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Farm Paperwork

23. Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to reduce the amount of paperwork required of farmers. [13128]

Mr. Alexander: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps the Government have taken to reduce the amount of non-BSE related paperwork required of farmers. [13108]

Mr. Boswell: My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales last year commissioned an efficiency scrutiny on simplifying farmers' paperwork, which included working farmers on the team. We are now implementing the bulk of the recommendations.

Live Animal Transport

24. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps the Government have taken to consult the farming industry over the new rules on animal transportation. [13129]

Mrs. Browning: We have consulted the farming industry extensively on our plans. The Department has issued three consultation documents--in October 1995, and in August and December 1996. Numerous discussions have been held with farming interests, including a workshop entirely devoted to the subject, which my right hon. and learned Friend and I held on 5 November 1996.

Beef Exports

25. Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he estimates the European ban on British beef will be lifted. [13130]

Mr. Douglas Hogg: We will shortly submit our proposals for a certified herds scheme, which will be the basis of the first step towards the phased lifting of the export ban; we will press the Commission to give them urgent consideration so that we can begin exports of meat and meat products from these herds as soon as possible.

Rural White Paper

26. Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received to the follow-up to the rural White Paper. [13131]

6 Feb 1997 : Column: 717

Mr. Boswell: We have received a number of representations and a very positive response from people and organisations involved in rural issues to the follow-up to the rural White Paper "Rural England 1996".

Nutritional Policy

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his nutritional policy. [13111]

Mrs. Browning: Our policy is that consumers should have access to information that enables them to choose a safe, balanced, and nutritious diet.

Food Labelling

Mr. Day: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding the adequacy of present food labelling laws. [13121]

Mrs. Browning: Food labelling laws are wide ranging. We continue to receive representations from a variety of interested parties about them.

Fishing Targets

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the United Kingdom fishing fleet will meet multi-annual guidance programme targets. [13125]

Mr. Baldry: The Government are providing up to £53 million for a voluntary decommissioning programme and have introduced a range of changes to the licensing regime. We are also in discussion with the Commission about its figures for UK performance to date. If the necessary changes are agreed, we will be within a handful of points of our overall tonnage targets and will have met the target for engine power.

Natural Habitats

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage farmers to protect natural habitats; and if he will make a statement. [13126]

Mr. Boswell: Over the last three years, the Ministry has greatly expanded the range of voluntary incentive schemes to encourage environmentally beneficial farming practices. The environmentally sensitive areas, countryside stewardship and habitat and moorland schemes in particular encourage farmers to protect natural habitats.

In addition, the Ministry funds free conservation advice to farmers and its codes of good agricultural practice provide guidance to all farmers on protecting the environment.

Geese

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has

6 Feb 1997 : Column: 718

made of the number of geese slaughtered for food in the last year; what estimate he has made of their average value; and if he will make a statement. [13436]

Mrs. Browning: In 1996, it is estimated that 500,000 geese were slaughtered for food in England and Wales, with an estimated average farm gate value of £14 per bird.

Cattle Cull

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking (a) to increase incineration capacity for cattle culled over the over-30-months slaughter scheme, (b) to reduce storage costs and (c) to increase throughput of cattle; and if he will make a statement. [14523]

Mr. Baldry: The Government are seeking to increase the incineration capacity available to the over-30-months scheme by competitive tender.

The unit cost of storing frozen carcases has been minimised by the competitive procurement of commercial cold store capacity and the conversion of three Government-owned stores; it will be further minimised by the consolidation of residual stocks and release of storage capacity. Stocks are being reduced as quickly as the availability of suitable rendering and direct incineration capacity allow.

Producers are now able to present animals for processing under the over-30-months scheme at their normal point of slaughter. To increase throughput would not therefore be justified.

Mr. Marlow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incinerators are available to deal with BSE casualties; what is their capacity; and what is their daily throughput. [14522]

Mr. Baldry: There are currently 13 incinerators accepting on-farm slaughtered cattle over 30 months of age. The theoretical capacity available is 285 cattle per day, but actual capacity depends upon the volume of other business. The average daily throughput of over-30-months cattle through incinerators since the beginning of the year has been 180 cattle.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what means of disposal is planned to be used for the disposal of the remaining meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme; [14026]

(2) what is the planned timetable for completing the disposal of meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme. [14027]

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 5 February 1997]: The Government are actively pursuing a number of options for the disposal of rendered meat and bonemeal in store derived from cattle slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme. The Intervention Board executive agency recently agreed a contract with a high temperature incineration company to burn MBM and is in the process of tendering for further incineration capacity from which additional MBM disposal facilities are expected to emerge. Also, combustion trials have been carried out at PowerGen's test facilities at Ratcliffe on Soar, Nottinghamshire, and at National Power's test facilities at Didcot, Oxfordshire, to establish the feasibility of burning

6 Feb 1997 : Column: 719

MBM in power stations. These trials have been monitored by the Environment Agency and the results will be placed on the public register. The test results are being fully evaluated, with full weight being given to the protection of human health and of the environment in reaching any conclusion. It is too early to say when a decision will be made or, therefore, when the disposal of the MBM from cattle slaughtered under the OTMS will be completed.

Computer Crime

Mr. Derek Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions in each of the last five years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers in his Department. [14562]

Mr. Boswell: There have been no known instances of anyone external to the Department illegally accessing MAFF's computer systems in the past five years. As far as we can ascertain, there have been no recorded incidents of hacking internally.

Mr. Foster: To ask he Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of computer hacking, fraud and theft, including theft of computer chips, his Department has recorded in the last five years. [14563]

Mr. Boswell: The number of cases of computer hacking, fraud and theft recorded in the Department in the past five years is as follows:

Incident	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Hacking	0	0	0	0	0
Fraud	0	0	0	0	0
Theft	12	5	21	21	19

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