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Departmental Advisers
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each person advising or assisting his Department who has (a) membership of and (b) involvement in (i) the European Round Table of industrialists, (ii) the European Centre for Infrastructure Studies, (iii) the Competitiveness Advisory Group, (iv) Transatlantic Business Dialogue, (v) the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe, (vi) Union of Industrial and Employers Confederations of Europe, (vii) Europe Bio and (viii) the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. [5307]
Mr. Morley: Membership of the European Round Table of industrialists, the Competitiveness Advisory Group and the Transatlantic Business Dialogue is on a personal basis. We have no central record of whether each person advising or assisting the Minister is a member of, or involved in, these groups.
Membership of the European Centre for Infrastructure Studies, the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe, the Union of Industrial and Employers Confederations of Europe, Europa Bio and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is on a corporate basis. Representatives from companies and organisations involved with these groups may advise this Ministry from time to time.
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Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the special advisers in his Department, the Minister to whom each is responsible, the subjects on which they advise and the number of advisers in his Department in the year up to 1 May. [5346]
Mr. Morley:
This Department has two special advisers who are employed under the terms and conditions based on the model contract for special advisers, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Ms Cathy McGlynn and Mr. Tim Walker advise my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in accordance with Schedule 1 (Part 1) of the model contract. Their subjects are:
| Cathy McGlynn | Tim Walker |
|---|---|
| Fisheries | Food safety and standards |
| Countryside matters | Meat hygiene |
| Forestry | Animal health (including BSE) |
| Agricultural policy and the CAP | Pesticide safety |
| Production and trade in agricultural commodities | Veterinary medicines |
| External trade | Plant health |
| Food and Drinks Industry | Research |
| Competition issues | Animal welfare |
| Export promotion | Flood defence |
During the year up to 1 May 1997, this department employed one special adviser. His employment ended on 31 March 1997.
Sewage Outfall, Falmouth
Ms Atherton: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the likely impact of South West Water's plans for a sewage outfall in Carrick Roads, Falmouth, on the quality of (a) oysters and (b) other shellfish. [5476]
Mr. Morley: The Department has made a partial assessment of the impact of the plans for a sewage outfall and has asked for further information to allow this assessment to be completed.
Animal Slaughter
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) pigs, (b) cattle, (c) sheep, (d) broiler chickens and (e) turkeys were slaughtered in (i) the last available 12 months period and (ii) the previous 12 months period; and if he will make a statement. [6064]
Mr. Rooker: The information requested is available from the United Kingdom Slaughter Statistics notice and the Poultry and Poultrymeat Statistics notice, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Minestone Tipping (Northumberland)
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the licensing of minestone tipping in the sea of Lynemouth, Northumberland. [6333]
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 261
Mr. Morley:
The deposit of material anywhere below the mean high water mark requires a licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. Licences for the disposal of minestone as waste on to beaches and into the sea have not been issued since 1995.
The deposit of minestone has been authorised since 1995 for the purpose of coast protection at Lynemouth, Northumberland. The licensee, R. J. B. Mining, has recently submitted a report on the agreed programme of monitoring on the environmental effects of the use of this material which is at present under consideration by the Department.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to compensate farmers for the recent revaluations of the green pound.[6158]
Mr. Rooker:
Payment of the aid available, as agreed by the March Agriculture Council, would have significant implications for UK public expenditure. We are considering carefully the case made by interested parties for payment.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will simplify the requirements of the Beef Assurance Scheme. [6152]
Mr. Rooker:
The Beef Assurance Scheme rules are strict in order to command the confidence of consumers. They were written in consultation with the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) and minimise any risk of BSE occurring in a scheme herd. The scheme rules are kept under review, but the Government have no present plans to amend them.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the definition of the term cohesion cod in EU documentation. [6150]
Mr. Morley:
This term is not defined in EU legislation. However it is commonly understood to refer to a quota to fish cod in Norwegian waters north of 62°N, granted to the EU by Norway as part of the European Economic Area Agreement, which is allocated among those Member States eligible for cohesion funds: Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what plans he has to control industrial fishing for sand eels off the British East Coast; and if he will make a statement; [6264]
(3) if he will ban the industrial fishing for sand eels in the Wee Bankie area; [6266]
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 262
(4) if he will make a statement on the measures being taken to implement section 9.2 of the Statement of Conclusions of the March 1997 Intermediate Ministerial Meeting of the North Sea Conference. [6267]
Mr. Morley:
The Government believe that all industrial fisheries should be subject to the same requirement as other fisheries to operate on a sustainable basis. We remain concerned that the present restrictions on industrial fisheries may not adequately protect some particularly sensitive areas. As there have been no meetings of the Council of Fisheries Ministers since 1 May I have not had the opportunity to raise this issue there. However, discussions at official level with the Danish Ministry led to their facilitating scientific observation by the Scottish Office Marine Laboratory of this year's sand eel fishery by the Danish fleet off the British East Coast, where the observed catch was more than 99.6 per cent. sand eels.
The Sea Mammal Research Unit, along with the Danish Institute of Fisheries Research, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Scottish Office and others, is undertaking a collaborative three-year project (ELIFONTS), ending in 1999, to examine the impact of industrial fishing on sand eel abundance and the effects of variations in that abundance on predators in the Wee Bankie and neighbouring fisheries. The contractors have undertaken to give early warning of any interim results which show that the fishery is having adverse effects on the various species. We are also funding Newcastle University's research vessel to carry out sampling of sand eel populations within the study area as part of the project.
Section 9.2 of the Statement of Conclusions of the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting on the Integration of Fisheries and Environmental Issues, invites the competent authorities to consider (inter alia) restrictions on fishing in any areas where it is judged the ecosystem requires protection. The European Commission will decide in the light of the ELIFONTS project and other research, what action is appropriate to propose to the Council of Ministers. We would expect them to consider options for introducing quantitative restrictions or complete bans in particularly sensitive areas, always bearing in mind the need to avoid displacing fishing effort in a way that has a net adverse effect.
The Wee Bankie lies outside UK territorial waters and the Government are unable to take unilateral action to restrict fishing there.
26. Ms Atherton:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to secure objective 1 status for Cornwall. [5230]
Mrs. Roche:
Eligible areas for the European structural funds will not change before the end of 1999. Once the Commission has put forward proposals for reform of the structural funds and these have been negotiated and agreed, the Government will then consider proposing particular areas within the United Kingdom.
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 263
(2) what representations he has made to his European colleagues concerning measures to control industrial fishing for sand eels in the North Sea; and if he will make a statement; [6265]
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