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Sea Bass
12. Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to preserve the breeding stocks of sea bass. [21615]
Mr. Baldry: Recent estimates indicate a substantial increase in the size of the bass stock since conservation measures were introduced in 1990, with possibly as much as a doubling of the resource in the eastern English channel, which includes the waters around the Isle of Wight.
28 Mar 1996 : Column: 751
Welsh Lamb
14. Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations were made to the European Commission by his Department to have Welsh lamb designated as a regional product. [21618]
Mrs. Browning: None, but we have received a couple of applications in the last few weeks for Welsh meat and my officials are actively discussing these with the applicants.
I should add that when I visit food fairs and exhibitions abroad, I lose no opportunity to promote and point out the unique qualities of Welsh lamb, which I do to a receptive audience.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
15. Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received concerning the level of hill livestock compensatory allowance. [21619]
Mr. Boswell: I receive many representations concerning the levels of hill livestock compensatory allowances.
Battery Cage Systems
17. Mr. Ashby: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to instigate a review of the welfare of chickens in battery cage systems within the Council of Ministers. [21621]
Mrs. Browning: I have pressed the European Commission to update the scientific assessment prepared in 1992 and to bring forward proposals to the Council. The Commission has responded by setting the Scientific Veterinary Committee to work.
Fisheries Policy
19. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on fisheries policy. [21623]
Mr. Baldry: The Government's policy is to promote more efficient and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources to benefit both the UK industry and the marine environment.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
20. Sir Michael Shersby: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to expand the countryside stewardship scheme. [21624]
Mr. Boswell: When the scheme transfers to the Ministry on 1 April, it will be considerably expanded to become the main incentive scheme for the wider countryside outside environmentally sensitive areas. We have substantially increased funding for the scheme, enabling new agreements costing £5 million annually to be approved in each of the next two financial years. We will expand the existing priority landscapes and features to cover all old meadows and pastures on neutral and acid soils in England, stone walls and banks throughout England, and arable field margins. We consulted widely on our detailed proposals by issuing a consultation paper on 8 December.
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Animal Welfare
21. Mr. Deva: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to add a protocol on animal welfare to the treaty of Rome; and what has been the response of animal welfare groups in the United Kingdom. [21625]
Mrs. Browning: The White Paper "A Partnership of Nations" published on 12 March confirmed our intention to propose that a protocol be added to the treaty of Rome placing an obligation on the 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.
Southall Horse Market
22. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the current tethering, watering, feeding and demonstration arrangements at the Southall horse market; and if he will make a statement. [21626]
Mrs. Browning: Ministry officials regularly visit the market to assess compliance with the Welfare of Horses at Markets (and Other Places of Sale) Order 1990. No problems were reported on the most recent visit to the market.
Common Fisheries Policy
23. Dr. Godman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, when he last met representatives of the fishing industry, they discussed matters relating to the common fisheries policy and fish stock conservation; and if he will make a statement. [21627]
Mr. Baldry: I last met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 14 March. We discussed a range of matters relating to the common fisheries policy and fish stock conservation.
Agricultural Wages Board
24. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the impact on the agriculture industry of pay settlements agreed by the agricultural wages board; and if he will make a statement. [21628]
Mr. Boswell: Following each pay settlement, the Ministry makes an assessment of the overall cost to the agricultural industry. We also commission more detailed, and external, studies from time to time. The most recent study was carried out by the London school of economics in 1993. This considered the overall impact of minimum wages on employment in the agricultural industry, as part of our wider review of the operation of the agricultural wages board. A copy of this study was placed in the Library of the House in July 1994.
Horticulture Industry
25. Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he has conducted into the impact of enlargement of the European Union on the British horticulture industry. [21629]
28 Mar 1996 : Column: 753
Mr. Boswell: The enlargement of the European Union will present challenges and opportunities to the British horticulture industry. Its impact will, as for other sectors, depend on a number of factors including economic developments in the industry, the policies pursued both here and in the prospective new member states in the pre-accession period and the arrangements for horticultural products agreed during the enlargement negotiations. The European Council in Madrid has requested the Commission further to evaluate the effects of enlargement on Community agricultural policies and these reports will be reviewed at its next meetings.
Live Animal Transport
26. Dr. Spink: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he plans to take to improve the welfare of farm animals during transportation. [21630]
Mrs. Browning: We are currently engaged, in consultation with all organisations with an interest, in developing our plans for implementing the improved welfare requirements laid down by EU directive 95/29 on the protection of animals during transport.
Hedgerows and Headlands
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has given to farmers regarding the preservation of hedgerows and headlands. [21620]
Mr. Boswell: The preservation of hedges and headlands is given priority under relevant agri-environment schemes and during free on-farm conservation visits.
Food Processing
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the food processing sector in (a) the Untied Kingdom and (b) other EU member states. [21605]
Mrs. Browning: The food and drink manufacturing industry contributes nearly 3 per cent. to gross domestic product. The value added by the industry--at about £14 billion--is the second largest among EU member states.
28 Mar 1996 : Column: 754
Research Establishments
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which former public sector research establishments in his Department have been privatised since 1979; and which public sector research establishments in his Department are currently undergoing reviews with a view to placing them in the private sector. [21951]
Mr. Boswell: There have been no such establishments privatised during the period in question. As regards on-going reviews, I refer the hon. Member to the timetable of prior options reviews outlined by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in his reply on 26 January, Official Report, columns 421-23. Each review will address the relationship of establishments to others working in similar or related fields and consider, among other things, the potential for privatisation or rationalisation.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(Abattoir Workers)
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safeguards have been introduced to protect abattoir workers from the risk of infection by the BSE virus; when these safeguards were introduced; and how they are monitored and enforced. [21661]
Sir Paul Beresford: I have been asked to reply.
Guidance for abattoir workers recommending the precautions to be taken to avoid the remote risk of transmission of BSE from bovine carcases was first issued in March 1990. The guidance was prepared by the Health and Safety Executive in co-operation and with the endorsement of the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and was published by the British Meat Manufacturing Association.