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Food Labelling
29. Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure labels on foodstuffs carry accurate information. [12638]
Mr. Rooker: We are determined to improve openness and information to consumers. We have succeeded in getting EC agreement to better labelling of mechanically recovered meat and are pressing our EC partners for all foods to be labelled if they contain genetically modified material. When the review of nutrition labelling rules get underway we shall argue for more, simpler and better presented information.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agreements under the countryside stewardship scheme involve access. [12636]
Mr. Morley:
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme Currently has 1,207 agreements which include access elements, amounting to almost 20 per cent. of total agreements.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make representations to other EU states to urge eastern European countries to end the export of live animals to the EU. [13854]
Mr. Rooker:
The European Commission and other Member States are already aware of the UK Government's opposition to the long distance transport of live animals intended for further fattening or slaughter, irrespective of the origin of those animals or their destination. We will continue to make known our opposition to such trade whenever the opportunity arises.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the adequacy of time spent by local veterinary inspectors in inspecting animals destined for export to ensure that they are fit to travel as required by the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997; and if he will make a statement. [13931]
Mr. Rooker:
Local Veterinary Inspectors, as veterinary surgeons, must use their professional judgment in ensuring that sufficient time is given to assessing the fitness of animals to travel. The State Veterinary
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Inspectors audit their procedures to ensure that the proper standards are maintained. In addition, for export health certification purposes, the Department will be producing clearer instruction for Local Veterinary Inspectors on what an inspection should comprise. It is proposed that this will include a benchmark for the length of time an inspection ought to take, according to the different circumstances which may prevail.
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all (a) secondary, (b) other delegated legislation and (c) all deregulation orders his Department made during the summer adjournment. [14372]
Mr. Morley:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 5 November 1997, Official Report, column 216.
Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which areas of coastline in the Waveney constituency he considers to be most vulnerable to breaches of sea defence. [14295]
Mr. Morley:
This Department is responsible for flood and coastal defence policy in England and significantly contributes to the funding of capital defence measures. However, individual flood and coastal defence works are designed, constructed and maintained by the Environment Agency, local councils and Internal Drainage Boards. These bodies identify the need for defence measures locally, including which areas of coastline are most vulnerable to breaching, and decide which projects to promote and their timing.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the expenditure made by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, on (i) tax consultants and (ii) other external tax advice in (1) 1995-96, (2) 1996-97 and (3) 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [13253]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: The Department has made no payments of the kind described in the relevant years. Only one such payment has been made by the Executive Agencies, this being for £4,000 to a consultant, on behalf of the Meat Hygiene Service, in 1995-96.
Information on such expenditure by non-departmental public bodies is not centrally available, but is currently being sought. I will write to the hon. Member with the collated information as soon as possible.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the policy of his Department on the purchase of tax avoidance advice; and if he will make a statement. [13254]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: The general policy of the Department and its Executive Agencies is that no use should be made of external
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consultants in respect of taxation matters. However, there was one such transaction by the Meat Hygiene Service in the financial year 1995-96, as reported in my reply to the hon. Gentleman's previous Question.
Non-departmental public bodies enjoy greater freedom of action, and are responsible for their own tax affairs. However, the Department's resources are available to all such bodies and officials are sometimes consulted for advice.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much meat and bone meal is in storage as a result of the over-30-months scheme. [14598]
Mr. Rooker:
As at 31 October 267,387 tonnes of meat and bone meal were held in store.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidelines he has issued to the directors of BBSRC about his Department's responsibility for core research and staff at BBSRC Institutes. [14502]
Mr. Rooker:
The Department funds research in support of its policies and, within this framework, commissions a substantial amount of research at BBSRC institutes. However, responsibility for core-funding of science and for staff at these institutes rests with the Office of Science and Technology and BBSRC management themselves. It is not therefore appropriate for this Department to issue guidelines on these matters to BBSRC Directors.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the (a) official entertainment functions and (b) conferences which have been held at Admiralty House since May 1997. [12922]
Dr. David Clark:
Admiralty House has four state rooms, which are available for use by Ministers and Senior Officials. The following official entertainment functions have taken place there since May 1997:
No conferences have been held at Admiralty House during this period.
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