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Anglo-French Summit
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost, including incidental expenses, of preparing and furnishing the rooms in Canary Wharf used for the Anglo-French Summit; and if he will break this down into the main items of expenditure. [15658]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 12 November 1997]: Canary Wharf was provided for the Summit free of charge. Final figures for the cost of other items are not yet available.
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Live Animal Exports
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has collated on the number of live animals exported since 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [13964]
Mr. Rooker: The most up-to-date information available to the Department is recorded on the Animal Movement electronic data system. From May to October 1997 inclusive, approximately 263,00 sheep/goats and 93,900 pigs were exported from Great Britain to other EU Member States. This information is provisional and subject to change. There was a significant increase in the number of sheep exported from August to October. This is consistent with normal trade patterns.
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many live sheep were exported in each of the five years up to 1997; how many have been exported so far this year; what was their final destination; and if he will make a statement. [13968]
Mr. Rooker: Official Overseas Trade Statistics show that the following number of sheep were exported from the United Kingdom:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 1,422,000 |
| 1993 | 830,000 |
| 1994 | 989,000 |
| 1995 | 756,000 |
| 1996 | 547,000 |
| January-July 1997 | 53,000 |
These figures are provisional and subject to amendment. Certified destinations were principally France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the Republic of Ireland.
Fair Trade (Coffee and Tea)
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the oral statement by the Secretary of State for International Development, Official Report, 5 November, column 332, if he will instruct officials to serve coffee and tea furnished by suppliers who adhere to fair trade standards in his Department. [15502]
Mr. Rooker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which the Prime Minister has given today. All procurement decisions in the Department are based on the Government's policy of value for money.
Rothamsted Experimental Station
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to continue the long-term experiments at Rothamsted Experimental station. [15854]
Mr. Rooker:
Rothamsted is one of the three research sites making up the Institute of Arable Crops Research. MAFF is a major customer for research at IACR and will spend over £7 million in the current year. Rothamsted runs several long-term experiments, some of which have contributed information to the main MAFF research
13 Nov 1997 : Column: 619
programmes at the site dealing with nutrient loss, soil organic matter and biodiversity. However, this core long-term work is funded by BBSRC and other funders and is not the direct responsibility of MAFF.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his letter of 8 October concerning the agri-environment programme and farmland birds (108634), when he expects to respond to the three-year BTO project interim report. [14468]
Mr. Rooker:
I expect to respond when final results of the British Trust for Ornithology project, due in October 1998, are available and have been assessed.
Meanwhile, steps taken to help reserve the decline in farmland birds were outlined by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on 27 October, Official Report, column 715.
Mr. Dawson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his plans for the incineration of meat and bone meal produced from the cull of animals under the over 30-months-scheme. [15766]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government are considering a number of options for the disposal of meat and bone meal arising from the over 30-months-scheme. Revelant elements of the Intervention Board's on-going tender exercise have been suspended to allow time for reflection on the full range of options presenting themselves. While some MBM is being burnt in a high temperature waste incinerator at Fawley, no decision has yet been taken on any other disposal option, or options, for the stored material, including burning MBM for energy recovery in power stations. In reaching a decision, full weight will be given to the protection of human health and the environment.
Military Exports
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has met representatives of Welsh business to explain the Government's policy on the sale and supply of military, security and police equipment to oppressive regimes. [15298]
Mr. Hain: No. I refer my hon. Friend to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 26-29, which sets out the Government's policy on this subject.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the significance to the Welsh economy of the manufacture, sale and supply of military, security and police equipment; and if he will place a copy of his assessment in the Library. [15292]
Mr. Hain:
The Department of Trade and Industry has been studying the value of the defence industry to the UK but its emphasis has been national and has not included production of detailed figures on a regional basis.
13 Nov 1997 : Column: 620
A copy of "The Study of the Value of the Defence Industry to the UK Economy" of December 1995 was placed in the Library of the House.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the medium-term implications of US Commerce Department report, "Offsets in Defence Trade 1997". [15293]
Mr. Hain:
The US Department of Commerce report "Offsets in Defence Trade 1997" is under consideration by the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to encourage the use of bicycles as an alternative to cars in Welsh cities and towns; and if he will make a statement. [15304]
Mr. Hain:
The Government are considering the role of cycling, alongside that of all transport modes, as part of their development of an integrated transport policy to be set out in a White Paper next year. I intend to publish a Welsh Transport Policy Statement at around the same time.
I have already taken one practical step to give local authorities more scope to promote cycling through the changes to the Welsh Transport Grant regime which I announced in June. These will allow support to be given in future to "integrated transport packages" which can, among other things, include measures to promote cycling.
Health Service Expenditure
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate in cash terms in 1995-96 prices the changes for 1997-98 and 1998-99 in NHS expenditure between (a) the 1996 budget plans and (b) the Government's latest plans. [13189]
Mr. Darling [holding answer 30 October 1997]: In the July Budget an additional £1.2 billion was allocated for the NHS in 1998-99, and on 14 October a further package of £300 million was announced for patient care in 1997-98. These figures can be converted into 1995-96 prices using the current forecasts for the GDP deflator which are 2.76 per cent. for 1996-97, 2.75 per cent. for 1997-98 and 2.75 per cent. for 1998-99.
Income Tax
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the number of people of working age who face combined marginal rates of withdrawal of tax, national insurance contributions and means-tested benefits of (a) under 50 per cent., (b) 50-59 per cent., (c) 60-69 per cent., (d) 70-79 per cent., (e) 80-89 per cent. and (f) 90 per cent. or above of introducing a 10p starting rate of income tax on (i) the first £1,000, (ii) the first £1,500 or (iii) the first £2,000 of taxable income. [14016]
13 Nov 1997 : Column: 621
Dawn Primarolo:
The effect of introducing a 10p tax rate on marginal deduction rates, and on disposable income, would depend on what other changes were made to the tax and benefit system at the time of its introduction.
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