation and will make an announcement shortly.
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