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Road Traffic Offences
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the penalties in respect of a conviction of a vehicle's registered keeper for failure to name the known driver of the vehicle following a road traffic offence. [64962]
Mr. Boateng: The Government have no plans to increase the maximum penalty available for this offence, which is currently a fine of £1,000, discretionary disqualification from driving and three penalty points on the licence. I wrote to the hon. Member on 17 December 1998 with further details.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure in his Department since May 1997 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (c) direct mail. [63926]
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Mr. Morley:
Expenditure by MAFF, since May 1997 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (c) direct mail has been as follows:
(a) £405,000
(b) £1,071,000
(c) £1,100,000.
Badgers
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he made of the research carried out by his Department's laboratories into the effect of trace element deficiencies in cattle resistant to TB, in reaching his decision to proceed with the cull of the badger population. [64981]
Mr. Rooker: I have no wish to kill badgers and considered all alternative approaches before concluding that the culling trial must be an integral part of our wide ranging programme to develop a sustainable science based policy to control TB in cattle.
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the compliance of the proposed randomised badger culling trial with the United Kingdom's obligations under the Berne Convention; [64802]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the recent decision of the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats to request the United Kingdom Government to postpone the randomised badger culling trial for one year. [64801]
Mr. Rooker: The Government are considering the recommendation of the Standing Committee.
Cattle (Food Chain)
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all cattle born after 1 August 1996 will be eligible to enter the food chain. [64698]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 11 January 1999]: Subject to meeting health and hygiene requirements, beef from all cattle which meet the requirements of the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No 2) Regulations 1996 is eligible to enter the food chain. These Regulations are intended to prevent beef from cattle aged more than 30 months at the time of slaughter from being sold for human consumption unless the animal was certificated under the Beef Assurance Scheme, for which the age limit is 42 months, or the beef came from an animal born, reared and slaughtered in one of 14 countries which are exempt from the controls.
The "over 30 month rule" was implemented following receipt of advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC). The Committee identified, at its meeting on 9 November 1998, criteria whereby the controls on beef over thirty months of age could be reviewed in the future. It hopes to begin to address this at its meeting planned for March 1999. The Committee recognised that this would require careful study and would almost certainly need to be considered over several meetings.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of his discussions with the Home Office about possible criteria for further controls enabling his Department to take into account the treatment of animals in the country of destination before he issues official non-statutory health certification. [64986]
Mr. Rooker:
BSE priorities have intervened and resources have not been available to progress this work but I hope that discussions with the Home Office will be resumed shortly.
Women's National Commission
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the administrative arrangements within his Department relating to (a) the Women's National Commission and (b) the Women's Unit. [64091]
Mr. Kilfoyle: The Women's Unit (WU) supports the Ministers for Women in ensuring that the interests of women are taken into account throughout Government. The Women's National Commission (WNC) is a Non- Departmental Public Body (NDPB) which carries out an agreed annual work programme to help provide Government with the informed opinion of women through its member organisations which together represent more than 8 million women.
The WU and WNC moved to the Cabinet Office following the Cabinet reshuffle last July.
The Minister for Women, the right hon. Baroness Jay, carries Ministerial responsibility for the work of the Women's Unit and the Women's National Commission. The spokesperson in the House on women's issues is my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health.
However, the Cabinet Office provides office accommodation and services for WU and WNC staff, the majority of whom are on loan to the Cabinet Office from a number of Whitehall departments. For line management purposes they report to Cabinet Office senior management.
The Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office is the accounting officer responsible for WU and WNC expenditure. The Director of the Women's Unit holds delegated responsibility for the budget.
The WNC has recently been subject to a quinquennial review and a report of the review's findings will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.
13. Laura Moffatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in what way he is encouraging local authorities to improve local transport plans. [63578]
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Dr. Reid:
Local transport plans are the essential building blocks of the New Deal for Transport. The Government are providing an additional £700 million over the next three years to help ensure their effective implementation. We have also issued guidance to local authorities on how to prepare their plans.
Provisional plans are due for submission this July, so this year will see us begin to deliver on the benefits of integrated transport at a local level.
14. Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement concerning public transport links between the major health service sites in Barnet and Enfield. [63579]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have had no previous representations on this matter. The provisions of suitable public transport access to health service sites should be given careful consideration by all health authorities and trusts, working in partnership with local councils and transport operators.
15. Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the impact on health of noise from aircraft, with particular reference to night-time noise; and what plans he has to reduce permitted noise levels. [63580]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We have commissioned a research trial on the effect of aircraft noise on sleep disturbance, and research commissioned jointly with the Department of Health will include some study of the non-auditory health effects of aircraft noise. No research results are available for evaluation yet. We expect to publish a supplementary consultation paper on aircraft noise limits early in the new year.
17. Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve air quality. [63582]
Mr. Meacher:
The Deputy Prime Minister and I hope to make an announcement tomorrow about the outcome of our review of the National Air Quality Strategy, and will set out our plans for improving air quality then.
18. Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of the population of England now resides in non-unitary authority areas. [63583]
Mr. Raynsford:
The provision of such statistics is the responsibility of the Office for National Statistics under my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, they advise that 46.2 per cent. of the population of England now reside in non-unitary authorities.
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