| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Dairy Products
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage the manufacture of cheese by farmers who process milk from their own herds or flocks into milk products. [14991]
17 Feb 1997 : Column: 428
Mr. Baldry:
The decision by farmers whether to process milk from their own herds or flocks into milk products is a commercial one. However, by deregulating the milk market, the Government have encouraged conditions for competition and initiative to flourish.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek a modification of the existing milk quota system to encourage the production of specialist and traditional dairy products by means of a producer-processor's milk quota allowance for small producers to allow the first tranche of milk quota to be used at double its face value. [14992]
Mr. Baldry:
Substantive discussions on the future of the milk quota regime are due to begin later this year in Brussels. The Government have already signalled their preferred approach. We wish to free the whole of the dairy industry, including specialist and traditional producers, from the restrictions of the quota system. This would be achieved through a combination of progressive price cuts and relaxation of production controls. We do not believe that the introduction of a producer-processor allowance for small producers is a negotiable way forward. It would add to the complexity of administering and enforcing the quota system and increase the costs of the dairy regime.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assistance he proposes for producer-processors and specialist dairy products to mitigate the compliance costs of the milk and food hygiene directives. [14993]
Mr. Baldry:
The compliance cost assessment for the Diary Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995 was placed in the Libraries of the House on 28 April 1995. It indicated that small businesses would incur minimal extra costs resulting from implementation of the milk hygiene directive. The Compliance Cost Assessment for the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, placed in the Library of the House on 12 July 1995, estimated that the only identifiable cost for businesses arising from implementation of the food hygiene directive related to the new requirement to train and/or instruct food handlers. In the circumstances I have no plans for assistance.
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much British beef has been bought into intervention since 1 March 1996; and what has been the total cost to public funds. [15477]
Mr. Baldry:
Since 1 March 1996, the amount of beef taken into intervention and paid for in the UK is 70,107 tonnes at a cost to public funds of £128 million. In addition, contracts have been awarded for a further 8,036 tonnes of beef only some of which has been delivered to store and none of which is yet due for payment.
Departmental Publicity
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide (a) his Department's budgeted expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns for the period January
17 Feb 1997 : Column: 429
to March 1997 and (b) the actual expenditure on (1) advertising, (2) publicity and (3) public information campaigns in the period January to March in each of the past five years. [13462]
Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 13 February 1997]: All expenditure by my Department on publicity is in support of public information campaigns. Advertising forms part of publicity.
Details of estimated expenditure by my Department for the period January to March 1997 are:
| Advertising £ | Publications/ exhibitions £ | Total publicity £ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 102,000 | ||
| Organ donors | 42,000 | ||
| Young driver | 20,000 | ||
| Fire action plan | 164,000 | ||
| Severe weather warning | 35,000 | ||
| Pre-school vouchers | 950,000 | ||
| Total | 1,313,000 | 512,000 | 1,825,000 |
| Advertising £ | Publications/ exhibitions £ | Total publicity £ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January to March 1996 | 291,000 | 425,500 | 716,500 |
| January to March 1995 | 330,500 | 574,000 | 904,500 |
| January to March 1994 | 494,000 | (17)379,000 | 873,000 |
| January to March 1993 | 297,500 | (17)557,500 | 855,000 |
| January to March 1992 | 216,000 | (17)329,500 | 545,500 |
(17) These figures do not include publications/exhibition expenditure by Historic Scotland. Details for these years are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Keith Hill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [14470]
17 Feb 1997 : Column: 430
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
There are four full-time equivalent--23 members of staff--employed in the application of equal opportunities policies in the Scottish Office. The total staff cost is £86,546.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions have taken place between officials from his Department, officials from Scottish Natural Heritage and representatives of the Sutherland estates concerning the proposed felling of Scots pines at Loch Fleet, near Golspie; and if he will make a statement.[14481]
Mr. Kynoch:
There have been several discussions involving officials from the Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage and representatives of the Sutherland estates about the management of Scots pines at Loch Fleet. Scottish Natural Heritage is currently negotiating the terms of a proposed management agreement with the Sutherland estates.
Mr. Derek Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the last five years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers in his Department. [14546]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: The Scottish Office is not aware of any such incidents.
Mr. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of computer hacking, fraud and theft, including theft of computer chips, his Department has recorded in the last five years. [14547]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
[holding answer 6 February 1997]: The Scottish Office is unaware of any cases of computer hacking or fraud in the last five years. There have been 49 unexplained disappearances of computer equipment recorded during this time, seven of which involved computer chips.
Mr. McFall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the 20 firms earning most from civil and criminal legal aid for the year to 31 March 1996; and if he will indicate the number of fee earners per firm and the fees per fee earner. [15356]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The information on payments to firms in respect of advice and assistance and civil and criminal legal aid is set out in the table and includes outlays, payments to advocates and VAT. Information on the number of fee earners and fees per fee earner is not available.
17 Feb 1997 : Column: 429
17 Feb 1997 : Column: 431
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |