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Greater London Authority
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision in respect of the recommendations of the Local Government Commission for the boundaries of the electoral areas for the Assembly of the Greater London Authority. [66596]
Mr. Raynsford: The Government have decided to accept the Commission's recommendations. Subject to the passage of the Greater London Authority Bill as introduced, they will be implemented by secondary legislation after Royal Assent. A copy of the recommendations has been deposited in the Library of the House.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Badger Culling Scheme
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what auditing of the Government's badger culling scheme has been carried out since 2 December; and if he will make a statement. [64837]
Mr. Rooker: Systematic management checks were undertaken in December last year to assess compliance with trial procedures and their uniform application. In addition, members of the Independent Scientific Group, who are monitoring the trial, undertook field visits to check the work.
Coastal Protection
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much in percentage terms (a) the highest rate of grant for coastal defence work and (b) the normal rate of grant have been reduced since 1997. [66042]
Mr. Morley:
The rates of grant available to maritime district councils for approved capital coast protection works have remained unchanged at 35 per cent., 45 per cent., 55 per cent., 65 per cent. and 75 per cent. since 1992. The formula used to determine which rate of grant is applicable to specific works was subject to significant change with effect from 1 April 1997, with a view to bringing the direct government contribution to the national programme within the range 50 to 55 per cent. The announcement of that change was made in November 1996
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by the previous administration. The only change to the formula since then was an adjustment by 2 per cent, in line with inflation, made with effect from 1 April 1998.
Mr. Gummer:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish his proposals for coastal protection co-ordination for the rest of the period covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review. [66040]
Mr. Morley:
Coast protection authorities are encouraged to work within the policy framework published in the "Strategy for Flood and Coastal Defence in England and Wales". As confirmed in the response to the Agriculture Select Committee's report on Flood and Coastal Defence, the Government consider there is scope to enhance the effectiveness of the current arrangements, to improve the co-ordination that takes place and to help ensure delivery of the national strategy. This will be achieved by developing the way in which the Environment Agency exercises its current general flood defence supervisory duty and seeking to establish national targets for all operating authorities. These targets will be published in due course.
The Ministry's concept of Shoreline Management Plans and strategic planning was developed to encourage operating authorities to work together, to consider the impact of their schemes on neighbouring authorities and overall to improve decision-making. The first generation of such Plans is now nearing completion, and all should be published by Spring 1999.
Mr. Gummer:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will initiate a review of the Halcrow study on coastal defence. [66043]
Mr. Morley:
The Ministry commissioned Halcrows, as lead consultants, to produce the "Coast Protection Survey of England"; it was published in 1994. The survey was reviewed in 1995 and 1996, but these updates showed that the rate of change in the state of defences did not warrant such frequent reviews. Action in 1997 was therefore confined to a review of authorities' plans in respect of defences identified as being in most urgent need of repair. Consideration will now be given to the future development of an asset database of all flood and coastal defences irrespective of operating authority.
Mr. Gummer:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which Minister is in overall charge of the UK's strategy for meeting the challenge of climate change and sinkage in coastal areas. [66045]
Mr. Morley:
Within Government, overall responsibility for climate change rests with my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. So far as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is concerned, I oversee policies, including the implications for flood and coastal defence, though my right hon. Friend the Minister has overall policy responsibility.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which EU countries have implemented EU directive 95/29/EC on live animal transport; and what representations he has made to those which have not. [65735]
Mr. Morley:
By the end of 1998, the majority of Member States had implemented the Directive. The crucial point, with live exports from Great Britain in mind, is enforcement of the rules on the ground. We repeatedly remind the other Member States concerned of their responsibilities in this respect.
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) live sheep and (b) live pigs were exported from (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the port of Dover in 1998 for (1) slaughter, (2) further fattening and (3) breeding; and how many (x) live sheep and (y) live pigs in each of these categories were exported to each individual country of destination. [65787]
Mr. Rooker:
The information requested by my hon. Friend will take some time to put together. With his permission, I will write to him once it is available.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the prospects for decentralising the control of fisheries to zonal management committees within EU member states. [66408]
Mr. Morley:
Zonal management committees are one of the ideas being examined by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation. The Federations have been assessing their ideas with their counterparts in other Member States and I shall be interested to see the outcome of these contacts.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect of increased inspection charges on small abattoirs. [66158]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government recognise that increases in veterinary supervision levels in small abattoirs will have significant cost implications for their operators, and we have received many representations on this issue. The impact on individual premises will depend on the circumstances prevailing at those premises, including the current level of veterinary supervision, the size and throughput of the premises, the complexity and standard of hygiene of operations, and the type of animal being slaughtered. We continue to keep the matter under review and, bearing in mind our EU legal obligations, to seek to minimise the impact on abattoir operators wherever possible.