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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Pesticides
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the current number of pesticides approved for use in the UK; and how many have (a) full approval and (b) provisional approval; [66011]
- (2) how many of the pesticides in use in the UK which have only provisional approval have had this status for (a) one to three years, (b) three to five years and (c) more than five years; and if he will make a statement. [66010]
Mr. Rooker: Pesticide approvals for agricultural products are issued by the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD); approvals for other products are issued by the Health and Safety Executive. A total of 3,905 pesticide products were, at 1 January 1999, approved by PSD. Of these, 1,871 had full approval for at least one use; 2,034 had provisional approval.
Pesticides may have more than one approval, each approval reflecting a different use. The 2,034 pesticides carrying provisional approval from the PSD had a total of
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3,668 specific approvals on 1 January 1999. The age profile of these approvals was:
I have asked the Pesticides Safety Directorate to look closely at the reasons for the continuation of provisional approvals beyond three years to ensure that the highest standards of safety are being maintained.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment the Pesticides Safety Directorate has made of the safety of the use of pesticides in school grounds and playing fields. [66009]
Mr. Rooker:
All pesticides, including those for use in school grounds and playing fields, are subject to strict statutory control. In considering the approval or review of a pesticide for use on amenity turf (including school playing fields and grounds), an assessment is made of the risk to people exposed to the treated area. Only if this assessment shows that there is no unacceptable risk to children and adults from the treatment will approval be granted or allowed to continue. Detailed advice covering the use of pesticides in such areas is set out in the Code of Practice for the Use of Approved Pesticides in Amenity and Industrial Areas (the Orange Code), produced by the British Agrochemicals Association and the National
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Association of Agricultural Contractors. This Code has my full support as a contribution to good practice and safe use.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the member states of the European Union which have set maximum levels for mite contamination in food. [66018]
Mr. Rooker:
No member state of the European Union has legislation which specifically sets maximum levels for mite contamination in food.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations have been commissioned by his Department to operate the Organic Conversion Information Scheme in the United Kingdom; for which parts of the service these organisations are responsible; and if he will make a statement on the current level of interest in the scheme. [67659]
Mr. Morley:
The Organic Conversion Information Services operates in England and Wales and is funded by the relevant Agriculture Departments. It comprises a telephone "Helpline" operated by the Soil Association and free on-farm advisory visits provided by the Elm Farm Research Centre. On-farm visits are also made by ADAS in Wales.
In Scotland, the Scottish Agricultural College is responsible for a telephone "Helpline". The advisory service in Northern Ireland is provided by the Department of Agriculture.
There was a significant increase in the number of inquiries received during 1998 and so far in 1999 throughout the UK.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the relative (a) direct and (b) indirect (1) subsidies afforded to and (2) energy used by (i) organic and (ii) conventional agriculture; and if he will make a statement. [67716]
Mr. Morley:
In common with farmers who pursue conventional farming methods, organic farmers benefit from general support delivered under the Common Agricultural Policy, largely through the commodity regimes. They may also claim support under the Organic Aid Scheme and, where eligible, certain other agri- environmental schemes. An assessment of direct energy costs in agriculture is made as part of the annual estimates of agricultural incomes prepared by the Ministry. This assessment does not, however, distinguish between organic and conventional agriculture. Such a comparison would need to be statistically sound to be of value. The current diversity and small scale of many organic farming enterprises would, therefore, restrict the value of any statistical comparisons.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the amount of farmland (a) converted, (b) under conversion and (c) considering conversion to organic farming; and if he will make a statement on the estimated trend and geographical spread. [67692]
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Mr. Morley:
As at 31 December 1998, there were 25,158 ha of converted organic land and 18,712 ha of land in conversion, in England. It is not possible reliably to estimate the amount of farmland being considered for conversion but there is a heightened level of interest from prospective organic farmers as evidenced by a substantial increase in inquiries received by the Organic Conversion Information Service. The south and west of England have a proportionally higher number of organic producers than the rest of England.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's research budget for 1999; how much will be allocated to organic farming systems; how the organic research budget is allocated; and how his Department ensures that research is (a) co-ordinated, (b) not duplicating other work and (c) meeting the needs of the organic sector. [67712]
Mr. Morley:
MAFF's research budget for 1999-2000 has not been finalised but it is likely to be in order of £127m. £2.1m will be allocated to organic farming. The organic farming research budget is allocated by the Ministry's Organic Farming Unit and the Chief Scientist's Group with advice from the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, and taking account of the recommendations of the UKROFS R&D Committee.
There are a number of mechanisms to ensure that the research is well co-ordinated, not duplicatory, and meets the needs of the organic sector. These include maintaining awareness of other research, the frequent inclusion of literature and research reviews within the programme, consultation with the UKROFS R&D Committee, the periodic in-depth review of the programme involving external referees, and the fact that much of the research is let by Open Competition.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to provide support for crops on (a) grassland and (b) other agricultural land; and if he will make a statement. [67730]
Mr. Rooker:
Support for a range of arable crops, including cereals and oilseeds crops, is provided under the Common Agricultural Policy. This takes a number of forms including direct payments to farmers. In some cases the relevant EU regulations restrict the type of land on which these may be paid. If the hon. Member writes to me with details of the specific crops in which he is interested, I will give him a fuller reply.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what public protection measures he has put in place in respect of the trials of genetically modified crops. [67768]
Mr. Meale:
I have been asked to reply.
The release of genetically modified organisms to the environment is controlled by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 (amended in 1995 and 1997) which give effect to Part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Under these regulations, no genetically modified organisms may be released to the environment without prior consent from
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the Secretary of State. Consent will only be granted when the potential risks to human health and the environment have been avoided or minimised.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the mileage rates currently applicable to staff, indicating changes which have been made to encourage staff to switch from cars to public transport and other less polluting forms of travel. [67491]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 26 January 1999]: The standard mileage rates reimbursed to staff in the core- Department together with the Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency, the Central Science Laboratory Agency, the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate are set out in the following table:
Less than one year: 1,182
One to three years: 1,735
Three to five years: 408
More than five years: 343.
| Engine size | Up to 5,000 miles | Over 5,000 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500cc | 36 | 24 |
| 1,501-2,000cc | 45 | 28 |
| Over 2,000cc | 48 | 37 |
The Department has strict rules to ensure that any travel on official business is authorised only when it is absolutely necessary and that cars may be used only when they are the most cost-effective method of travel. However, many of the Department's customers are based in rural locations so that the public transport options are often curtailed.
| Mileage rates | |
|---|---|
| Essential car user | |
| Lump Sum per annum | £783 |
| Per mile, first 10,000 miles | 34.9p per mile |
| Per mile, after 10,000 miles | 13.3p per mile |
| Casual car user | |
| Per mile, first 10,000 miles | 44.1p per mile |
| Per mile, after 10,000 miles | 13.3p per mile |
| Leased Cars | 9.3p per mile |
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I can assure you that the MHS does encourage the use of public transport wherever it is practical.
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