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(j) Labour and Social Affairs Council--23 NovemberAgenda unavailable
(k) Transport Council--29-30 November
Proposal for a "CARE" road safety data base
Council conclusions on the Commission's road safety communication Transport to and from Greece
Presentation of proposals on railway licensing and access to the network (possible)
Relations with Switzerland
Road haulage external relations mandate (possible)
Inland waterways "Tour de Role" (possible)
Presentation of proposal on transport of dangerous goods (possible)
Air accidents investigation (plus possible follow-up to 27 September "Aviation Crisis" meeting)
Training for seafarers
Classification societies
Relations with west Africa
(l) Justice Council--29-30 November
Various immigration/asylum items
Extraction
Europol and other TREVI items
EC accession to ECHR
The Cultural Affairs Council will meet on 5 November. Discussions will be on the European City of Culture and the economic aspects of culture and its role in creating employment. There will be a report by the Presidency on the informal meeting of Ministers on fixed book price and status of the artist. Ministers will discuss the centenary of the cinema and carry out an evaluation of the media programme. There will be information from the presidency on the Mons seminar of audio-visual Ministers followed by an exchange of views on the audio-visual sector and the GATT negotiations.
The Education Council will meet on 8 November. There will be discussions and an exchange of views on student mobility and access to higher education in the Community, and on the Green Paper on the European dimension in education.
There will be a Foreign Affairs Council on 8 and 9 November. The Council will discuss a Commission paper on the development of trade relations in a number of sectors with Switzerland, following its decision not to participate in the European economic area. Subject to the progress of talks with Austria, the Council may be asked to approve Commission proposals for action against state aids granted by Austria to two industrial projects. The FAC will discuss the lifting of some of the remaining sanctions imposed by the EC on South Africa. The Council will also consider the policy to be adopted towards South Africa between now and the establishment of a democratic government there, including a contribution to monitoring of the first full elections there next year. The Council will consider further the proposed pact on stability in Europe, and proposals to amend the current negotiating directives of an EC/Russia partnership and co-operation agreement. The Council will discuss conclusion of the EC/Bulgaria interim agreement. The agreement is intended to give early effect to those provisions of the EC/Bulgaria association agreement--signed 8 March 1993-- that fall within the sole competence of the Community.
The Internal Market Council will meet on 11 November. Discussions will be on TENS and the resolution on small and medium-sized enterprises. Also listed on the agenda for possible discussion is : operation of the internal market ; data protection ; equipment for use in
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explosive atmospheres ; personal protective equipment ; technical standards and regulations and European company statute.The Budget Council will meet on 15 November to consider the European Parliament's proposed amendments and modifications to the draft budget of the European Community for 1994.
The Industry Council will meet on 18 November. The Council will be dominated by a discussion of the Spanish, Italian and German applications for aid for their steel industries under article 95 ECSC. Commissioner van Miert will give his annual report on competition matters.
At the Consumer Affairs Council of 19 November, the Commission will give a presentation on its consumer action plan. It is possible that a common position on the timeshare directive will be reached at this Council. Issues to be discussed will be duration of cooling-off period, provisions for the protection of prohibition of deposit moneys, and provisions for purchasers to withdraw from timeshare contracts without penalty. Applicable law issues may also be discussed. As for the distance selling directive, it is not clear whether the original Council intention to have an orientation debate on policy issues arising from the latest text of the
directive--submitted to Council on 13 October--will be carried over to 19 November. It may settle for a report on progress. The United Kingdom also wishes to discuss proposed ban on prepayment, and provision for cancellation of credit card transactions.
The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 22 November. It is expected to consider preparation for the Brussels European Council discussion on economic issues ; the question of Community participation in the European investment fund ; the directive to make changes to existing EC financial services legislation in response to the collapse of Bank of Credit and Commerce International and the Maxwell affair ; the amending directive on the co-ordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) ; and possibly Community financial assistance to central and eastern Europe and former Soviet Union. The Council may also consider a report from the Commission on progress with economic convergence and implementation of the single market legislation.
The Fisheries Council will meet on 22 November. The agenda is not yet available.
The Social Affairs Council will meet on 23 November. The agenda is not yet available.
The Transport Council will meet on 19/30 November. Ministers will discuss the proposal for a "CARE" road safety data base and the Council conclusions on the Commission's road safety communication. Transport to and from Greece, relations with Switzerland, training for seafarers, classification societies and relations with west Africa will be discussed. There will possibly be a presentation of proposals on railway licensing and access to the network, and discussion on road haulage external relations mandate, inland waterways "Tour de Role" and air accidents investigation. There may also be a presentation of the proposal on transport of dangerous goods.
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NATIONAL HERITAGE
Brodsworth Hall
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the items of value to date that English Heritage has removed from Brodsworth hall, Brodsworth, near Doncaster, south Yorkshire, and placed in secure storage prior to them being replaced after the hall's renovation.
Mr. Brooke : Approximately 17,000 objects of historic importance, valued at around £3.5 million, have been inventoried and are in store. Producing a list of this size for publication is impractical in the time available. However, I understand that English Heritage has invited the hon. Member to visit Brodsworth hall, and that it would be happy to extend its invitation to cover the store and the work in progress at both sites.
Libraries
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many public libraries of (a) more than 8,000 sq m, (b) between 2,000 and 8,000 sq m and (c) less than 2,000 sq m have been built in (i) the last three years, (ii) the last 10 years and (iii) the last 20 years.
Mr. Sproat : Information about new library openings is not collected centrally. Statistics collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy go back 20 years and include information on numbers of service points but do not include information on library size. The total number of mobile, central and branch libraries in England, open more than 10 hours a week, in 1991-92--the latest year for which figures are available--1982-83 and 1972-73 was 3,650, 3,598 and 3,486 respectively.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans Her Majesty's Government have to use public libraries to give the public access to (a) Government papers and (b) Government information.
Mr. Sproat : The responsibility for providing public library services, and for choosing their stock, rests with local library authorities. Official publications are clearly likely to be an important element of the comprehensive library and information service which library authorities must provide, and most of them stock an extensive range. Public libraries are also frequently used by Departments for disseminating official information.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many public libraries are open for 60 hours or more a week in (a) England and (b) London.
Mr. Sproat : The number of service points open for 60 hours or more a week in England and London at 31 March 1992--the latest date for which figures are available--was 14 and three respectively. Access is maximised by a pattern of libraries which are open where and when people wish to use them, not simply by aggregate hours.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage in what ways the views and experiences of (a) library users and (b) librarians are being (i) represented and (ii) canvassed in his review of libraries.
Mr. Sproat : The terms of reference of the public library review were drawn up following wide consultation of
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professional librarians. Further extensive consultation during the course of the review will include the views of librarians and of users and non-users of the library service. In undertaking the review, the Department will be advised by an expert group of librarian members of my statutory advisory council--the Library and Information Services Council (England).Television Licence Fees
Mr. Gale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement about the level of the television licence fees.
Mr. Brooke : Following a recommendation of the Peacock committee in 1986, the television licence fee was increased annually in line with retail prices index for the three years, April 1988 to April 1990. In 1990, independent consultants, Price Waterhouse, identified potential savings of £203 million which they believed could be achieved by the BBC over the five-year period, 1991 to 1996, without any reduction in service.
In the light of the consultants' report, the Government adopted a five-year licence fee strategy. This involved an increase of 3 per cent. below RPI in April 1991, followed by annual increases at RPI over the next four years, but with a commitment to reassess the position before the fee increase due in April 1994.
On 21 June this year, I announced the appointment of independent consultants, Touche Ross, to advise me on the BBC's progress in achieving the efficiency and revenue gains identified by Price Waterhouse in 1990 ; on the scope for further, additional savings ; and, on whether the RPI linkage continued to be appropriate for the next three years.
Touche Ross reported to me at the end of August, and a management summary of its report is being published today by HMSO. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The full report will not be published because it contains material which is commercially sensitive to the BBC.
The good news for licence payers is that the consultants concluded that the BBC had done well to manage its financial position during a time of considerable change. The consultants found that the BBC has pursued opportunities to make savings and efficiency improvements in a rigorous and effective manner, and I congratulate the BBC on the progress it has made.
Touche Ross put forward a range of options for setting the level of the licence fee over the next three years, including setting the fee below RPI in two of the next three years. Its report welcomed the introduction of the "Producer Choice" initiative on 1 April this year, but noted the need for caution in setting the licence fee, because the full impact of the initiative on the BBC's costs was not yet known.
The Government have decided, in the light of the report, that for the next three years changes in the licence fee should continue to be set at the level of RPI changes. This will enable the BBC to channel savings into programmes and, over the next three years, allow the BBC steadily to reduce and largely eliminate its annual borrowing. The licence payer will benefit directly from the additional and better programmes which this settlement will allow, and the BBC will benefit from being able to plan on a sound base before the expiry of the present royal
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charter at the end of 1996. We are considering how the BBC should be financed in the longer term, as part of our review of the corporation's future.In recent years, the April licence fee increase has been based on the RPI figures published in the preceding September. This means that the television licence fee will rise by 1.8 per cent. from 1 April 1994. The colour licence will therefore increase from £83 to £84.50, and a black and white licence will now cost £28, a rise of 50p. The necessary regulations giving effect to the increase will be laid before the House in due course.
Transfrontier Television
Mr. Gale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he intends to submit his report to the European Commission on the implementation of articles 4 and 5 of the European directive on transfrontier television ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : The report is being submitted today, and I am placing a copy in the House Libraries. It shows that the great majority of television programming seen in the United Kingdom is of European origin. In particular, the terrestrial channels have each broadcast around 70 per cent. European material and have met in full the requirement to broadcast a proportion of programming independently produced within the Community. These channels continue to account for over 90 per cent. of viewing as assessed by television ratings. Many of the new satellite channels licensed in the United Kingdom have also reached the targets set in the directive both for European content and for independently produced material. This is very encouraging and vindicates our efforts to encourage diversity and choice in the United Kingdom broadcasting market.
The report also shows, however, that a number of other broadcasters have yet to meet the targets for European and independently produced material referred to in the directive. While it may not be practicable for all of these broadcasters to meet these levels, I am particularly disappointed by the performance of some broadcasters who have fallen well short. All broadcasters licensed in the United Kingdom are bound by the requirements of the directive. As a first step, we shall be writing to all the relevant broadcasters to ask why they have not met the requirements of the directive, what level of European and independently produced material it would be practicable for them to transmit, and over what period of time they could progressively achieve these levels.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions have taken place in Wales since 1988 under the provisiFisheries and Food's sea fisheries inspectorate has not undertaken any prosecutions in Wales under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts in respect of vessels fishing for profit while unregistered.
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Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of his Department's fishery officers of the inspectorate of fisheries are responsible for enforcement work on licences around the coast of Wales.
Mr. Jack : The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's sea fisheries inspectorate currently has five officers based in Wales--two at Milford Haven and three at Caernarvon--whose responsibilities include licensing of the fishing vessels and related enforcement.
Cattle Diseases
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase there has been in incidents of (a) brucellosis and (b) warble fly infection in cattle since 1 January ; to what extent these incidents have been caused by imported cattle ; and if she will make a statement on the measures she is taking.
Mr. Soames : Brucella abortus has been isolated from cattle on one farm this year and serological evidence of infection found on a further nine farms up to the end of October. This is the first isolation of brucella abortus in Great Britain since 1990 but positive serological reactions, which may have been caused by cross reaction with another organism, were found on 12 farms in 1992. The origin of the last outbreak is still under investigation. Action is being taken to trace any animals which have been in contact with the infected cattle and to prevent the spread of infection.
Clinical cases of serological evidence of warble fly were recorded on 107 premises in Great Britain in 1993 compared with none in 1992. All the cases recorded in 1993 were directly linked to imported cattle. Seventy-one of the premises have been released from all controls following satisfactory treatment. The remaining 36 premises will be released from controls when compulsory autumn treatment has been completed. We have been in touch with the French authorities and have received assurances from them that they will not certify for export animals showing clinical signs of warble fly infestation. We are also seeking further safeguards from the Community to prevent the importation of cattle in which the infestation is not yet clinically evident and are reassessing the role of compulsory post-import treatment.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what cattle diseases have reappeared in the United Kingdom since 1 January ; how this has come about ; and what action is being taken to prevent the importation of cattle diseases from other parts of the EC.
Mr. Soames : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 3 November to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson).
Ewe Annual Premium
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in England are currently eligible for ewe annual premium payments ; how many claims for payment have been received ; how many have been paid ; and when any outstanding claims will be paid.
Mr. Jack : I have no figures regarding the number of sheep farmers who are eligible to apply. some 42,700
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claims have been received under the 1993 scheme and about 29,600 have been paid the first and second advances and less-favoured area supplement where appropriate. Outstanding eligible claims will be paid as soon as possible.Prairie Dogs
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the current regulations on the control of prairie dogs ; and what assessment she has made of whether they are adequate to contain their spread ;
(2) what is the estimated United Kingdom population of prairie dogs living in the wild.
Mr. Soames : The Ministry is not aware of any populations of prairie dogs outside captivity within the United Kingdom, other than the small and undetermined numbers reported on the Isle of Wight. Those on the Isle of Wight are reported to be escapees from a wildlife park. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, to release or allow prairie dogs into the wild. Prairie dogs which have escaped from zoos or similar establishments are not protected under wildlife legislation and can be controlled by landowners or occupiers using any method not prohibited by the 1981 Act. Shooting or cage trapping and humane dispatch are two methods that could be used.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice she will give Isle of Wight farmers about controlling prairie dogs.
Mr. Soames : The Ministry has received no complaints of prairie dog damage from farmers or landowners on the Isle of Wight. Landowners and occupiers are free to use any legal method of control to deal with prairie dogs on their land. ADAS, the Ministry's wildlife advisers will, on request, give advice on the legal methods available and its services are being made available to the Medina borough council.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated annual cost of the damage caused by prairie dogs.
Mr. Soames : No reports of damage have been received by the Ministry and, therefore, no assessment can be made of the estimated annual cost of any such damage.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experience her Ministry has of controlling the spread of prairie dogs in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Soames : The Ministry has not been involved with the control of the spread of prairie dogs in this country as this is the responsibility of landowners and occupiers. Nevertheless, ADAS, the Ministry's wildlife advisers, has experience in dealing with a variety of animal species where these have posed problems to farmers and others and it will draw on this experience in offering any advice.
Organophosphorus Dips
Mr. Fry : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent site has had advice from the Veterinary Products Committee on the continued use of organophosphorus dips.
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Mr. Soames : The Veterinary Products Committee provides independent scientific advice to the licensing authority--the United Kingdom Agriculture and Health Ministers--on matters concerning the licensing of veterinary medicinal products, including
organophosphorus sheep dips. Such advice, however, is not given to individual sites at which veterinary medicines may be used.
Drift Nets
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether she intends to discuss the use of drift nets over 2.5 km long at the Council of European Community Fisheries Ministers on 22 November.
Mr. Jack : The agenda for the November Council of Fisheries Ministers has not yet been settled by the Belgian presidency and so at this stage we are not certain if the issue will be discussed. Currently, no proposal for an extension of the derogation has been received.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many breaches of the United Nations ban on drift nets over 2.5 km long there have been in (a) United Kingdom territorial waters and (b) international waters during the last 12 months.
Mr. Jack : We are not aware of any cases of United Kingdom vessels breaching the drift net rules in any water. We have no information on infringements by vessels from other countries, European or otherwise.
Waste Dumping at Sea
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 1 November, Official Report, column 42, what plans she has to publish further details of Her Majesty's Government's position in relation to issues to be considered at the London convention on 8 to 12 November in advance of the convention.
Mr. Jack : We have no plans to publish any further details in advance of this meeting.
Food Labelling
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice the Food Advisory Committee has given on the labelling of foods produced by genetically modified organisms.
Mr. Soames : The Food Advisory Committee has carefully considered possible criteria for the labelling of foods produced using genetically modified organisms--GM foods--and has consulted widely on the matter. It has also considered the report of the Committee on the Ethics of Genetic Modification and Food Use, chaired by the Reverend Dr. John Polkinghorne, which was published in September. It has now submitted its advice, a copy of which I am putting in the Library of the House.
The Food Advisory Committee takes the view that it would be unrealistic to label every food whose product has involved genetic modification. It has however accepted that there should be provision for choice in relation to those foods which raise real concerns for a significant proportion of the population. It has therefore proposed that a GM food should be labelled if it :
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(a) contains a copy gene originally derived from a human ; (b) contains a copy gene originally derived from an animal which is the subject of religious dietary restrictions ; or(c) is a plant or microbial material and containing a copy gene originally derived from an animal.
These rules would not apply if the inserted copy gene had been destroyed by processing and was not, therefore, present in the food. I am grateful to the committee for its careful and thorough examination of the issues. It is continuing its work, in particular in the form of labelling that might be used. Meanwhile, its advice coincides very closely with that of the Polkinghorne committee and I propose to accept it. The Government will therefore seek provisions on these lines in the proposed novel foods regulation which is currently under discussion in Brussels. Since very few GM foods have yet come on the market and public understanding of the technique is still limited, we shall also seek a provision for a review in a few years' time.
Cattle and Badgers
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she has taken advice on the scientific work under way on cattle tuberculosis and badgers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Soames : Yes. We organised a scientific seminar on 3 November when scientists from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Repulic of Ireland were able to present a report on the current state of their work to both the Ministry and the consultative panel on badgers and bovine TB.
I was present at the meeting and found it extremely useful. I am sure that it will make an invaluable contribution to developing our future approach to this complex area. We will continue to keep a close eye on the results of this highly important work.
Wheat
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her estimate of the reduction in acreage and wheat tonnage equivalent output of each EC country between the 1991-92 and 1992-93 growing seasons ; and what plans she has to prevent further disadvantage to the United Kingdom in both acreage and tonnage terms.
Mr. Jack : A table showing the area planted and tonnage produced for wheat (excluding durum wheat) in each member state during the growing seasons 1991-92 and 1992-93, together with the percentage difference is attached. The figures provided are based on the United Kingdom Agricultural Departments' first estimate of the 1993 United Kingdom cereals harvest and the most recent EC Commission forecasts for all other member states.
I shall continue to seek a fair deal for British cereal producers in the same way that achieved a defeat for the CAP reform proposals which would have resulted in 60 per cent. of our set-aside land being uncompensated compared to 34 per cent. in the rest of the Community. More recently, we negotiated an 18 per cent. non-rotational set-aside requirement for the United Kingdom compared to 20 per cent. in other member states.
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