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Camphill Devon Community Ltd.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to make a decision on the eligibility of Camphill Devon Community Ltd. for a farm and conservation grant; and if he will make a statement. [12168]
Mr. Morley: The claim for grant from Camphill Devon Community Ltd. has raised a number of questions concerning the eligibility of the investment on which grant is being claimed under the farm and conservation grant scheme. However, we hope to have resolved these questions shortly.
Performing Animals
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the quarantine arrangements for travelling zoos and circuses involving performing animals. [12084]
Mr. Rooker:
Each animal subject to the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 and imported into Great Britain from outside the British Isles is required to be quarantined for six months. In each case, the physical arrangements of the quarantine premises for containing the animal have to be shown to be satisfactory.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 439
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the British Stickmakers Guild about the classification of rams' horns as animal offal; and if he will make a statement. [10556]
Mr. Rooker
[pursuant to his answer, 28 July 1997, c.24]: I have received representations from the British Stickmakers Guild about the classification of rams' horns as animal offal.
Under the Heads of Sheep and Goats Order 1996, the heads--excluding the tongue--of sheep and goats of any age other than those born, reared and slaughtered in Australia and New Zealand must be disposed of as specified waste material. This would include the horns if still attached to the head. However, horns themselves are not considered to be a risk, provided they are removed without breaking into the cranial cavity in order to ensure that there is no risk of contamination with brain material.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the potential fish catches and stocks in the 60,000 sq miles of ocean around Rockall; and what funding the Government have made available in the last 20 years to research and develop the potential of these waters. [11581]
Mr. Chisholm:
I have been asked to reply.
I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what licensing arrangements currently apply to fishing operators in the 60,000 sq miles of Atlantic ocean around Rockall; how many (a) British and (b) Spanish fishing vessels operate there; and what estimate he has made of the number of British vessels with the capacity to fish waters of these depths. [11577]
Mr. Chisholm:
I have been asked to reply.
United Kingdom vessels fishing within the current Rockall fisheries zone must be in possession of a UK fishing licence, while vessels from other EC member states are subject to their own national licensing and management arrangements. All such vessels are subject to quota restrictions and western waters effort ceilings where appropriate. This will remain the case following the redrawing of British fisheries limits.
Landings information held by the fisheries departments shows that, in 1996, 46 British vessels operated in the waters affected by the change. Comparable information for Spanish vessels is not held by the fisheries departments.
Information on the number of vessels capable of fishing in deep waters around Rockall is not held centrally.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has further to
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 440
review the scientific evidence relating to the safety of vitamin B6 supplementation; and if he will make a statement. [11719]
Mr. Rooker:
The scientific evidence relating to the safety of vitamin B6 has been reviewed by Department of Health's independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment--COT--on two separate occasions. I have every confidence in the ability of the COT and in the quality of its advice and I have no plans to invite it or any other body to undertake a further review.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the dangers to public health of higher dose vitamin B6 supplements. [10956]
Ms Jowell:
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment--COT--has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. The committee reviewed the scientific papers published in national and international journals and noted reports of peripheral sensory neuropathy in humans. There was evidence of nerve damage in animals. It recommended that the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements be limited to 10 mg per day. This recommendation applies to supplements sold under food law.
In the light of the COT's recommendation, the Medicines Control Agency's Committee on Safety of Medicines reviewed vitamin B6 containing medicinal products and recommended that those sold on the general sales list--GSL, that is, those freely available to the public--should be limited to 10 mg, while those above 10 mg and below 50 mg should be available under the supervision of a pharmacist while those of 50 mg and above should be available under the supervision of a doctor--prescription only medicines.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has evaluated into the number of deaths or cases of adverse health reactions in the last 10 years in America arising from higher dose vitamin B6 supplementation; and if he will make a statement. [10942]
Ms Jowell:
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment--COT--has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. Lists of the references from national and international scientific journals which it considered are lodged in the Library. Following its consideration, the COT published a statement on 4 July 1997. Officials have no specific information on adverse health reactions to higher dose vitamin B6 products in America, but in the years 1987-96 the UK yellow card adverse drug reaction--ADR--reporting scheme administered by the Medicines Control Agency has received a total of 42 reactions associated with products containing only vitamin B6.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 441
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about his proposals to abolish foreign income dividends; and if he will make a statement. [8928]
Dawn Primarolo:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 July, Official Report, column 445. We have received several representations from United Kingdom-owned companies that obtain a high proportion of their profits from overseas, and as my hon. Friend the Paymaster General stated in Standing Committee on the Finance Bill on 22 July, we welcome their views and shall find a way froward that balances the interests of the Exchequer with those of the companies involved.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the future use of windfall taxes. [11472]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
The windfall tax is a one-off tax.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proposals contained in CSE (97) 1 final 9000/97 relating to (a) the elimination of significant distortion in the area of indirect taxation and (b) the longer-term need to look at further elements of corporate taxation. [9652]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 21 July 1997]: The Government welcome the commitment by member states to consider measures to eliminate significant distortions in the area of indirect taxation. In particular, we are keen to see progress on alcohol and tobacco duties where significant cross-border trade is distorted by varying rates of duty.
Mr. Fraser:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount at current prices paid in taxes by privatised firms (a) in the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) since 1979. [10920]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 28 July 1997]: Corporation tax paid by formerly publicly owned companies since 1987-88 is as follows:
| Year | £ billion |
|---|---|
| 1987-88 | 1.5 |
| 1988-89 | 1.6 |
| 1989-90 | 1.5 |
| 1990-91 | 2.1 |
| 1991-92 | 2.3 |
| 1992-93 | 2.3 |
| 1993-94 | 1.9 |
| 1994-95 | 2.5 |
| 1995-96 | 2.9 |
| 1996-97 | 2.7 |
Release of earlier figures would infringe taxpayer confidentiality.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 442
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the formerly nationalised industries have contributed to the Exchequer since privatisation.[11340]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 29 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and Poole, North (Mr. Fraser) regarding Exchequer receipts of corporation tax paid by formerly publicly owned companies.
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