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Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16762]
Mr. Boswell: Non-departmental public bodies are established to operate at arm's length from government, often under specific statutory powers. An NDPB's governing board is responsible for the management and control of the body's functions.
Sponsoring divisions within the Ministry are responsible for monitoring the performance of the NDPBs they sponsor, and ensuring that they operate within the framework of controls set out in the Treasury and Cabinet Office guidance "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments".
BSE
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the breakdown of his estimate of the cost of the BSE crisis to date in his speech to the annual conference of the National Farmers Union of 5 February; [15487]
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Mr. Baldry:
This Government have committed £3.5 billion on BSE-related expenditure for the years 1996-97 to 1999-2000, as follows:
(2) what sums have been provided to cover the costs of the BSE crisis for (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000. [19196]
| £ million | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-1999 | 1999-2000 | |
| Over-30-months scheme | 700 | 350 | 330 | 330 |
| Selective cull | 20 | 160 | -- | -- |
| Intervention | 190 | 290 | 190 | 100 |
| Calf slaughter premium | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 |
| Disposal chain | 210 | 60 | -- | -- |
| EC-funded beef support measures | 160 | -- | -- | -- |
| Agriculture departments' costs | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Other measures | 50 | 90 | -- | -- |
| Savings on exports refunds | -80 | -70 | -60 | -60 |
| Total | 1,370 | 1,010 | 580 | 490 |
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the locations of the landfill sites where (a) beef and (b) beef-related products bought by the Intervention Board under the beef stocks transfer scheme and the beef and beef products (storage and disposal services) scheme were disposed of. [16848]
Mr. Baldry: No stocks of beef or beef products collected under the beef stocks transfer scheme or beef and beef products (storage and disposal services) scheme have been disposed of yet.
Genetically Modified Maize
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the European countries which have imposed an import ban on non-labelled Ciba Geigy's GM maize; and if he will make a statement. [17149]
Mrs. Browning: Luxembourg and Austria have both announced import bans on GM maize.
Such action is illegal under Community law unless new information showing a safety hazard can be produced that was not considered prior to the Community marketing authorisation being issued. No such information has been provided by either country to date and the Commission has therefore indicated its intention to take early action to force the removal of both bans.
Food Safety (Charities)
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from voluntary bodies relating to the application of food safety regulations to food provided
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for fund raising at charitable functions; if he will list the organisations concerned; and if he will make a statement.[16172]
Mrs. Browning:
A recent public consultation on food safety regulations of particular interest to voluntary bodies was undertaken last year by the Department of Health on amendments to the Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991. All responses from voluntary bodies have been placed in the Department of Health's library, where they can be examined.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers under the countryside stewardship scheme have received total payments per annum of (a) under £6,000 and (b) £6,000 to £10,000, (c) £10,000 to £20,000 and (d) over £20,000 in (i) 1994-95, (ii) 1995-96 and (iii) 1996-97. [17258]
Mr. Boswell:
This information could currently be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16567]
Mr. Douglas Hogg:
No Ministers or officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have attended a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if mechanically recovered meat from the non-specified bovine offal obtained from calves may be used in the manufacture of fish food. [16998]
Mrs. Browning:
Mechanically recovered meat does not originate from offal. It is made from the residual meat left on bones.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations his Department has made regarding the labelling of animal feed contents; and if he will make a statement. [17150]
Mrs. Browning:
The declaration of compound feed ingredients, either by specific name or category of ingredient, has been a compulsory requirement of EU law since 1991, implemented in Great Britain by the Feeding Stuffs Regulations. Although most feed compounders originally chose to declare by category, the vast majority have switched over the last year to full ingredient listing.
The UK is supporting a Commission proposal which will delete the category "land animal products", and thus require any animal material to be separately identified.
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Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what proposals exist for further review of the National Audit Office's powers.[15556]
Sir Terence Higgins:
The Nolan Committee has made various suggestions for the development of the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the NAO. In the White Paper on the governance of public bodies published last week the Government proposed certain extensions to the Comptroller and Auditor General's work including the CAG's right to inspect all non-departmental public bodies and associated companies; and the examination of compliance with codes of conduct.
The Government, however, did not take up earlier recommendations made by the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts and my predecessor for the CAG to carry out the full financial audit of all executive non-departmental public bodies. Nor did they provide for the CAG to have the right to inspect the books of those housing associations and certain other bodies which are funded by central Government or a guaranteed right of access to all private contractors of Government Departments and agencies.
I understand that the Labour party has also put forward proposals concerning the future remit of the CAG and the NAO, but the Commission has not received these.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) his Department's budgeted expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns for the period January 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. [13469]
Mr. Burt:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Publicity excluding advertising £ | Advertising £ | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991-1992 | 2,729,753.00 | 4,834,813.00 |
| 1992-1993 | 15,058,691.00 | 4,452,277.00 |
| 1993-1994 | 12,368,615.00 | 5,964,988.00 |
| 1994-1995 | 16,457,606.00 | 3,597,308.00 |
| 1995-1996 | 13,702,205.00 | 6,383,467.00 |
| 1996-1997(26) | 11,262,567.00 | 3,937,476.00 |
| January-March,1997(26) | 5,513,229.00 | 1,387,580.00 |
Notes:
(26) Figures are estimated.
1. The table shows the overall expenditure by this Department and its agencies on publicity and advertising since 1991-92.
2. We do not make any distinction between publicity and advertising and public information campaigns.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 82
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