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Intervention Beef
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tonnes of stewed beef are currently in intervention storage; what plans he has for their distribution to (a) recipients of benefits and (b) asylum seekers not in receipt of benefits; and if he will make a statement. [10725]
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Mr. Rooker:
The EU surplus food scheme, as laid down by EU regulation 3149/92, as amended, allows member states to remove certain intervention stocks of produce from store and supply it to the poor and needy via charitable organisations. This year, the UK is withdrawing 5,000 tonnes of UK intervention beef from stock and arranging for it to be processed into canned stewed steak and distributed to more than 850 charities, local authorities and other non-profit-making organisations. Individuals eligible to receive the beef will each receive up to eight cans free or for a nominal charge.
Asylum seekers do not qualify in their own right to receive the food made available under the scheme. This is because eligibility for produce under the scheme had to be limited. In the UK, we have decided, in consultation with the Department of Social Security, to limit the eligibility criteria to those in receipt of income support, family credit, jobseeker's allowance--income-based only--disability working allowance, to the homeless and destitute and to those living in welfare hostels. Asylum seekers falling into any of these eligible groups may receive food under the scheme.
Mr. Tipping:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each county (a) the total cost and (b) the (i) minimum, (ii) average and (iii) maximum payment made under the arable area payments scheme in 1996. [11319]
Mr. Rooker:
The following table sets out figures for the total payments received by each claimant on a county basis. Payments are attributed to the county in which the claimant's main holding is situated.
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Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the brewing industry in respect of bootleg imports from EU member states; and what response he plans to make. [11491]
Mr. Morley:
My ministerial colleagues and I have been fully briefed by industry representatives about the impact on brewing and pubs of cross-border shopping. The issues here are primarily for the Chancellor, who announced a review of these matters in the Budget speech.
Export Licences
Ann Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 21 July, Official Report, column 448, if she will list the other equipment, including weapons systems, covered by the six other export licences granted in respect of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia on (a) 19 December 1995 and (b) 22 November 1996.[10447]
Mrs. Roche: I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library. Inquiries are being made as regards the release of the information under the non-statutory code of practice on access to Government information and, since confidential information is involved, the consent of the company is being sought for the disclosure of that information.
Mr. Colvin: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on her current policy for licensing defence exports. [10641]
Mrs. Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 26-29, of the outcome of the review of the criteria used in considering applications for licences to export conventional arms.
Mr. Key:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many defence export licence applications were awaiting final Government approval on (a) 1 April, (b) 1 May, (c) 1 June and (d) 1 July. [10759]
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Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 28 July 1997]: The management data on the processing of licence applications by the Export Control Organisation are compiled on the basis of four-week periods rather than monthly, and by management unit rather than by the type of goods.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 5 April 1997 | 1,702 |
| 3 May 1997 | 1,822 |
| 31 May 1997 | 1,844 |
| 27 June 1997 | 2,007 |
Ann Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences have been issued to Alvis since 1990 in respect of Indonesia, stating in each case the date of the licence and the type of equipment covered by it, including the numbers of each type. [10342]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 24 July 1997]: I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library. Inquiries are being made as regards the release of the information under the non-statutory code of practice on access to government information and, since confidential information is involved, the consent of the company is being sought for the disclosure of that information.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications for arms and equipment exports to Indonesia are awaiting approval; if she will list the types of equipment and categories involved in the licence applications; and when she expects the decisions on the applications to be taken. [10575]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 25 July 1997]: At 24 July, a decision had not yet been reached on 59 applications for licences for the export of a wide range
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of goods controlled under part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order. The time taken to reach a decision will vary from case to case, and will depend on the time required for consultation with other Departments.
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