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AGRICULTURE FISHERIES AND FOOD
Quarantine
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the case for inoculation as a substitute for the quarantine of animals. [2363]
Political and Special Advisers
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list (a) the name, (b) the salary, (c) the previous occupation and salary and (d) the terms and conditions of each political and special adviser in his Department; and what was the selection process used to appoint these persons. [2422]
Mr. Morley: There are currently two political and special advisers to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. They are Ms Cathy McGlynn and Mr. T. Walker.
Both were previously policy advisers to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham).
The terms and conditions of each appointment are set out in the draft model contract, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
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Special advisers are paid within a range of £24,349 to £73,484. Their salaries are negotiated individually and are confidential within this range. Details of this and of previous salary are not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.
These are personal appointments by the Minister following consultation with the permanent head of the Department and the Prime Minister.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if SEAC terms of reference include the power to recommend a ban on beef imports into the United Kingdom. [2202]
Mr. Rooker:
SEAC's terms of reference permit it to advise the Government on all matters concerned with spongiform encephalopathies. As such it is able to make whatever recommendations it regards as appropriate to safeguard public or animal health.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the absence of any variation in the beef ban, he will consider banning all imports of beef into the United Kingdom. [2203]
Mr. Rooker:
No. I would however refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 5 June, Official Report, columns 227-28.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what checking mechanisms have been put in place by departmental officials to ensure that there is no BSE-contaminated feed either in store or trade circulation; [2204]
Mr. Rooker:
The State Veterinary Service (SVS) introduced a feed sampling programme in February 1996. Samples of feed and feed ingredients are taken from feed mills, farms using on-farm feed mixers and any site where feed, or ingredients for feed, are produced or stored. Feed samples are tested for the presence of ruminant and porcine protein using the compound feed ELISA test. Results of this surveillance activity are published in the monthly BSE Enforcement Bulletin and copies are available in the Library of the House.
In June last year, the feed recall scheme was launched to ensure that residual stocks of mammalian meat and bonemeal (MBM) were removed from farms, feed mills and feed merchants before the ban on possession came into effect last August. In all, over 11,000 tonnes of material was collected in the UK. This material is now in secure storage awaiting destruction. This material is not known to be contaminated with BSE--the controls on Specified Bovine Materials, requiring all tissues known to harbour BSE infectivity to be destroyed, were in place before the feed recall scheme was undertaken, considerably reduce the possibility of infectivity being present in the recalled feed.
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Completed investigations into the results of the feed sampling programme which were positive and inconclusive (accounting for less than 2 per cent. of over 9,000 samples of the feed currently in circulation) have so far revealed no mammalian protein in ruminant rations or mammalian MBM in feed for farmed livestock.
Mrs. Golding:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect of pyrethroid sheep dips on aquatic life in rivers and streams. [2240]
Mr. Rooker:
No veterinary medicine is authorised for use unless it meets stringent statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. Safety includes risk to the environment. The independent Scientific Veterinary Products Committee is currently undertaking a review of non-organophosphorus (OP) sheep dips to consider whether existing controls on OP dips should be extended to these products. The labels of authorised synthetic pyrethroid dips already carry clear warnings about the dangers to fish and other aquatic life. The labels also warn that it is an offence to pollute any stream or watercourse and advise farmer to contact the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency as appropriate, where there may be any doubt.
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will press the United States Department of Agriculture to end immediately its ban on the export of poultry to Europe. [2261]
Mr. Rooker:
There is no ban by the United States Department of Agriculture on the export of poultry or poultry meat to Europe. Exports of poultry meat to the European Community must, however, be accompanied by an export health certificate authorised by an official veterinarian to the effect that the consignment meets Community import health requirements. US veterinarians will not authorise export health certificates for poultry meat and exports cannot therefore take place. Discussions between the European Commission, who have competence in this area, and the US authorities are continuing.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will publish the names of the political and special advisers appointed to her Department since the general election. [1627]
Mrs. Beckett:
I have appointed Dan Corry and Sheila Watson to my Department as special advisers who will be paid from public funds.
In addition I have appointed Lord Hollick as an unpaid special adviser.
6 Jun 1997 : Column: 273
Mr. Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans the Government have to review the current policy towards alternative energy sources; [1351]
(3) what plans the Government have to encourage off-shore windfarms. [1352]
Mr. Battle:
The Government propose to undertake a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources in line with our manifesto commitment. To this end I anticipate reviewing policy including considerations of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK's electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010 and how renewables can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future greenhouse gas reduction commitments. I will make a further announcement in due course. In the meantime the Government's new and renewable energy programme, currently underway will continue. I have already announced that I will initiate shortly a consultation exercise with the relevant trade bodies of the renewable energy industry, OFFER and the regional electricity companies on a fifth non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO) order for renewable energy in England and Wales, leading to an announcement later in the year.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the capacity in MW of the current number of windfarms; [1353]
Mr. Battle:
At 31 March 1997, there were 42 windfarms in the United Kingdom with a total installed capacity of 283 Megawatts. Precise information about the area they cover is not available. However, estimates suggest that the area occupied by individual wind turbine towers can range between five and 20 square metres. For a wind farm consisting of twenty 500kW turbines, each covering an area of approximately 10 square metres, the total footprint would be about 200 square metres. Access tracks where required would occupy further land. The turbines might be placed within an area of about 1-2km 2 but the bulk of the site would be unaffected and could continue in its original use.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people have been employed in the aerospace industry in each year since 1992. [1638]
6 Jun 1997 : Column: 274
Mr. Battle:
The number of people employed in the UK aerospace industry in each year from 1992 to 1995 are as follows:
(2) what estimate he has made of the amount of BSE contaminated feed (a) in store and (b) in circulation in the United Kingdom. [2205]
(2) what plans the Government have to support efforts to refine existing forms of alternative energy to produce more electricity from the same resources; [1350]
(2) how many windfarms are currently installed; and how many acres they cover in total. [1347]
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 149,000 |
| 1993 | 126,000 |
| 1994 | 114,000 |
| 1995 | 108,000 |
Source:
Office for National Statistics (Annual Census of Production).
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