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Historic Buildings, Greenwich
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current state of the historic buildings at Greenwich in the ownership of the Ministry of Defence. [7818]
Dr. Reid: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence holds the freehold of the historic buildings of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, together with the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital and the Devonport Nurses' Home, on behalf of the Crown for the benefit of Greenwich Hospital. Of these, the Royal Naval College, which is occupied by the Ministry of Defence is, with the exception of King William Building and the external areas, in a fair state of repair. The Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital and the Devonport Nurses' Home (neither of which is leased to my Department) are unoccupied and are in a less satisfactory condition. I understand that Greenwich Hospital has been encouraging the tenants, which have full responsibility for repairs and maintenance, to take measures to prevent further deterioration.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Organic Farming
Ms Corston: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of organic farmland on farmland bird populations.[7478]
Mr. Morley: A MAFF funded research project on this subject, undertaken by the British Trust for Ornithology and the Institute of Arable Crops Research, was completed in March 1995. The report provided some evidence that organic farming can lead to an increase in the number and diversity of bird species compared to conventional farms. We are aware that organisations such as the British Trust for Ornithology consider that more research into this issue is justified. We will consider any proposals for future research from such organisations alongside other research priorities.
The Department also funds a wider-ranging programme on the effects of agriculture on the environment including research on the impact of agricultural intensification on farmland birds. These projects are contributing to a better understanding of the possible causes of difference found in bird populations on organic and conventional farm-land.
Ms Corston:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the research into organic farming methods conducted at his Ministry's plant breeding stations; and what proportion of his Department's research budget for organic farming is constituted by funding allocated to these establishments.[7474]
Mr. Morley:
The Ministry has no plant breeding stations. However, we are currently funding some research on plant varieties suitable for organic farming.
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This is being undertaken by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). This work will cost approximately £29,000 IN 1997-98, and it represents about 3 per cent. of the total annual budget available for organic research and development.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to EU partners to persuade them that long distance live animal transport should end. [8655]
Mr. Morley:
We shall take every opportunity in contacts with our EU partners to press our view that a trade in meat is preferable to the long distance transport of food animals. In support of this we shall now be pressing our partners to implement and enforce the new EU rules on journey times which we ourselves have introduced as a priority, and are seeking improvements in these rules in ongoing EU discussions.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the provision of slaughter facilities for OTMS cattle in the county of Shropshire; [9457]
Mr. Rooker:
Contracts for the slaughter of OTMS cattle have been awarded to 26 abattoirs in Great Britain. None are in Shropshire, but seven are in counties neighbouring Shropshire and are available to producers in Shropshire. These include:
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his proposals to limit the availability of vitamin B6 to 10mg per tablet or capsule. [9425]
Mr. Rooker:
I have received advice recently from the Food Advisory Committee that the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements should not exceed 10 milligrams per daily dose, and that such supplements should carry a warning label about the harmful effects of high intakes. I have accepted this advice and have instructed officials to draw up legislation under the Food Safety Act 1990 to control dietary supplements containing vitamin B6.
18 Jul 1997 : Column: 359
Mrs. May:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his Department's policy is on the timely payment of debt; and what its record has been on debt payment in the current financial year. [9323]
Mr. Morley:
All Departments are required to pay all their bills within agreed contract terms, or 30 days from receipt of the goods or service or a valid invoice, whichever is later, where no such terms exist. Information on payment performance for the current financial year could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Government will publish a league table of departmental payment performance for 1996-97 in the Autumn.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, following the recent Budget, he will give his estimate of the total real level of his Department's budget, in 1995-96 prices, in (a) 1997 (b) 1998-99; if he will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997-98 and (2) 1998-99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if he will make a statement. [8316]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 14 July 1997]: The figures requested for this Department's spending plans within the Control Total in £000,000 and expressed at 1995-96 prices are as follows:
(2) if he will list the abattoirs available for the slaughter of OTMS cattle emanating from Shropshire farms. [9453]
This does not preclude cattle from the county going further afield if appropriate. As such, I am satisfied the producers in Shropshire are well served under the new arrangements.
North West Meats
F. Redfern
Bradeley Meats
R. B. Elliot
Nottingham Processing Co.
ABP Nuneaton
The Baker Group.
Mr. Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997-98 and 1998-99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8317]
(a) 1,021, (b) 990, (1) 1,036, (2) 1,013.
Mr. Fatchett [holding answer 14 July 1997]: All Departments are reallocating spending within their departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Mr. Danny Woodier
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the statement of 9 July, Official Report, columns 1044-52, what was the purpose of the visit of Mr. Danny Woodier to Caracas in January 1997. [8897]
Mr. Fatchett: Mr Woodier, Consular Protection Desk Officer for South America, visited the Caracus area in March 1997 as part of a familiarisation visit to South America. The purpose of his visit was to gain first hand knowledge and experience of his area of responsibility.
Quota Hopping
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) for what reasons the agreement reached on quota-hopping was not included in the Amsterdam treaty; [9080]
18 Jul 1997 : Column: 360
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minster for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the House on 18 June, Official Report, column 331.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Human Rights article contained in the Amsterdam treaty. [9117]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We welcome the reference to fundamental rights in Article F of the Treaty on European Union. The new article re-states the principle that acts of the Union and of the Community must respect the existing fundamental rights of EU citizens, which are an essential feature of the responsibility which states bear towards their citizens. We also welcome the new Article 6a to the Treaty of Rome permitting (but not obliging) the Council, acting unanimously, to take action at Community level to combat discrimination.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those areas where the European Court of Justice has gained jurisdiction as a result of the Amsterdam treaty. [9077]
Mr. Henderson:
Because the Court has a full role in the European Community pillar, extensions of the EC Treaty provisions at Amsterdam also involve an extension in the jurisdiction of the Court. Article K.7 of the Amsterdam Treaty will also give the Court a limited role in relation to the Justice and Home Affairs pillar of the Treaty on European Union: the Court will have a preliminary rulings jurisdiction for those Member States which choose to accept it; jurisdiction to review the legality of framework decisions and decisions adopted by the Council; and jurisdiction over certain disputes between Member States and between Member States and the Commission. Under Article K.12 the Court will have jurisdiction to review the operation of the Justice and Home Affairs pillar flexibility procedure. The Court will also have jurisdiction, through Article L, over the fundamental rights implications of action of the institutions within the Justice and Home Affairs pillar insofar as it has wider jurisdiction in that pillar.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the impact of the Amsterdam treaty on the work of the European Court of Justice. [9076]
Mr. Henderson:
There is likely to be some increased workload for the Court of Justice deriving from the extension of its jurisdiction under the Treaty of Amsterdam. However, the impact of the new Treaty on the Court's workload will not become clear until sometime after the Treaty comes into force.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the terms of the flexibility clause agreed at Amsterdam; and if it will be enacted by qualified majority procedure. [9092]
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Mr. Henderson:
The draft Treaty of Amsterdam (CONF 4001/97) has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The decision to use the flexibility provisions will be taken by Qualified Majority Voting, but with an "emergency brake" clause, which states that a Member State may "for important and stated reasons of national policy" prevent a vote being taken by QMV; the decision may then be referred to the European Council, for decision by unanimity.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional powers will be granted to the European Parliament by the Amsterdam treaty. [9124]
Mr. Henderson:
A full list of the powers of assent and co-decision granted to the European Parliament can be found on pages 115 to 117 of the draft Treaty of Amsterdam (CONF 4001/97), copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 30 June, Official Report, column 38. New powers for the European Parliament in the Third Pillar are dealt with in Article K.11 of the draft Treaty; those in the new free movement title of the European Communities Treaty (TEC) in Article G. In addition, the European Parliament will exercise certain powers in the application.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what areas the Amsterdam treaty extends co-decision making; and if he will make a sttaement. [9091]
Mr. Henderson:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 30 June, Official Report, column 38.
(2) if the recent agreement reached on quota-hopping is legally binding. [9079]
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