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Rockall
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British Ministers have visited Rockall in each of the last 10 years. [18076]
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the legal title to Rockall; and if he will make a statement. [18080]
Mr. Fatchett: We have no doubt about our sovereignty over the Island of Rockall. This was made clear in response to recent correspondence from Greenpeace purporting to declare the independence of Rockall.
Algeria
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for an independent investigation of (a) massacres and (b) human rights violations in Algeria. [18536]
Mr. Fatchett:
Without co-operation from the government in Algiers, any effort to investigate events in Algeria would be fruitless. We note that UN suggestions that the Commission on Human Rights has a role have been rebuffed by the Algerian Government. We welcome,
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however, news that the Algerians have said that they will accept a visit by a UN Special Rapporteur. We encourage the Algerians to ensure this takes place soon.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for Ministerial visits to the Congo. [18071]
Mr. Fatchett:
There are currently no plans for Ministerial visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However we are closely monitoring the situation in the DRC with our partners in the EU and at the UN.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. [18074]
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd), gave him on 3 November 1997, Official Report, column 167. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has held no further discussions with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since then.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the rapport d'information approved at the plenary session of the Economic and Social Committee on 29 and 30 October on territorial employment pacts; and if he will make a statement. [18154]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
I have been asked to reply.
I have placed a copy of the Economic and Social Committee's information report in the Library of the House.
As I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston, (Mr. Hughes) of 31 July 1997, Official Report, columns 635-36, the UK nominated 10 territorial employment pacts to the Commission. The Commission agreed to support our nominations and has been discussing detailed proposals submitted by the applicants. When these are approved, the Commission will pay an initial tranche of grant to them to support the development of local action plans.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the provisions in the annual budget of the European Coal and Steel Community for (a) workers' housing, special reserve, and (b) staff loans, pension fund, apply to. [17264]
Mr. Battle:
I have been asked to reply.
The special reserve relating to workers' housing is used to grant loans from ECSC funds to finance subsidised housing for workers in the coal and steel industries.
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The proportion assigned to the pension fund originally represented the ECSC's total pension obligations prior to 5 March 1968. Since that date, the Member States have assumed responsibility, via the general budget for the payment of staff pensions, and this fund has subsequently been available for a number of purposes, including the financing of housing loans for officials of the European Communities.
36. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the Commissioners' management of the property portfolio. [16833]
Mr. Bell:
The Commissioners' property portfolio is actively managed by external firms of Chartered Surveyors, with the exception of the Octavia Hill Housing Estates which are managed by qualified Housing Managers, directly employed by the Church Commissioners. The Commissioners' own property staff are headed by the Chief Surveyor who is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The Commissioners' property portfolio has shown excellent returns in recent years, well ahead of the industry benchmark.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of the Agenda 2000 proposals on the costs of poultry production. [18385]
Mr. Rooker:
Agenda 2000 contains no proposals which relate directly to poultry production. Feed costs, however, form a significant proportion of total poultry production costs and Agenda 2000 contains proposals to reduce cereal support prices by 20 per cent. from current levels. To the extent that cereal market prices also fall, feed costs will be reduced.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of UK poultry meat production is sold (a) fresh in (i) oven ready and (ii) New York dressed form and (b) frozen. [18375]
Mr. Rooker:
The information requested is not available.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many tonnes of chicken meat were produced by United Kingdom producers in 1996 from (a) broiler and (b) other systems; [18383]
(3) what tonnage of poultry meat was produced by UK producers in 1996; and how much was imported from (a) EU countries and (b) non-EU countries. [18382]
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Mr. Rooker:
In 1996, 1,450 thousand tonnes of poultry meat were produced by UK producers, 244 thousand tonnes were imported from EC countries and 18 thousand tonnes were imported from non EC countries.
In 1996, 1,065 thousand tonnes of meat were produced from broilers and 54 thousand tonnes of meat were produced from other chickens.
In 1996, 293 thousand tonnes of turkey meat were produced by UK producers. No information is available on the systems by which turkeys are housed.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the UK per capita consumption of (a) eggs, (b) chicken meat and (c) turkey meat in the latest year for which figures are available; and what were the equivalent figures for (i) five and (ii) 10 years previously. [18386]
Mr. Rooker:
Per capita consumption of eggs, chicken and turkey in Great Britain as measured by purchases for consumption at home is given in the following table.
Grams per person per week (except for eggs)
(2) how many tonnes of turkey meat were produced by UK producers in 1996 from (a) intensive, (b) semi-intensive and (c) free range systems; [18384]
| Purchases of: | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs (number) | 3.01 | 2.25 | 1.87 |
| Chicken | 174 | 183 | 191 |
| Turkey | 21 | 16 | 38 |
| Pre-cooked poultry(1) | 11 | 14 | 23 |
(1) Not in cans.
These estimates exclude consumption outside of the home and consumption in the form of processed products. To help complete the picture, the following table provides details of total usage, derived as total UK production plus imports less exports and adjusted for stock changes.
| UK usage of: | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs (million Dozen) | 869 | 853 | 813 |
| Total Poultrymeat (000 Tonnes) | 986 | 1,256 | 1,539 |
| Chicken meat (000 Tonnes) | n/a | n/a | 1,220 |
| Turkey meat (000 Tonnes) | n/a | n/a | 286 |
n/a = not available.
It should be stated that poultry meat figures are carcase weight equivalent, whereas the per capita consumption estimates above relate to the actual weight purchased.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy regarding the (a) disposal and (b) usage of poultry offal. [18387]
Mr. Rooker:
The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 set out the requirements for the handling of poultry offal in licensed premises. Stringent hygiene requirements apply to all fresh meat, including offal, which is destined for human consumption.
The EC Poultrymeat Marketing Regulations (Council Regulation 1906/90 with detailed rules set out in Commission Regulation 1538/91) allow the sale of giblets in the carcase of a whole bird when sold provided that this is indicated on the label.
Enforcement officers carry out checks in licensed and unlicensed poultry premises under this legislation and also the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 to ensure that all food produced is fit for human consumption.
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