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Heavy Goods Vehicles

Mr. Marlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents involving heavy goods vehicles have occurred in each of the last five years arising from the driver having lost his spectacles or contact lenses during an emergency. [20361]

Mr. Norris: This information is not available.

Outstanding Payments

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what values of payments were outstanding within his Department on 5 March, which were beyond the date on the invoice and, where no date was specified, older than 28 days. [20486]

Mr. Norris: The information is not available.

North-West Main Line

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral answer of 27 February, Official Report, columns 730-31, if he will list the improvements currently planned for the North-West main line and the likely date of implementation; and if he will make a statement on proposals for (a) improved journey times between Manchester and London, (b) improved passenger access to cross-channel services and (c) improved customer comfort and convenience on the Manchester to London line. [19884]

12 Mar 1996 : Column: 574

Mr. Watts: Railtrack's core modernisation programme for the west coast main line includes the introduction of a modern train signalling system, an improved power supply system, and track renewal. Railtrack intends to let a contract for development of the signalling system by the end of March with contracts for the bulk of the modernisation to be let during 1996.

Beyond the core modernisation, Railtrack is also considering possible upgrade options for the line which would include opportunities for faster trains and improved journey times between London and Manchester.

London and Continental Railways proposals for the channel tunnel rail link include an action plan for enhancing Eurostar services from the regions which would include a direct twin-track connection to the west coast main line.

InterCity west coast is currently examining proposals with private leasing companies for the refurbishment of passenger coaches.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Live Animal Transport

Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the national regulations, orders and rules which apply to bovine animals of under 15 days of age. [19888]

Mrs. Browning: There are nearly 3,500 provisions in UK legislation relating to animals, many of which will apply to calves. These provisions can be found in volume 2 of the current editions of Halsbury's Statutes and Halsbury's Statutory Instruments, copies of which can be found in the Library of the House.

The only legislation which includes provisions referring to bovine animals under 15 days of age is European Council directive 64/432/EEC, which is implemented in Great Britain by the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 1995.

Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce the results of his inquiry into the allegations contained in the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme on the inspection of calves exported through Dover. [19896]

Mrs. Browning: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 5 March 1996, Official Report column 126.

Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) bovine, (b) ovine and (c) porcine animals were rejected at the point of export health certification as unfit to travel for each month of 1995. [19887]

Mrs. Browning: The number of cattle, sheep and pigs rejected at the point of export certification as unfit to travel for each month of 1995 is summarised in the table:

Month	Cattle	Sheep	Pigs
January	171	987	101
February	89	523	83
March	135	367	101
April	134	323	93
May	180	122	153
June	117	123	121
July	129	270	106
August	178	737	45
September	117	725	54
October	64	812	123
November	56	621	74
December	50	676	95

12 Mar 1996 : Column: 575

Cattle and Sheep Quotas

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the United Kingdom quota for (a) beef, (b) cows and (c) sheep; and if he will indicate the number in each case allocated to (i) less favoured areas and (ii) non-less favoured areas in each of the component parts of the United Kingdom. [19827]

Mr. Baldry: There are no quotas for beef. The approximate amount of quota available to the UK for sheep and suckler cows is set out in the table.

	In thousands of quota units
	LFA	Lowland	Total
Sheep
England	3,639	4,974	8,613
Scotland	3,876	405	4,280
Wales	4,823	499	5,322
Northern Ireland	1,118	308	1,426
Total	13,455	6,185	19,640
Suckler cows
England	279	448	727
Scotland	449	77	527
Wales	189	22	211
Northern Ireland	279	51	330
Total	1,197	598	1,795

Sub-totals may not add up to owing to rounding.

Radiation (Livestock)

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of which areas restricted as a result of radiation from Chernobyl, livestock are classified as not fit for human consumption. [19659]

Mrs. Browning: Following the latest derestrictions, which took effect from 17 January 1996, about 122,600 hectares of land in the UK remain subject to statutory restrictions to prevent the sale of sheepmeat containing levels of radiocaesium in excess of an action level of 1,000 becquerels per kilogram. These restrictions apply in parts of north Wales, parts of west Cumbria, parts of County Antrim and County Londonderry in Northern Ireland, and parts of Dumfries and Galloway, Strathclyde and Central regions of Scotland.

Sheep grazing these areas are the only livestock affected by the restrictions. The mark and release scheme ensures that radiocaesium levels in sheep are at an acceptable level before the meat reaches the human food chain.

12 Mar 1996 : Column: 576

Common Fisheries Policy

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the pattern of voting in the Council of Ministers required to amend common fisheries policy regulations on quota hopping. [19999]

Mr. Baldry: The regulations implementing the common fisheries policy are based on article 43 of the EC treaty under which decisions are taken by qualified majority voting.

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what Her Majesty's Government's objectives for the reform of the common fisheries policy are for 1997; and if he will meet hon. Members from fisheries constituencies before the IGC to discuss those objectives. [19998]

Mr. Baldry: I am always happy to meet hon. Members from fishing constituencies from wherever in the United Kingdom to discuss fisheries issues and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is similarly happy to meet hon. Members from Scottish fishing constituencies.

The Government will continue to pursue initiatives to achieve improvements in the way that the common fisheries policy operates. These include working with the industry to improve conservation measures and seeking to ensure that the fishing opportunities arising from national quotas provide real benefits to the fishing communities of the flag member state.

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the Scottish Fisherman's Federation and the National Federation of Fisherman's Organisations to discuss (a) the common fisheries policy and (b) its place in the IGC discussions in March. [19996]

Mr. Baldry: During the Council of Fisheries Ministers of 21 to 22 December 1995, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and I met both the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss those aspects of the common fisheries policy on the agenda of the Council. We shall next be meeting the two organisations together on 14 March.

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what legal advice has been sought by his Department on making amendments to the European treaties in connection with quota hopping at the IGC. [19997]

Mr. Baldry: Any necessary legal advice will be obtained for any amendments to the European treaties put forward by the Government. It is not customary, however, to disclose such advice.

Outstanding Payments

Mr. Betts: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what values of payments were outstanding within his Department on 5 March, which were beyond the date on the invoice and, where no date was specified, older than 28 days. [20475]

12 Mar 1996 : Column: 577

Mr. Boswell: The information requested is not readily available and could not be produced without disproportionate cost. MAFF aims to pay all invoices within 30 days of the receipt or in accordance with terms agreed with suppliers. Currently 85 per cent. of all payments are made by the due date.

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