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Cattle Passport Scheme
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he received from the National Cattle Database Working Party on the annual running costs of the cattle passport scheme; [17005]
- (2) what recommendations he received from the National Cattle Database Working Party on the charge for a cattle passport; and if he will make a statement. [17008]
Dr. John Cunningham: The National Cattle Database Working Party, which is a livestock industry body, submitted a report to MAFF in August 1996 on establishing a cattle tracing database. However, this report did not contain any estimates of costs of the database or the cattle passports scheme, or of the charge for a cattle passport.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the annual cost of the cattle passport scheme. [17003]
Dr. John Cunningham: The latest estimate for Great Britain for 1997-98 is in the region of £7.2 million. This is an estimate of the cost of the current cattle passport scheme, and not of the new computerised cattle tracing system including cattle passports, which will be introduced in 1998.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what calculations were involved in determining the charge level for cattle passports; and if the charge includes a contribution to the scheme's annual running costs. [17007]
Dr. John Cunningham:
There will be a charge for cattle passports once a computerised cattle tracing system has been introduced in Great Britain. The charge level has not yet been determined, but is expected to be in the range £5 to £10 per animal.
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Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost to public funds of producing each cattle identification document; and how many were issued in the last year for which figures are available. [17004]
Dr. John Cunningham:
Cattle Identification Documents (CIDs) are issued only in respect of male cattle; cattle passports have been a requirement for all cattle born after 1 July 1996. As they form an integral part of the Beef Special Premium Scheme, it is not an easy matter to identify separately the costs relating to CIDs. However, taking account of relevant development, capital, maintenance and staff expenditure, our best estimate is that each one issued to date by the Department has cost in the region of £1.88. A total of 1,034,552 were issued in England in 1996.
Mr. Tipping:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural holdings and what area of agricultural land in hectares came within the arable area payments scheme in each county in England in 1996. [16717]
Mr. Morley:
The table gives the county breakdown of claims under the arable area payments scheme in 1996. A single claim may cover more than one holding where the holdings form part of one business.
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Amsterdam Treaty
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the impact on United Kingdom fishermen of the proposals contained in the Amsterdam Summit. [16948]
Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 18 June 1997, Official Report, columns 331-44.
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the impact of the implementation of the Amsterdam Treaty on the live export of cattle from the United Kingdom to the European continent. [16949]
Mr. Morley: In general the European Union does not recognise animal movements from one Member State to another as in any way distinct from the generality of animal movements on EU territory, although, because of BSE, there is currently a ban on exports of live cattle to the continent. The Treaty protocol agreed at Amsterdam will not change this. However, it will mean that the EU will have to pay full regard to animal welfare in further developing the controls which it applies to the transportation of animals.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list (a) her Department's policies and initiatives designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and (b) the departmental policies and initiatives designed to reduce other greenhouse gases; if she will estimate for each the annual reduction in tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions achieved in the most recent year for which figures are available compared to those for 1990; and what estimate she has made of further reductions, or increases, predicted for 2000 and 2010, assuming continuation of current policies. [15538]
Mr. Foulkes:
I refer the hon. Member to the United Kingdom's Second Report under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which was published in February 1997. It reports the UK's progress in implementing its programme for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gives a projection of what the programme is expected to deliver by 2000. The report projects forward to 2020 what the current programme is expected to achieve.
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As regards developing country issues, our policy is to limit the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries through the conventions energy efficiency programme which encourages these countries to play an effective role in controlling emissions while continuing their economic development. Through this we have committed over £311 million since 1992 on projects which improve the efficient use of energy resources, encourage the use of renewable sources of energy and conduct research into climate-friendly technologies. We have also committed over £130 million to the Global Environment Facility which is the financial mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We are prepared to make a substantial further contribution to the GEF at its current replenishment negotiations. Some 40 per cent. of these resources are allocated to climate change projects in developing countries and economies in transition. Data that quantify the effect of the above in terms of tonnes of greenhouse gases are unavailable.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she has to change the 1997-98 External Financing Limit for the Commonwealth Development Corporation. [17521]
Clare Short:
The External Financing Limit for CDC for 1997-98 will be increased by £2,300,000 from minus £40,000,000 to minus £37,700,000. The change allows for the take-up of an entitlement under end year flexibility arrangements. The increase will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Competitiveness
16. Barbara Follett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has for enhancing the competitiveness of British business. [15406]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is pushing forward her Competitiveness UK initiative. On 11 November, she published "A Benchmark for Business", an examination of our competitiveness at both national and sectoral level.
The President also announced the creation of six industry-based Working Parties to advise her on how business and Government can improve UK performance. The work of these groups and of the President's Advisory Group on Competitiveness will lead to a Competitiveness White Paper next year.
35. Mr. Brady:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she last met representatives of small and medium British businesses to discuss competitiveness.[15427]
Mrs. Roche:
DTI policies for all companies are being developed in close dialogue and consultation with business. Within this, there is a particular focus on the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. SMEs are therefore represented on the president's Advisory
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Group on Competitiveness and will be an important component in the Competitiveness Working Parties now being established. More specifically, Ministers and officials in this department regularly meet a variety of small firms' representatives to discuss a wide range of issues of concern to this important sector.
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