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Intervention Beef

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he expects beef to be taken into intervention in the United Kingdom this year. [9466]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 17 January 1996]: No beef has been taken into intervention anywhere in the EU since November 1993. I do not expect any beef to be taken in 1996.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much beef was taken into intervention in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. [9465]

Mr. Hogg [holding answer 17 January 1996]: The quantity of beef taken into intervention in the UK in each of the last 10 years was:

1986: 46,355 tonnes
1987: 44,322 tonnes
1988: 38,504 tonnes
1989: 6,967 tonnes
1990: 77,345 tonnes
1991: 95,939 tonnes
1992: 68,857 tonnes
1993: 16,650 tonnes
1994: Nil
1995: Nil.

Butterflies and Moths

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to increase the contribution that set-aside land makes to butterfly and moth conservation. [9296]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 17 January 1996]: The management rules for set-aside land, which have been drawn up in close consultation with environmental organisations, allow farmers considerable scope to manage their land in ways which safeguard the environment and provide benefits to wildlife. We offer free conservation advice to individual farmers on the management of set-aside, including ways of improving the habitat for butterflies and moths. We are currently sponsoring two Agricultural Development Advisory Service projects in which, among other things, the populations of butterflies on set-aside land are being studied. These projects aim to demonstrate how set-aside can be managed for the benefit of plants and wildlife, including butterflies and moths.

Delegated Legislation

Mr. Hutton: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of the powers to make statutory instruments exercisable by the Minister under primary legislation enacted since 1979 are subject to (a) the negative and (b) the affirmative resolution procedure. [9596]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 16 January 1996]: This is a matter of public record and the Ministry does not hold statistics for this information. There are, however, affirmative resolution powers in part I of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1958, in the Agriculture Act 1986 and in the Agriculture Act 1993. Negative resolution

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powers are contained in those Acts of Parliament and in the Animal Health Act 1981, the Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984, the Food Safety Act 1990, the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, the Water Resources Act 1991, the Fisheries Act 1981 and the Environment Act 1995, the Import of Live Fish (England and Wales) Act 1980, the Diseases of Fish Act 1983, the Fisheries Act 1981 and the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986.

Mobile Phones

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures were used by his Department in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and its executive agencies; and which companies were involved in tendering for these contracts. [9738]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 17 January 1996]: The Ministry awarded a contract for the supply of mobile and car phones to supply both the department and its executive agencies through a sealed bid competitive tender exercise.

The following companies were invited to tender for the Contract:

Motorola Ltd.
Hutchison Telecom (UK) Ltd.
Talkland International (UK) Ltd.
BT Mobile Communications
Vodac Ltd.
Mercury Communications Ltd.

Hutchison Telecom (UK) Ltd did not submit a tender.

This answer includes all of the agencies with the exception of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which has answered directly.

Letter from Mr. J. F. FitzGerald to Mr. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 16 January 1996:

In my Chief Executive's absence, the Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the supply of mobile and car phones to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). This is an operational matter for which my Chief Executive is responsible.
The VMD has very few requirements for mobile and car phones and we have, therefore, not awarded a contract for this supply. On the rare occasion that we need to hire a mobile phone we are able to use the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's call off contract or if this does not meet our specific need we make ad hoc arrangements for hire.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what agreements his Department and its executive agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones; and if he will list the companies having these contracts, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to the public funds of each agreement. [9737]

Mr. Hogg [holding answer 17 January 1996]: At present, the Ministry and its executive agencies have one agreement in place for the provision of mobile and car telephones.

This is currently with Mercury Communications Ltd.

The duration of the agreement is three years.

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Mercury has supplied 651 telephones under the current agreement.

The costs to public funds for this agreement are £310,574. These figures exclude VAT and any call charges.

This answer includes all of the agencies with the exception of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which has answered directly.

Letter from Mr. J. F. FitzGerald to Mr. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 16 January 1996:

In my Chief Executive's absence, the Minister has asked me to reply to your question asking for details of contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). This is an operational matter for which my Chief Executive is responsible.
The VMD does not have any contracts with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what costs his Department and executive agencies have incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and if he will list the companies concerned. [9739]

Mr. Hogg [holding answer 17 January 1996]: From information held centrally, no costs have been incurred in withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided.

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This answer includes all of the agencies with the exception of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which has answered directly.

Letter from Mr. J. F. FitzGerald to Mr. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 16 January 1996:

In my Chief Executive's absence, the Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the cost of withdrawing from contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). This is an operational matter for which my Chief Executive is responsible.
The VMD has not had any contracts with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones and so has not incurred any costs as a result of withdrawing from such contracts.

Fishing Fleet

Mr. David Porter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the age and efficiency of the British fishing fleet; how he proposes to modernise it; what comparative statistics he has in respect of the figures for the (a) Dutch, (b) Spanish and (c) Danish fleets; and if he will make a statement. [8371]

Mr. Baldry: The table gives details of the ages of fishing vessels in the UK, Dutch, Spanish and Danish fleets as at the end of 1991, the latest year for which such comparative data are available.

Selected member states of the European Union fishing fleets as at 31 December 1991

	Age in years
	Not known	0.0-4.9	5.0-9.9	10.0-14.9	15.0-19.9	20.0-24.9	25.0 and over	Total
Number of vessels
United Kingdom	955	1,564	1,381	1,865	1,554	1,060	2,525	10,904
Netherlands	83	187	234	235	140	79	508	1,466
Spain	231	1,651	2,409	1,916	2,922	2,746	8,713	20,588
Denmark	180	105	303	416	686	323	1,712	3,725
GRT (000 tonnes)
United Kingdom	4	31	18	31	45	30	52	211
Netherlands	0	60	47	22	15	4	24	173
Spain	18	113	53	53	159	102	57	656
Denmark	0	1	19	6	30	16	45	118

Source:

Eurostat FISHERIES--yearly statistics 1994.

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There is no generally recognised measure of the efficiency of fishing fleets, which depends on a range of variable factors, including the skills of the fishermen involved.

The question of modernisation is primarily a matter for the commercial judgment of those in the industry. Any use of taxpayers money should concentrate on the need to reduce capacity to bring the fleet into better balance with what stocks will bear.

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