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British Agrochemicals Association Ltd.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what meetings he has had with the British Agrochemicals Association Ltd. in the past 12 months; what was the subject of the meetings; and if he will make a statement; [16289]
- (2) what representations he has received from British Agrochemicals Association Ltd. in the past 12 months; what was the subject of those representations; and if he will make a statement. [16286]
Mrs. Browning: British Agrochemicals Association Ltd. has not sought a meeting with my right hon. Friend or other MAFF Ministers in the last 12 months but the association is frequently in contact with our officials to discuss issues relating to the regulation of pesticides.
In addition, the association has made formal representations to the Department on a number of issues including: updating of UK regulations on pesticides and European legislation on plant protection products; clarification of the arrangements for the authorisation of adjuvants; EC proposals for maximum residue levels in food; enforcement of maximum residue levels in protected lettuce; review of standards for the approval of amateur pesticides; the 1997-98 fees and charges structure and application arrangements operated by the Pesticides Safety Directorate; revision of the code of practice for the safe use of pesticides on farms and holdings; revision of the code of practice for suppliers of pesticides of agriculture, horticulture and forestry; labelling and risk management strategies for pesticides and terrestrial non-target arthropods; pesticide label phrases regarding the risk to honeybees; and a proposed MAFF booklet on pesticides in integrated farming.
Pesticides and Fertilisers
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the total amount of (a) pesticides and (b) fertilisers sold each year for the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.[16293]
Mrs. Browning: The current and constant price series given in the table show estimates of sales of pesticides and fertilisers for agricultural use in the UK. The constant price series are valued at the prices of pesticides and fertiliser in 1990. This is the best guide to changes in volumes as different types of fertiliser and pesticide are weighted according to their relative values in 1990.
(62) Provisional.
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 637
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's search for cattle associated with BSE cases to be culled under the terms of the Florence agreement; how many cattle have been identified so far; what is his latest estimate of the likely total; how many farms are involved; and what is his estimate of the time scale for completing this search and concluding the accelerated cull. [16320]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 18 February 1997]: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has responsibility for conducting the cull throughout Great Britain. The reply is therefore on a Great Britain-wide basis.
On-farm visits to natal herds in which a confirmed case of BSE was born started in the week beginning 27 January. The total number of cattle that have been identified through these visits as having been exposed to the same feed as BSE cases is 4,439. Of this number, 199 animals have so far been confirmed as exposed by the central veterinary unit: 71 of these are still in the natal herd; 128 have moved and need to be traced further. The latest estimate of the number of cattle affected in Great Britain is 90,000 to 100,000. However, the true number of animals affected can be determined only by on-farm visits.
There are natal herds in over 7,000 farms in Great Britain. Farms which have bought in exposed animals will also be affected. Again, the number of such farms can be established only through visits to the natal herds and subsequent tracing visits.
It is very difficult at this early stage to estimate the length of time it will take to conclude the cull.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what current long-term research Her Majesty's Government have commissioned on organophosphates and animal health; and if he will make a statement. [15425]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 12 February 1997]: There are no current long-term Government commissioned research projects on organophosphates and animal health.
The Government have, however, awarded £500,000 to the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh for research into the possible long-term human health effects of organophosphorus sheep dips. The results of that study are expected in 1999.
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 638
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 October, Official Report, column 924, on the discovery of mustard gas during the Gulf war, when he intends to send the letter to the hon. Member; and if he will list the reasons for the delay in writing. [14916]
Mr. Soames:
I have written today.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current estimate of the annual expenditure by his Department in Wales on (a) employment of service staff, (b) employment of civilian staff and (c) procurement. [16271]
Mr. Soames:
The estimate of expenditure in the current financial year on employment in Wales of (a) service personnel pay is £118.69 million and (b) civilian staff is £96,773 million. Figures for the current financial year for Defence procurement in Wales are not available. The latest for which figures are available is 1994-95 when the total was £50 million, exclusive of VAT. This does not include expenditure by the armed forces for the provision of local services, for which figures are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Home Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many collisions involving low-flying military aircraft have occurred over the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. [16133]
Mr. Soames:
The number of collisions involving low-flying military aircraft over the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years is as follows:
Mr. Soames:
As explained in detail to the House of Commons Defence Committee (HC314, Session 1993-4, pages 15-17), the original time scale for the introduction of ALFENS in mid-1992 was based on the best information available to National Air Traffic Services, which let the contract and manage it on behalf of the MOD, at an early stage of the procurement process. This
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 639
date was not achieved due chiefly to delays caused by changes to the scope and complexity of the project and a number of problems with the submission and evaluation of tenders. We hope to see ALFENS in use by this summer. The contractors have carried out additional work at their own expense to rectify faults in the system.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployments of naval vessels off the coast of Ayrshire and naval aircraft in Ayrshire on 31 January, indicating what types and numbers of craft were involved, the reasons for their deployment and the costs of the deployments. [16334]
Mr. Soames:
There were two separate training activities which involved naval vessels being off the Ayrshire coast on 31 January. The first was UK mine counter measures group training consisting of four Hunt class MCM vessels. The second involved the NATO standing naval force channel conducting training independent of the UK group and this included the use of one UK MCM vessel with one coastal survey vessel in support. MCM operations off the Ayrshire coast are part of normal Royal Navy activity and all costs were fully contained within the annual training budget. No additional costs were incurred.
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 640
Mr. Home Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the automatic low flying flight planning enquiry and notification system--ALFENS--was not introduced in mid-1992; when he now expects the system to come into operation; and what penalties have been incurred by the contractors as a result of the delays. [16134]
1987: 2
1988: 1
1989: nil
1990: 1
1991: 1
1992: nil
1993: 1
1994: nil
1995: nil
1996: nil
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