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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 14 February 1997

ENVIRONMENT

South Yorkshire Supertram

Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will make additional funds available to local authorities in South Yorkshire to help them to meet the debts and liabilities associated with the south Yorkshire supertram. [16141]

Mr. Curry: The Government are well aware of the exceptional problems facing the South Yorkshire districts and the South Yorkshire passenger transport authority as a result of the loss-making supertram project. We have looked very carefully at this problem and discussed it with representatives of the South Yorkshire districts. We have decided to issue a further £20 million in credit approvals for 1997-98. We are also prepared to issue capitalisation directions if these would help authorities to meet the costs of supertram in 1997-98.

If the districts set budgets above their provisional cap, I will look carefully at all their circumstances before determining a final cap which is reasonable and achievable.

Vacant Local Authority Dwellings

Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for vacant local authority dwellings in England. [16265]

Mr. Curry: At 1 April 1996, a total of 79,600 council homes in England were empty, 2.3 per cent. of local authorities' stock. The 1995 figure was 71,800; most of the increase was in "management vacants"--dwellings available for letting immediately or after minor repairs--which account for 60 per cent. of all vacant local authority homes.

I am placing in the Library of the House of Commons a list of local authorities in England ranked on the basis of their management vacants at 1 April 1996.

The Government want to see the best use made of local authorities' housing stock and I look to authorities to continue their efforts to keep their own empty dwellings to a minimum. Most authorities have a good record on filling their vacant dwellings, but there is still room for improvement. The achievements of past years must not be wasted.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Contracts

Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the contracts awarded to (a) EDS, (b) Andersens, (c) BMI, (d) Capita and (e) Sema since

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1992, (i) the broad function to be carried out by the contractor, (ii) the value of the contract and (iii) the Department with which the contract was made in each case. [15413]

Mr. Freeman: The total values of contracts placed with the named firms since 1 April 1993 by the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service and its agencies--the Civil Service College, CCTA, Security and Facilities Executive, Property Advisers Civil Estate and the Buying Agency--are listed.

(a) EDS: £2,744
(b) Andersens: £46,575
(c) BMI: Nil
(d) Capita: £85,029
(e) Sema: £22,560.

Information for the period requested prior to this date and details of individual contract values and the functions carried out are available only at disproportionate cost. Information on contracts awarded by other Government Departments is not held by the Cabinet Office.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Genetic Engineering

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, columns 719-20, concerning genetic engineering, if he will list the (a) representatives of the animal feed trade, (b) food manufacturers, (c) retailers and (d) consumer organisations involved in the series of meetings on 7 January. [15635]

Mrs. Browning: On 7 January I met representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Grain and Feed Trade Association, the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association, the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, Ciba-Geigy, the British Retail Consortium, the Institute of Grocery Distribution, the Food and Drink Federation, the National Association of Master Bakers, ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Safeway, Somerfield, Waitrose, the Consumers Association, the Consumers in Europe Group/National Federation of Consumers Groups, the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and the National Food Alliance.

A number of other consumer organisations were also invited but were unable to attend.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, column 720, if he will identify the risk associated with the use of Ciba-Geigy's genetically modified maize in an unprocessed form. [15634]

Mrs. Browning: The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes considered that the presence of an antibiotic resistance marker gene with bacterial regulatory sequences in Ciba-Geigy's GM maize presented a small but finite risk of transfer of antibiotic resistance to bacteria in the rumen or gut of animals fed on the unprocessed material. The committee advised that, if transfer were to take place, it could compromise the use of ampicillin and related antibiotics in clinical and veterinary medicine. The three EC scientific committees discussed

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the ACNFP's concerns at length before concluding that the risk of transfer occurring was too small to justify banning imports of the GM maize into the Community.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, column 719-20, concerning genetic engineering, if he will list the organisations which participated in the consultation meeting on 22 January. [15633]

Mrs. Browning: The consultation meeting to discuss the aspects of biotechnology relating to agriculture and food production, which was chaired by the Earl of Selborne, was attended by the 38 delegates listed, as well as a small number of Government officials. Several other organisations, including the Food and Drink Federation and the National Consumer Council, were also invited but unable to attend.

	Organisations
1. Mr. G. Pykett	Confederation of British Industries
2. Professor R. Righelato	BRFI
3. Mrs. J. Brander	National Council of Women of Great Britain
4. Ms C. Brown	Institute of Grocery Distribution
5. Mrs. J. Nunn	British Retail Consortium
6. Ms S. Davis	Consumer's Association
7. Mr. P Warburlton	Natural Law Party
8. Mrs. H. Millar	ACNFP/University of Edinburgh
9. Miss G. Asbury	Consumers in Europe Group
10. Professor D. Burke	Chair, ACNFP
11. Mr. J. Godfrey	Consumer Panel
12. Dr. G. Schofield	Unilever
13. Professor N. Poole	Zeneca
14. Professor J. Durrant	Science Museum
15. Professor R. Hull	John Innes Centre
16. Professor B. Moseley	ACNFP/Consultant
17. Dr. V. Barber	National Farmers' Union
18. Dr. C. Rawlinson	Home Grown Cereals Authority
19. Mrs. M. Charrington	Horticulture Development Council
20. Professor D. Grierson	Nottingham University
21. Dr. E. Dart	Zeneca Seeds
22. Mr. R. Dyer	British Agro-Chemicals Association
23. Mr. R. Turner	British Society for Plant Breeders
24. Ms J. D'Silva	Compassion in World Farming
25. Mrs. J. MacArthur Clark	Farm Animal Welfare Council
26. Mr. D. Shapiro	Nuffield Council on Bioethics
27. Mrs. H. Browning	Organic farmer
28. Professor B. Miflin	IACR
29. Mr. P Lake	United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association
30. Professor J. Beringer	Chair, ACRE
31. Dr. M. Rutter	VMD
32. Dr. G Marshall	Scottish Agricultural College
33. Dr. J. Fisher	British Crop Protection Council
34. Dr. S. Mayer	Greenpeace
35. Professor A. Malcolm	Institute of Food Research
36. Professor G. Bulfield	Roslin Research Institute
37. Dr. D. Parr	Greenpeace
38. Mr. R. Maynard	Friends of the Earth

Rabies

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultation he has had with the veterinary profession on possible changes to the United Kingdom's rabies control arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [15939]

Mrs. Browning: None, since the Government's internal consideration of our rabies control policy is still in progress.

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HOME DEPARTMENT

Equal Opportunities

Mr. Keith Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14478]

Mr. Howard: In the financial year ending 31 March 1996, 36 staff, equivalent to 15.8 full-time posts, were employed within the Home Office and its agencies specifically to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities at a total salary cost of £463,253. These figures do not include staff, such as legal advisers, who advise on the application of equal opportunities as part of their duties and in relation to whom information is not readily available.

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