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Prisoner Transfers
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what communications there were between the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office and (a) the Minister of State, Scottish Office, (b) his officials and (c) the Scottish Prison Service about the application for transfer of Jason Campbell from HM Prison Shotts to the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland; and what were the dates of such communications. [16218]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 November 1997]: On 25 September I received confirmation from my officials that Jason Campbell had applied for transfer to Northern Ireland.
There were no communications between myself and the Minister of State at the Scottish Office nor between myself and the Scottish Prison Service.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Forestry Commission Land
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what discussions the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had with the Forestry Commission about its decision to start selling Forestry Commission land in England and Wales again; what steps are being taken to ensure public access to such land; and how much land he expects to be sold in the current financial year. [14693]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 6 November 1997]: There are no Commission forests being offered for sale in England. A moratorium on the sale of Forestry Commission forests was imposed immediately after the election. It is still in place. The Commission is, however, completing those sales which were agreed before the election. Wherever possible, the Commission offers to enter into access agreements with local authorities for every area of forest land that it sells. These agreements ensure that public access is protected in perpetuity.
E-mail
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to the Answer of 10 November from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Official Report, column 441, if he will list the e-mail addresses of (a) Ministers, (b) senior officials and (c) chief executives of agencies for which he is responsible. [15873]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 November 1997]: The information requested is being placed in the Library.
Beef Imports
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amount of beef is currently imported into the United Kingdom; from which countries; and what proposals he has to review those countries permitted to export beef to the United Kingdom. [15948]
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Mr. Rooker:
The information requested for the period September 1996 to August 1997 is set out in the table. All fresh meat imported into the UK, whether from other Member States or third countries, must have been produced in accordance with harmonised Community rules laid down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC and must comply with Community legislation governing imports into the European Union. In addition, national legislation prohibits the sale for human consumption of all bovine meat derived from bovines which, at the time of slaughter were more than 30 months old, other than those born, reared and slaughtered in the following third countries:
National and Community legislation governing beef imports is kept under constant review.
Argentina
Australia
Botswana
Brazil
Mauritius
Namibia
New Zealand
Paraguay
Poland
South Africa
Swaziland
Uruguay
USA
Zimbabwe.
Source:
Business and Trade Statistics Ltd.
Data prepared by Stats (C and F) C, ESG.
All data are provisional and subject to amendment.
The above data include an estimate of below threshold trade, but excludes an estimate for non-response.
20 Nov 1997 : Column: 275
Dairy Farmers
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which EU member states dairy farmers in the less-favoured areas receive help under the terms of EC Directive 75/268/EEC. [16345]
Dr. John Cunningham: A working document produced by the European Commission last year indicated that in 1995 compensatory allowances were payable in all other Member States to farmers in less-favoured areas on limited numbers of dairy cows. No more recent information is available.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned on the relationship between stocking density and the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle; and if he will make a statement. [16338]
Mr. Rooker: No research has been commissioned specifically to study the relationship between stocking density and the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle. However, several studies have examined the behaviour of cattle in herds. For example, as cattle numbers increase, cattle do not avoid grass contaminated by badger faeces as much as usual. Professor Krebs's Committee has examined current research on bovine tuberculosis and is expected to report shortly.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned on the levels and types of soil bacteria found in (i) organic agriculture and (ii) conventional agriculture; and what assessment he has made of the implications of that research for the eradication of tuberculosis in cattle. [16341]
Mr. Rooker:
No MAFF-funded research has been commissioned to study levels and types of soil bacteria found in either organic or conventional agriculture in the context of tuberculosis in cattle. However, some research has been carried out on the survival times of bovine TB in soil under experimental conditions. Further work has been carried out in the south west of England on the effect of farming practices on environmental mycobacteria. It has been suggested that these mycobacteria can prime the immune response in animals and humans, and may alter their response to subsequent infection and pathogens. Professor Krebs's Committee has examined current research on bovine tuberculosis and is expected to report shortly.
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Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what data he has collated concerning the existence of BSE in the United States cattle herd; and if he will make a statement. [16683]
Mr. Rooker:
No cases of BSE in cattle have been reported by the USA authorities to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). The USA has carried out detailed risk assessments which have been made available to us. It has traced, investigated and destroyed cattle imported from the UK and initiated surveillance for BSE in cattle presented for slaughter, concentrating particularly on adult animals with neurological symptoms.
The demography of the USA cattle and sheep populations, the regional nature of its distribution of rendered protein and its low incidence of scrapie suggest that the risk from BSE in the USA is low. Nevertheless, the presence of three transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, namely scrapie in sheep, CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in elk and mule-deer and more rarely TME (Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy), indicate that the risk cannot be zero.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current operation of the EC-sponsored scheme to reduce the number of United Kingdom fishing vessels. [16505]
Mr. Morley:
The Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Scheme 1997 has now been approved by Parliament. We are currently assessing the 203 bids made under this Scheme and I expect to announce the results very shortly.
Dr. George Turner:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 17 to 18 November; and if he will make a statement. [17437]
Dr. John Cunningham:
I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the European Union Agriculture Council on 17 and 18 November.
The principal task of the Council was to reach conclusions on the proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy in the context of the Commission's Agenda 2000 initiative. Discussions on these proposals have gone on in the Council since September. After long negotiations, it was possible to reach agreement on conclusions that met the key requirements which I had identified for the UK. These are, first, that there should be a rapid start to negotiating the necessary legislative changes to agricultural market regimes in order to give effect to CAP reform; second, that there should be recognition of the need for EU agriculture to be sustainable and competitive on domestic and international markets; third, that CAP reform should facilitate EU enlargement and allow the EU to take a positive negotiating stance in the next WTO round; and fourth, that there should be confirmation that the agricultural guideline imposes an absolute ceiling on spending in this sector. The Council confirmed the approach to reform along the lines I have advocated, namely reduced
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price-support, compensated through direct aid and complemented by reinforced agri-environmental and rural development measures.
The conclusions finally adopted fully achieved these objectives. They were endorsed by 14 of the 15 member states, Spain being unable to associate itself with the language reconfirming the unchanged nature of the agricultural guideline. The Council's conclusions will be passed to the General Affairs Council and ultimately to Heads of Government for consideration at their meeting in Luxembourg in December.
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