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Genetically Modified Products

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effects of using genetically manipulated (i) soya beans and (ii) other products in food production; and if he will publish his Department's conclusions. [8185]

Mrs Browning: No research has been specifically commissioned on soya beans or other genetically manipulated food products although the Department funds generic work worth some £800,000 per year to underpin its safety assessment procedures. In the course of assessing individual foods, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes evaluates extensive safety data. The committee's findings are published in its annual report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Peanut Products

Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made towards Euro-labelling standards for peanut products. [6631]

Mrs. Browning: The EC Scientific Committee for Food has reported on the subject of food intolerance. The Standing Committee for Foodstuffs and the Codex Committee on Food Labelling discussed the problem at meetings earlier this year. We expect a Commission working group to consider the outcome and any necessary labelling rules.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 63

Live Animal Exports

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if an ovine animal with the attached ear tag FO2873, was certified as fit to travel during the 24-hour period preceding the loading on to vehicles for a sailing on 22 November. [7735]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 5 December 1996]: It is not possible to tell. FO2873 would be only part of the full identification mark applied to the ovine animal. The mark applied to exported sheep also includes an individual animal identification number.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of live sheep exported between 31 May and 1 November were destined for further fattening. [7737]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 5 December 1996]: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the (a) planned expenditure in 1996-97 following the 1995 expenditure settlement, (b) estimated outturn expenditure in 1996-97 and (c) planned expenditure in 1997-98 in respect of each of the environmentally sensitive areas. [7689]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 5 December 1996]: Estimated outturn expenditure for 1996-97 is as follows:

	£ million
Pennine Dales	3.166
South Downs	1.936
Somerset Levels and Moors	2.808
Broads	3.110
West Penwith	0.526
Breckland	0.812
Suffolk River Valleys	1.488
Clun	0.991
North Peak	1.458
Test Valley	0.145
North Kent Marshes	0.792
Avon Valley	0.179
South Wessex Downs	0.752
Exmoor	1.720
South West Peak	1.539
Lake District	5.730
Blackdown Hills	0.361
Cotswold Hills	2.068
Dartmoor	0.861
Essex Coast	0.350
Shropshire Hills	0.509
Upper Thames Tributaries	0.502
Total	31.803

The financial provision for environmentally sensitive areas is as follows:

1996-97(1995 PES provision): £37.02 million
1997-98(1996 PES provision): £33.69 million

The financial provision is not allocated between individual ESAs.

All figures relate to payments to farmers in English ESAs.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 64

Christmas Expenditure

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7576]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 6 December 1996]: I estimate that my Department will be spending just under £3,000 on celebrating Christmas and the new year.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants (Impartiality)

8. Mr. Morgan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent consultations he has had with the Cabinet Secretary concerning regulations protecting the political neutrality of the civil service during pre-election periods. [6502]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie).

Deregulation (Competition)

13. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what countries he has visited for the purpose of studying (a) deregulation and (b) competition policy. [6509]

Mr. Freeman: I have sought support for reducing the burden of European legislation from Ministers and business leaders in most EU member states. Working with our European partners for better EC legislation is vital for improving the competitiveness of UK business.

Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the impact of deregulation upon the competitive position of the British economy. [6516]

Mr. Freeman: The Government's commitment to fewer, better and simpler regulations is making a key contribution to the UK's competitiveness. Deregulation measures are now saving business hundreds of millions of pounds each year and helping to attract increasing investment from overseas.

Deregulation (Safety Implications)

14. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on safety at work of deregulation. [6512]

Mr. Freeman: Changes are being made which will simplify and clarify the law without reducing necessary standards. These stem from the Health and Safety Commission's own review of regulation.

Civil Servants (Numbers)

15. Mr. Spring: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what percentage the number of civil servants has changed in the past five years. [6513]

Mr. Willetts: On 1 October 1991, there were 567,000 civil servants. There are now 487,000, a fall of 14 per cent.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 65

Government Policy

16. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the principal Government policy with which he was concerned in the week beginning 2 December. [6514]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have continued to work on a full range of those Government policies for which I am responsible.

Policy Co-ordination

17. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the mechanisms for the co-ordination of Government (i) European, (ii) economic and (iii) education policy since his appointment. [6515]

The Deputy Prime Minister: The Cabinet Committee structure is regularly reviewed to ensure that it facilitates the successful co-ordination of Government business.

Deregulation (Fiches d'impact)

19. Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations the deregulation unit at his Department has made to the Commission about the content of the fiches d'impact. [6517]

Mr. Freeman: It is vital that the European Commission accurately assesses the costs to business of European legislative proposals. On 29 October 1996, I wrote to the Secretary General of the Commission and to Commissioners setting out the improvements the UK wants to see in the fiche d'impact assessment system. A copy of the paper I sent has been placed in the Library of the House.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Housing and Council Tax Benefits

Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have received

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 66

(a) extended housing benefit and (b) extended council tax benefit when leaving (i) income support and (ii) jobseeker's allowance; and what is his estimate of the cost in each case. [6729]

Mr. Roger Evans: Information concerning the number of people who have received an extended payment of housing benefit and council tax benefit will be available early next year. Information on the number of recipients who left income support or jobseeker's allowance and the cost in each case is not collected.

Benefit Recipients

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for (a) incapacity benefit, (b) disability living allowance and (c) the jobseeker's allowance, the 10 United Kingdom parliamentary constituencies with the highest number of recipients and the 10 with the lowest number, together with the two Northern Ireland constituencies with the highest number and the two with the lowest, stating for each constituency the percentage of the electorate who are recipients. [7204]

Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

For information on Northern Ireland constituencies, I refer the hon. and learned Member to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Norther Ireland.

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