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Publicity and Advertising
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the total expenditure on all forms of publicity and advertising by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for (i) 1993-94, (ii) 1994-95, (iii) 1995-96, (iv) 1996-97, (v) the 1997-98, year to date, (vi) the 1997-98, full year estimate and (vii) the 1998-99 planned expenditure. [15229]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 November 1997]: Expenditure on publicity and advertising by Ministers and officials is shown in the table:
| MAFF | |
|---|---|
| 1980-81 | -- |
| 1987-88 | -- |
| 1990-91 | -- |
| 1991-92 | -- |
| 1992-93 | -- |
| 1993-94 | 4,649,589 |
| 1994-95 | 4,961,303 |
| 1995-96 | 5,324,791 |
| 1996-97 | 5,138,192 |
| 1997-98 (year to date) | 1,948,160 |
These figures do not include the expenditure by the Department's Agencies nor its non departmental public bodies. Agencies will respond independently. The Department does not hold this information about its NDPBs, and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 484
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on expenditure by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) on publicity and advertising.
The VLA was launched as an Agency on 1 October 1995 as a result of the merger between the Central Veterinary Laboratory, already an Agency since April 1990, and the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was formerly part of the State Veterinary Service.
Figures for expenditure on publicity and advertising are as follows:
| Publicity(55) | Advertising(56) | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1993-94 | 68,500 | 7,656 |
| 1994-95 | 47,000 | 13,429 |
| 1995-96 | 42,000 | 15,787 |
| 1996-97 | 52,800 | 42,000 |
| April--October 1997 | 47,400 | 52,653 |
| 1997-98 estimate | 61,200 | 70,000 |
| 1998-99 planned | 62,000 | 40,000 |
(55) This includes annual reviews, marketing brochures, customer newsletters and leaflets.
(56) The majority of advertising is for staff recruitment in newspapers and specialist journals.
The figures from 1996-97 include the Veterinary Investigation Service following the merger.
Letter from Michael Finnigan to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on publicity and advertising within the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA).
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:
FRCA is a new agency which came into being on 1 April 1997, and cannot, therefore show expenditure for financial years prior to 1997-98.
For the period 1 May 1997 to 30 September 1997 expenditure on publicity and advertising was £19,291, which includes £10,842 spent on advertising staff vacancies.
| Year | Expenditure (£) |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1,000 |
| 1996-97 | 34,000 |
| 1997-98 (forecast) | 49,000 |
| 1998-99 (estimate) | 49,000 |
The expenditure on publicity and advertising predominantly covers expenditure on the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts. It excludes recruitment advertising.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 485
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on all forms of publicity and advertising by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for (i) 1993-94, (ii) 1994-95, (iii) 1995-96, (iv) 1996-97, (v) the 1997-98 year to date, (vi) the 1997-98, full year estimate and (vii) the 1998-99 planned expenditure, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
Expenditure on publicity and advertising is as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 80,106 |
| 1994-95 | 52,129 |
| 1995-96 | 48,723 |
| 1996-97 | 63,917 |
| 1 April to 31 October 1997 | 43,614 |
| 1997-98 forecast | 65,000 |
| 1998-99 forecast | 65,000 |
The above figures cover the announcement of the grant and expiry of marketing authorisations in the official gazettes, direct recruitment advertising, the VMD's Annual Report and Accounts, publicity relating to the safe use of organophosphorus sheep dips and expenditure on the VMD's quarterly newsletter MAVIS. This newsletter is circulated to the veterinary profession, the veterinary medicinal products industry, representative bodies and opinion formers.
| Staff advertising/ recruitment | Publicity/ marketing | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1980-81 | n/a | n/a |
| 1987-88 | n/a | n/a |
| 1990-91 | 7,000 | n/a |
| 1991-92 | 3,191 | n/a |
| 1992-93 | 7,128 | n/a |
| 1993-94 | 50,686 | n/a |
| 1994-95 | 12,817 | n/a |
| 1995-96 | 35,292 | 38,880 |
| 1996-97 | 36,106 | (57)145,665 |
| 1997-98 April-September | 29,646 | 17,500 |
| 1997-98 full year estimate | 57,000 | 76,000 |
| 1998-99 planned expenditure | budgets not yet agreed | |
(57) Includes Agency launch expenditure.
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 15,471 |
| 1994-95 | 4,400 |
| 1995-96 | 0 |
| 1996-97 | 0 |
| 1997-98 (April to October) | 0 |
| 1997-98 (estimate) | 0 |
| 1998-99 (estimate) | 0 |
Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 486
| Year | £000 |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 16.4 |
| 1994-95 | 41.1 |
| 1995-96 | 26.5 |
| 1996-97 | 32.4 |
| 1997-98 (April--October) | 12.6 |
Agenda 2000
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his assessment of the impact in the United Kingdom of Agenda 2000 on each of the agricultural sectors where proposals have been made. [19549]
Dr. John Cunningham: Formal legislative proposals to implement the ideas outlines in Agenda 2000 are not expected to be published by the European Commission until the first part of 1998.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to the Sixth Report of the Select Committee on European Legislation's considerations of Agenda 2000 (HC 155-vi), if he will list the environmental and rural development measures referred to in paragraph 2.5; which Commission rural policy and targeted agri-environmental measures referred to in paragraph 2.6 he supports and for what reasons; if he will set out the basis for his calculation of the savings to consumers in paragraph 2.7; and which member states had the difficulties with the proposed level of the cuts in support prices for cereals and milk referred to in paragraph 2.8; and for what reasons. [19594]
Dr. John Cunningham: No. I will formulate my detailed response to the Commission's legislative proposals giving effect to Agenda 2000 when they are tabled next year.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of its EU budget he estimates would be spent on agriculture if the current Agenda 2000 proposals were adopted in full. [19545]
Dr. John Cunningham: The Commission estimate that the agricultural guideline would stand at 50 billion ecu in 2006 (at 1997 prices), out of total budgetary commitments of 114.5 billion ecu. The Commission envisages that actual spending on agriculture would be less than the guidelines, at 46 billion ecu (at 1997 prices). This estimate includes expenditure in new Member States and on pre-accession aid for countries which have yet to join the EU.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the United Kingdom will press the Council to review the level of its agriculture guidelines as part of the Agenda 2000 negotiations. [19541]
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 487
Dr. John Cunningham:
Decisions on the level of the agricultural guideline are for ECOFIN, not the Agriculture Council. The Commission has proposed keeping the method of calculating the guideline unchanged and reviewing this in about 2005. The UK will be pressing for agricultural spending to be set well below the guideline, which should be a ceiling, not a target, as I made clear at the November Agriculture Council.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the way in which Agenda 2000 will affect the prospects for the production of bio-mass for energy usage. [19544]
Dr. John Cunningham:
It is not yet clear what effect Agenda 2000 will have on the prospects for the production of biomass for energy usage. While the Commission's paper recognises that renewable energy crops represent a new opportunity for agriculture, forestry and rural job creation, it also proposes to suspend obligatory set-aside and reduce the aid for voluntary set-aside, measures which currently support these crops.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which proposals in Agenda 2000 will help (a) improve the environment, (b) encourage reduced usage of agro-chemicals, (c) protect wildlife, (d) increase organic production, (e) prepare the community for enlargement, (f) assist the community to negotiate successfully in the next World Trade Organisation round, (g) enable the Community's expenditure on agriculture to stay within its guidelines, (h) allow efficient British farmers to prosper, (i) require environmental objectives to be achieved before CAP payments are made or received, (j) set environmental objectives for the CAP, (k) encourage the production of non-food crops, (l) affect forestry, (m) help the beef sector and (n) affect hill farmers. [19546]
Dr. John Cunningham:
In the Government's view, the Agenda 2000 proposals are a step in the right direction towards a market-oriented CAP with less production-related support and more emphasis on agri-environmental and rural development objectives. A CAP which is radically reformed along these lines, as favoured by the Government, should be beneficial in most of the areas identified by the right hon. Member.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the required increase in productivity in each sector affected by the Agenda 2000 proposals to trigger a reduction in levels of direct payments; and what recommendations the United Kingdom Government will make on this matter to the Council. [19539]
Dr. John Cunningham:
None. In the Government's view, direct payments should be time-limited and degressive, giving producers time to adjust their businesses to a market-oriented system which does not rely on production-related subsidies.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Agenda 2000 is to be fully implemented before further Community enlargement takes place. [19540]
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 488
Dr. John Cunningham:
Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is essential to enable the EU to meet its future challenges, including early successful enlargement. I will use our Presidency to launch negotiations in the Agriculture Council as soon as the Commission's legislative reform proposals appear.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons peas and beans will receive supplementary aid under the Commission's proposals for Agenda 2000. [19550]
Dr. John Cunningham:
The Commission has explained the purpose of its proposal as being to maintain the competitiveness of protein crops with cereals and to encourage their production.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the environmental impact studies of Agenda 2000 carried out by his Ministry or any of its specialised advisory groups. [19542]
Dr. John Cunningham:
My Department is in the process of commissioning one project from the Centre for Agricultural Strategy at Reading to assess the implications of Agenda 2000 for land use in England and Wales, using the Land Use Allocation Model, and another desk top study to identify the likely consequences for the environment if the Agenda 2000 reforms are implemented. It is normal practice to allow researchers to publish the results of their work.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of Agenda 2000 on the countryside stewardship scheme; and if he will make a statement. [19538]
Dr. John Cunningham:
In the absence of detailed legislative proposals, the impact of Agenda 2000 on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme cannot be assessed.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if the removal of crop specific payments for oilseeds proposed under Agenda 2000 will end the requirements for a maximum area for these crops; [19547]
Dr. John Cunningham:
The compatibility with WTO rules of any trade arrangement can only be definitively determined under WTO dispute settlement procedures. The Commission's preliminary view, which we share, is that the introduction of a non-crop specific aid for oilseeds would relieve the EU from the restrictions on the maximum area of oilseeds laid down in the 1992 Blair House Agreement between the EU and the USA.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the financial effects which Agenda 2000 will have on the United Kingdom beef sector; and if he will make a statement. [19543]
Dr. John Cunningham:
The effects of the Commission's proposals for the reform of the beef regime will depend upon the extent to which the proposed cut in support prices is reflected in market prices.
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 489
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what rate and over what time scale under the terms of Agenda 2000 the Government propose that direct payments should be decoupled from production and reduced. [19537]
Dr. John Cunningham:
The Commission has not yet tabled legislative proposals to implement the ideas set out in the Agenda 2000 series of papers. The Government will respond appropriately to those proposals when we receive them.
(2) what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Agenda 2000 proposals for non-specific payments in respect of oilseed crops with existing World Trade Organisation rules. [19548]
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