| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Farm Workers
3. Mr. Clapham: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the rural, agricultural and allied workers trade group of the Transport and General Workers Union to discuss employment conditions for farm workers. [21603]
The Minister for Rural Affairs (Mr. Tim Boswell): I have not yet had the opportunity to meet formally representatives of the rural, agricultural and allied workers trade group. I should be happy to do so, if they wish.
Mr. Clapham: I am rather surprised by that answer, given that about 350 BSE-infected cows are disposed of each week. Bearing in mind the fact that there will be a greater number if there is selective slaughter and that concern has been expressed that the humane killer could spread infected brain tissue, I should have thought that the Minister would have sought the advice of the Health and Safety Executive on the protection with which workers should be provided, and ensured that he met the unions to give them the Health and Safety Executive's advice.
Mr. Boswell: It is, of course, entirely within the remit of the Health and Safety Executive to carry out such studies and to consider any evidence laid before it. Policy responsibility for the executive rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. We do, of course, take an interest in those matters and we are
more than pleased to pass on any representations to the executive and, equally, to SEAC for expert scientific appraisal. These are serious matters which affect concerns about the health and welfare of the working population and about their employment prospects. We take those concerns seriously and we are prepared to consider any evidence, or to hold any discussions, that they feel appropriate.
Mr. Bill Walker: When my hon. Friend meets this august body, will he tell it that many farm jobs are at risk in Scotland in the prime beef-producing areas, which produce quality beef? The problem has been caused by careless talk, much of it in the House, and by action taken within Europe which means that, whatever we have, we do not have a common agricultural policy. It should be recognised that animals in Europe suffer the same ailments as animals in the United Kingdom. We want a level playing field.
Mr. Boswell: I would be pleased to pass on those messages. We suffer at the moment from an unfortunate combination of scare tactics, for political reasons, on the part of certain hon. Members and an inappropriate and disproportionate reaction by some of our European colleagues which is not based on the science.
Mr. Hood: More than 200,000 jobs in Scotland are at stake as a result of the BSE scare. May I remind the Minister that, when the farmers asked the Parliamentary Secretary for help last week, the only help she offered was to put good Samaritans on the other end of a helpline? Can we stop the nonsense about political opportunism? If we had accepted the statement by the Secretary of State for Health--that it was the people who were mad and not the cows--where would we have been today?
Mr. Boswell: The hon. Gentleman might care to have a word with the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman). He is worried about the 200,000 jobs in the beef industry in Scotland, but he should be aware that she started that hare and that she was fully followed by a number of Labour Members.
Animal Welfare
5. Sir Michael Neubert: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about developments in his negotiations with his European counterparts about the welfare of animals. [21606]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: Discussion of the Commission proposals for amending the European Union directive on the welfare of calves has now commenced. I have made it clear to my colleagues that the United Kingdom will continue to press for the early introduction of adequate space and dietary requirements. In addition, the Government will press at the intergovernmental conference for a protocol to be added to the treaty of Rome to place an obligation on a Council of Ministers to give full regard to considerations of animal welfare in the exercise of its powers on agriculture, transport, research and the single market.
Sir Michael Neubert: Will my right hon. and learned Friend accept credit for the success of the Government's efforts to persuade other countries in the EU to consider high standards of animal welfare, in line with our own? Will he continue his efforts to press for an early end to the veal crate and its associated restrictions on space and diet? Will he seek an amendment to the treaty that would give the welfare of animals the importance that it has in this country? Presumably that would not include the unjustified slaughter of masses of cattle.
Mr. Hogg: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his support. Veal calf crates are an important subject, and I am glad to say that proposals are now being made by the Commission. At the moment, the time contemplated for the implementation of the new regime--12 years--is in our view far too long. We shall press for a shorter time.
Dr. Strang: Will the Minister acknowledge that BSE is a terrible and invariably fatal disease in cattle and that, since last week, there has been concern about a link with human beings? Has he seen the letter that I sent him yesterday, setting out Labour's proposals to restore confidence in British beef, keep the BSE agent out of our food, improve the epidemiology of the disease, increase consumer awareness and make Government action more effective? Will he adopt a constructive approach to those proposed measures?
Mr. Hogg: Of course BSE is a terrible disease; CJD is an even more terrible disease. Yes, I have seen the letter from the hon. Gentleman; he will bear in mind the fact that we are to have a debate. He asked whether I was adopting a constructive approach to the problems. The answer is yes, I am, and I shall set out my thoughts more fully in this evening's debate.
Fish Quotas (Essex)
6. Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the fish quotas which apply to Essex fisherman. [21607]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Tony Baldry): The UK fish quotas are apportioned between producer organisations, the non-sector--representing vessels over 10 m in length that do not belong to producer organisations--and the under-10 m fleet. Most Essex fishermen fish against the separate allocations of quota made to the non-sector and to the under-10 m group of vessels.
Mr. Amess: Is my hon. Friend aware that Essex fishermen are fed up with being allowed to catch only tiddlers while the rest of Europe is allowed to catch whoppers? Will he kindly bring their plight to the attention of the next Fisheries Council, so that the imbalance can be addressed and their quota of Dover sole increased?
Mr. Baldry: I am well aware of the problems facing smaller vessels, and I am considering constructively what steps might be taken to ease their difficulties. My hon. Friend initiated an Adjournment debate on the subject yesterday morning, and I said then that I was willing to go and talk to the Essex fishermen at Leigh-on-Sea and
to consider more carefully what we might do to help further the non-sector fishing industry of the Thames estuary.Common Fisheries Policy
7. Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage the British fishing fleet is over its common fisheries policy multi-annual guidance targets. [21608]
Mr. Baldry: The UK's multi-annual guidance programme targets consist of separate tonnage and power figures for each of 10 fleet segments. They are due to be met by 31 December 1996. At 31 December 1994, the nephrops and distant water targets had been met. All other segments were short of target by varying degrees. Figures for the end of 1995 are not yet available.
Mr. Mitchell: I should have hoped--and expected--that the Minister would take the opportunity offered by the first fishing questions for ages to ask consumers who do not want to eat beef to eat fish, because it is better for them. On the substance of his answer, is it not ludicrous that the United Kingdom--which provides two thirds of the waters in this so-called common market pool and more than three quarters of stocks--is now being asked to make the biggest reductions in its fishing fleet, particularly when a fifth of that fleet is owned by Europeans? Commissioner Bonino said that she will take quota hoppers into account when deciding reductions. Why does the Minister not meet her and ask her to live up to that promise?
Mr. Baldry: The hon. Gentleman needs to sort out some of his points--some of them are good and some are awfully bad. We are not being asked to make any greater reduction in our fishing effort than any other member state. If we fish against national quotas, of course it is crazy that members of other EU states can catch fish against our quota. For that reason, we have made it perfectly clear that, if appropriate, we will seek treaty changes at the intergovernmental conference to deal with the issue of quota hoppers. Of course I discussed that with the European Commissioner--she was in the UK the other day. I think that she fully understands our opposition, and our determination to deal with quota hoppers--which is what we are determined to do. I very much hope that, in the not too distant future, the Anglo-Dutch fleet, which is sailing around the North sea, will disappear.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: My hon. Friend is aware that Europe is taking emergency action to keep out our beef. Why cannot we take emergency action to keep the pillaging fishermen of Spain and elsewhere out of our waters on the grounds of an emergency in employment and conserving fishing stocks? What is good for the goose should be good for the gander.
Mr. Baldry: That is good, robust stuff, Madam Speaker. It is important to remember in all this that the House and the country will always comply with the rule of law. We will always base our decisions on law. We will, moreover, seek to base our decisions on best
science. It is a matter of great disappointment to all hon. Members that our European colleagues have shown this week that they do not follow those policies.
| Next Section
| Index | Home Page |