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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Genetically Modified Potatoes
11. Dr. Gibson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the deep-frying characteristics of genetically modified potatoes. [12620]
Mr. Morley: We are not funding any research on the deep-frying characteristics of genetically modified potatoes.
Agenda 2000
12. Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the impact on the income of United Kingdom farmers of the adoption of Agenda 2000 proposals. [12621]
Dr. John Cunningham: It is likely that the immediate result of the Commission Agenda 2000 proposals for reform of the arable, beef and dairy sectors would be a reduction in total income from farming in the UK in the order of 2 per cent. of 1996 levels. Because proposals relating to modulation are unclear, this estimate assumes changes are applied on an unmodulated basis.
15. Mr. Todd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the European Commission Agenda 2000 document on agriculture; and if he will make a statement. [12624]
Dr. John Cunningham: The Agenda 2000 proposals are a welcome step towards positive reform of the CAP. However there are areas, for example milk, where the proposals do not go far enough. We will be looking to make progress on discussion of these during the UK Presidency of the Agriculture Council.
Meat Hygiene
14. Mr. Cranston: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to start publishing the hygiene scores of abattoirs and meat handling facilities.[12623]
Mr. Rooker: Hygiene Assessment (HAS) scores have been published in banded form in the Ministry's monthly Meat Hygiene Enforcement Report since May 1997. Publication of HAS scores for individual named licensed abattoirs and cutting plants will commence in January 1998.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
16. Mr. Greenway: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances for the coming year. [12625]
Mr. Morley: The rates will be announced as usual later this month.
Dioxin
17. Mr. Skinner: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about dioxin levels in the area around the Coalite works in Bolsover. [12626]
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Mr. Morley:
The Department sampled milk from 19 farms in the Bolsover area in July this year. The results of this survey were published recently and show that the levels of dioxins in all samples of milk, except from one farm, are similar to those found in other parts of the UK. The one farm runs a suckler herd and does not produce milk for human consumption.
18. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects all transmissible spongiform encephalopathies to be eliminated from all farm animals. [12627]
Mr. Rooker:
Research by Professor Anderson of Oxford, which was published in "Nature" last year, indicates that the BSE epidemic will reach insignificant levels by the year 2001.
We are supporting research into sheep scrapie to learn more about this disease which we hope will enable the industry to develop future control strategies based on genetic resistance.
19. Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he will introduce to encourage the farming of British Belgian Blue cattle and other pedigree beef breeds; and if he will make a statement. [12628]
Mr. Rooker:
There are no plans to introduce initiatives to encourage the farming of British Belgian Blue cattle or other pedigree beef breeds.
20. Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the United Kingdom's (a) gross and (b) net contribution to the common agricultural policy for the year 1998-99; and if he will make a statement. [12629]
Mr. Rooker:
The United Kingdom contributes to the EU budget as a whole, and not to any particular part. The draft budget for 1998 is set at 84.7 becu (£55.9 billion), of which the CAP accounts for 41.0 becu (£27.1 billion). The 1999 budget will not be prepared until next spring. Actual expenditure will depend on various factors, including the weather, trade flows and decisions to be taken by the Council of Ministers, and cannot be predicted.
22. Mr. Pond:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has made for reforming the common agricultural policy to provide greater value to consumers. [12631]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government favour a more market-oriented Common Agricultural Policy through the phasing out of production related support. The European Commission agrees with our view, and has proposed reform of the cereals, beef and dairy regimes in that direction as part of its Agenda 2000 package. If the Commission's estimated reductions in market prices feed through fully to retail, total savings to consumers in the UK would be around £1 billion--equivalent to 2 per cent. of the retail food prices index.
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21. Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to promote the English wine industry. [12630]
Mr. Morley:
I am aware of the advances which the English and Welsh wine industry have made in recent years. My colleagues and I will lose no appropriate opportunity to promote the industry's products.
23. Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals the Government have to address the special needs of people who live and work in rural areas. [12632]
Mr. Morley:
The Government recognise the special needs of people who live and work in rural areas. We are committed to taking an integrated approach to tackling rural problems and want to encourage a vibrant rural economy in partnership with all those interested in countryside issues. The cross-departmental Comprehensive Spending Review of Countryside and Rural Policy which is currently underway will provide a basis on which to consider these issues.
24. Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he next intends to meet the National Federation of Fisherman's Organisations to discuss conservation. [12633]
Mr. Morley:
I am always ready to meet the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss conservation.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve the welfare of farm animals. [12615]
25. Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has put in place recently to improve the welfare of farm animals.[12634]
Mr. Morley:
New EU rules on transport were implemented only five weeks after the General Election. We are consulting about new regulations on the welfare of calves and we are reviewing pre-export procedures for animals intended for further fattening or slaughter. The agreement we secured at Amsterdam for a new EU Treaty protocol on animal welfare has given a firm basis from which we can seek real improvements to EU welfare standards both during our forthcoming Presidency and beyond. This is only the beginning: a number of further initiatives are planned.
26. Mrs. Butler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the stringency of the controls on British beef relative to those applying in the rest of the European Union. [12635]
Mr. Rooker:
Controls on British beef are amongst the most stringent in the world.
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The Commission carried out inspection missions to Member States in November and December 1996. Their report on Risk Factors and Surveillance procedures in the Community highlighted shortcomings in controls in some Member States. As a result the Commission have decided to take action against 10 Member States in respect of their apparent failure to enforce some aspects of Community legislation on BSE.
In May the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) considered the Commission's draft report and concluded that action should be taken to extend controls on specified bovine material (SBM) to imports from the EU, and to imports from third countries, other than those where there is no known risk to BSE, unless resolved on an EU wide basis. A Commission Decision laying down controls for the removal and disposal of Specified Risk Material from cattle was adopted by the Commission on 30 July and will apply throughout the Community from 1 January 1998. In the meantime, only four other Member States have their own controls on specified material in cattle: the Republic of Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Portugal.
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