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Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 11 May, Official Report , column 584 , if he will give the exact date on which full and formal appraisal documents were submitted by the Overseas Development Administration and the Department of Trade and Industry in respect of the aid and trade provision support for the Mrica hydro project; and by whom the appraisals were undertaken. [28190]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 12 June 1995]: The Department of Trade and Industry's appraisal document was completed in September 1981 and that of the Overseas Development Administration in January 1982. Each appraisal was conducted by officials of the relevant department.
Coconut Shells (Fuel)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid he gives to schemes designed to substitute empty shells of coconut and other palm, fast-growing trees and other materials for mangrove, as fuel in coastal areas of developing countries. [26332]
Mr. Baldry: Research carried out by the Natural Resources Institute into the use of coconut shells as fuel, based on carbonisation with waste heat recovery, helped to develop technologies which are being used commercially in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In addition, the
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Overseas Development Administration continues to fund research into fast-growing tree species, to provide fuel and other products, through its forestry research programme managed by the Oxford Forestry Institute.We have helped several developing countries in Asia and central America to carry out tree inventories of coastal zones, including mangrove forests. Most recently, the ODA has offered United Kingdom expertise to South Africa to help prepare strategies for managing its coast line and hopes to agree a coastal zone project shortly in Ghana.
St. Helena
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help is being given to St. Helena to restore unique and rare ecology. [26333]
Mr. Baldry: In 1993 the ODA funded a visit to St. Helena by a consultancy team led by the royal botanic gardens, Kew, which prepared a report containing proposals for a sustainable environment and development strategy on the island. Following their consideration of the report, the St. Helena Government made a number of further requests for assistance from the United Kingdom. As a result three consultancies, each dealing with discrete areas of environmental or conservation concern, have taken place. One report, on the rehabilitation of Crown
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wastelands, has been forwarded to the St. Helena Government for comment. Two further reports, dealing with an endemic plants rescue programme and organic waste composting technology, are awaited. The ODA also supports the agriculture and forestry department of the St. Helena Government as the body responsible for environmental conservation on St. Helena, through provision of three technical co- operation staff and substantial grant-in-aid contributions to facilitate the Department's on-going habitat restoration work.Multilateral Aid
Mr. Robert Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the value of the United Kingdom's contribution, in cash and constant prices, to multilateral aid programmes for each year since 1979 by category of institution; what are the projections for future years; and if he will provide a breakdown of the United Kingdom's contribution to specific programmes of international institutions. [26947]
Mr. Baldry: The information requested, by major categories of multilateral spending, is contained in the tables. Detailed information on UK contributions to individual institutions is published in "British Aid Statistics", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
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Multilateral contributions in cash terms 1979 to 1997-98
£ million
|EC budget |Other MDBs
|(CEE/FSU share in |(EBRD share in |Other
|brackets) |EDF |WB/IMF |brackets) |UN |multilateral |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |45 |73 |44 |14 |69 |12 |257
1980 |58 |62 |73 |14 |48 |8 |264
1981 |102 |56 |116 |15 |49 |10 |346
1982 |103 |71 |154 |14 |58 |12 |411
1983 |114 |75 |205 |15 |57 |14 |481
1984 |150 |76 |197 |29 |66 |14 |531
1985 |164 |70 |128 |34 |84 |14 |494
1986 |144 |79 |154 |36 |81 |16 |510
1987 |128 |94 |157 |30 |100 |13 |523
1987-88 |128 |100 |159 |33 |88 |17 |525
1988-89 |154 |131 |201 |30 |78 |16 |613
1989-90 |163 |142 |201 |30 |80 |18 |633
1990-91 |188(5) |146 |160 |32 |102 |18 |646
1991-92 |255(30) |200 |230 |69(35) |120 |18 |892
1992-93 |285(59) |192 |260 |92(54) |132 |20 |981
1993-94 |350(93) |172 |246 |76(46) |136 |18 |997
1994-95<1> |333(91) |238 |315 |90(40) |67 |27 |1,070
1995-96<2> |480(195) |247 |248 |97(40) |55 |19 |1,146
1996-97<2> |560(240) |267 |232 |107(40) |62 |17 |1,245
1997-98<2> |629(264) |300 |209 |113(40) |59 |16 |1,326
Notes:
<1> Estimate.
<2> Figures taken from 1995 Departmental Report (Cm 2862).
Outturn data are from British Aid Statistics, which has been published on a financial year basis from 1992.
For the constant price series, calendar year figures are in 1993 prices; financial year figures are in 1993-94 prices.
EDF = European Development Fund.
WB/IMF = World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
Other MDBs = Regional development banks (African, Asian, Inter-American and Caribbean) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Other multilateral = Commonwealth programmes plus international research organisations.
CEE/FSU = Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union.
Multilateral contributions 1979 to 1993-94 in constant prices
£ million
|EC budget |Other MDBs
|(CEE/FSU share in |(EBRD share in |Other
|brackets) |EDF |WB/IMF |brackets) |UN |multilateral |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |112 |182 |110 |35 |172 |30 |641
1980 |121 |129 |152 |29 |100 |17 |548
1981 |191 |105 |217 |28 |92 |19 |652
1982 |179 |124 |268 |24 |101 |21 |717
1983 |188 |124 |339 |25 |94 |23 |793
1984 |237 |120 |311 |46 |104 |22 |840
1985 |245 |105 |191 |51 |126 |21 |739
1986 |209 |114 |223 |52 |117 |23 |738
1987 |177 |130 |217 |41 |138 |18 |721
1987-88 |180 |140 |223 |46 |124 |24 |737
1988-89 |203 |172 |265 |39 |103 |21 |803
1989-90 |201 |175 |247 |37 |98 |22 |780
1990-91 |214(6) |166 |182 |36 |116 |21 |735
1991-92 |273(32) |214 |246 |74(38) |129 |19 |955
1992-93 |294(61) |198 |268 |95(56) |136 |21 |1,012
1993-94 |350(93) |172 |246 |76(46) |136 |18 |998
Notes:
Outturn data are from British Aid Statistics, which has been published on a financial year basis from 1992.
For the constant price series, calendar year figures are in 1993 prices; financial year figures are in 1993-94 prices.
EDF = European Development Fund.
WB/IMF = World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
Other MDBs = Regional development banks (African, Asian, Inter-American and Caribbean) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Other multilateral = Commonwealth programmes plus international research organisations.
CEE/FSU = Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union.
Cameroon
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help he gives to schemes for eco-tourism in Cameroon. [26334]
Mr. Baldry: We are not directly assisting eco-tourism in Cameroon. However, ODA supported forestry/biodiversity projects at Mount Cameroon and the Korup national park are attracting small numbers of eco-tourists.
Madagascar
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help he gives to promoting the needs of biodiversity in Madagascar. [26336]
Mr. Baldry: Under our joint funding scheme we are providing £402, 000 in support of two World Wide Fund for Nature projects to assist the Government of Madagascar in biodiversity and protected areas management, and environmental education.
As soon as Madagascar ratifies the convention on biological diversity, it will become eligible to receive funding under the global environment facility.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Baytril
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the use of the drug Baytril in farm animals; [26779]
(2) when the drug Baytril was approved for use in farm animals in the United Kingdom; and how much has been administered per month since approval; [26781]
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(3) what estimates he had made on the future levels of Baytril which will be administered to United Kingdom farm animals. [26782]Mrs. Browning: Baytril contains enrofloxacin, a synthetic broad spectrum antimicrobials, bactericidal in action and effective against a wide range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as mycoplasmas. It is presented as an oral solution, or injection for farm animals, and licensed for use in pigs, cattle and poultry. Full details are given in the 1994 95 "Compendium of Data Sheets for Veterinary Products," published by the National Office of Animal Health. The major use is in poultry for which licences were issued on 11 November 1993.
Baytril is available on veterinary prescription only and indicated for use only where clinical experience, supported where possible by sensitivity testing of the casual organism, indicates enrofloxacin as the drug of choice. Its use is therefore at the discretion of individual veterinary surgeons, in exercising their professional judgment over the treatment considered necessary on clinical grounds. For this reason, no information is available on the amounts administered per month, nor can forecasts be made on future levels of administration.
Non-human Primates
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is available to quantify the numbers of non-human primates in transit through or via the United Kingdom for which the United Kingdom is not the final destination. [26671]
Mrs. Browning: Official records are available for all non-human primates entering the United Kingdom which have to be licensed under the Rabies (Importation of Cats, Dogs and other Mammals) Order 1974, as amended. These include animals moved immediately to another port
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or airport for re-export. Non-human primates which arrive and depart from the same port or airport without entering the United Kingdom are not licensed. Details of such movements will be available from the animal holding facilities at the port or airport.Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review importation controls for live primates entering the United Kingdom following the ebola outbreak in Zaire. [26679]
Mrs. Browning: The importation of live non-human primates originating in or coming from Zaire into the European Union is currently prohibited under Commission decision 95/171/EC following the ebola outbreak in that country. My officials are also considering whether any longer-term changes to the import controls for live non-human primates may be necessary.
Food Labelling
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what European Community restrictions apply in respect to member states independently legislating for (a) food labelling and (b) food safety. [26659]
Mrs. Browning: Food labelling is a harmonised area of legislation in the European Community and as a result member states can make new national rules only if they have been notified to the Commission and other member states and if there have been no objections. Similar arrangements also apply in most cases of food safety legislation. However, member states have greater scope for independent action to deal with emergencies or threats to the safety of their food supplies, in accordance with article 36 of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many foods produced using genetic modified organisms have been (a) licensed for sale and (b) labelled as from genetically modified organisms. [27212]
Mrs. Browning: Ministers have accepted the advice of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes and cleared, on food safety grounds, nine foods produced using genetically modified organisms. The food advisory committee has recommended that GMOs containing ethically sensitive copy genes must be labelled. None of the foods cleared so far requires such labelling, although applicants are encouraged to give informative labelling on a voluntary basis in response to public interest.
Mr Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce labelling of country of origin for (a) meat, (b) meat products, (c) eggs and (d) dairy products. [27198]
Mrs. Browning: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him on 8 June 1995 to a similar question covering meat and meat products. The situation as regards dairy products is the same. Eggs are covered by separate EC egg marketing regulations, which already contain an option for the use of country or locality of origin descriptions. For eggs imported from third countries, the country of origin must be declared.
Deregulation
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the projects being undertaken by his Department's deregulation unit. [26941]
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Mr. Jack: The departmental deregulation unit co-ordinates the Ministry's deregulation programme which covers key measures such as the deregulation of the milk market, the potato market and, more recently, the agricultural tenancy rules. The unit is currently involved in
the completion of a comprehensive review of the Department's legislation, with a view to repeal or simplification wherever possible;
the repeal of unnecessary primary legislation using the new deregulation order-making powers contained in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994;
use of the new deregulation enforcement powers contained at section 5 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 following a comprehensive review of enforcement provisions;
the preparation of compliance cost assessments for all new regulatory proposals which have the potential to impose burdens on business;
the improvement of regulatory practice through, for example, the promotion of risk assessment and better guidance to enforcement bodies;
action on priorities for deregulation identified by the deregulation task force;
action to repeal or simplify national food composition regulations, and to simplify national food labelling regulations and food additives regulations.
Slaughterhouses
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom have failed to reach the required standards of hygiene and animal welfare in the years 1994 95. [26956]
Mrs. Browning: Where hygiene falls below the required standards, action depends on the circumstances of the case and will range from discussions--confirmed in writing--with slaughterhouse operators explaining the specific deficiencies and suggesting improvements in working practices and equipment, to the refusal or revocation of licences. In the 1994 95 financial year in the UK we acted to refuse or revoke 19 licences on hygiene grounds, of which 11 were subsequently relicensed.
The state veterinary service made 1,982 visits to licensed red meat and poultry slaughterhouses in Great Britain last year and 206 visits to unlicensed poultry premises in England and Wales at which welfare was monitored. Figures for visits to unlicensed premises in Scotland are not available. In 17 cases--three licensed and 14 unlicensed premises-- conditions were found which warranted welfare advice to be given. Where necessary, follow-up visits are made to ensure that the advice is acted upon.
In Northern Ireland departmental veterinary staff on permanent duty at meat plants regard animal welfare as a priority. Advice is provided when necessary and on no occasions were conditions found to be unacceptable.
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what circumstances sheep may be exported for outdoor religious slaughter, and in what circumstances such slaughter conforms with EU slaughter and hygiene regulations. [27106]
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Mrs. Browning: Directive 91/628/EEC on the protection of animals during transport contains measures subject to which the transport of animals between member states is permitted. The provisions of this directive are implemented in our national law by the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, as amended.
As for slaughter, this is covered by directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing which recognises the particular requirements of certain religious rites. The directive also requires that all animals, including sheep slaughtered by a religious method outdoors, are spared any avoidable excitement, pain or suffering during their movement, lairaging, restraint or slaughter. However, outdoor religious slaughter is carried out for the owner of the animal and the meat derived from the animal is returned to the owner for his own use. As no sale is involved, such slaughter is not required to comply with EU hygiene rules, which apply only to the slaughter of animals whose flesh is intended to be placed on the market and require such slaughter to take place in approved premises.
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated number of sheep and lambs that die, each year, in transit from the United Kingdom. [26957]
Mrs. Browning: No such estimates are made.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what grounds he has decided not to implement article 36 of the treaty of Rome in respect of imposing export restrictions on grounds of public morality, public policy or the health of animals; and if he will make a statement. [27338]
Mrs. Browning: My right hon. Friend has set out in some detail the legal reasons why article 36 of the treaty of Rome is not available to justify imposing restrictions on the export of live animals. I refer the hon. Member to the reply he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale) and the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 2 February 1995, Official Report , columns 846 47 .
Food Science Laboratory, Torry
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of the most recent refurbishment of the food science laboratory at Torry, Aberdeen; and if he will make a statement on the proposal to close the laboratory. [27372]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 9 June 1995]: The most recent refurbishment of the food science laboratory at Torry took place between 1991 and 1994 at a cost of £1,997,000. It was completed before Torry became part of the enlarged central science laboratory. As to the proposal to close the Torry laboratory, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight) on 6 June 1995, Official Report , columns 1 2 .
Fishing Vessels
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart in respect of avoiding acts of aggression towards United Kingdom fishing vessels; what measures are in place to ensure the safety of fishing
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vessels; what steps have been taken in anticipation of the opening of the tuna fisheries; and if he will make a statement. [27404]Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 9 June 1995]: We keep in close contact at ministerial, diplomatic and technical level with the Spanish authorities both directly and through EU channels. The Royal Navy has the dual role of enforcing fisheries regulations and protecting UK fishing vessels. In the case of this year's tuna fishery in the north-east Atlantic, the Government have been closely in touch with the fisheries organisations. Among other things, a procedure has been agreed for measuring and recording the length of their nets before departure to the fishing grounds and for regular checks at sea.
Wine Industry
Mr. Byers: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amount of financial support has been given by the European Community to the wine industry in each member state for the past five years; and what is the forecast of funding for each of the next three years. [28155]
Mr. Jack: Details of expenditure on the wine regime by the EU, broken down by member state, are contained in annexe 2 of the annual financial reports on the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guarantee section, copies of which have been deposited in the Library. The latest report available relates to 1993. Figures for the main wine- producing member states for 1994, taken from the draft annual financial report, are set out in the table.
Country |£ million
-----------------------------------
Germany |6.1
Greece |29.2
Spain |290.6
France |176.5
Italy |365.5
Holland |2.5
Portugal |29.4
United Kingdom |0.8
EU Total |901.3
The common agricultural policy budget is drawn up one year in advance, and is set in relation to forecast expenditure throughout the EU, and not on the basis of allocations to individual member states. The current budget for 1995 is £843 million and for 1996, £913 million.
Sheep Dips
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what veterinary products are now approved by his Department to prevent sheep scab and flystrike which avoid the need to use organophosphorous sheep dips; and if he will make a statement. [28353]
Mrs. Browning: A number of non-organophosphorus products are licensed for the treatment of these conditions. Details are contained in the booklet "Veterinary Medicinal Products (Dips, injectables, pour ons and sprays) available in the United Kingdom for use as Ectoparasiticides in Sheep" published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
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