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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Students
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many school students there were in each local education authority that attracts standard spending assessment resources in each of the last five years; what are the estimated figures for 1999-2000; in what years changes in the definition of qualifying students took place; and if he will estimate the effect of these changes on the total numbers. [71810]
Ms Armstrong
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
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Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government strategy on sustainable development will be announced. [72301]
Mr. Meale:
Following the extensive "Opportunities for Change" consultation exercise on revision of the 1994 UK Sustainable Development Strategy, preparation of new UK sustainable development strategy is underway. Publication is expected shortly.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if developing countries can withhold agreement to import genetically modified organisms on the basis of detriment to traditional methods of farming. [72209]
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Mr. Meacher:
The UK currently has a delegation in Colombia engaged in final negotiations on the UN Biosafety Protocol. This instrument will govern the transboundary movement of Living Modified Organisms (effectively the same as GMOs).
While many of the developing countries want to see socio-economic factors such as the effect on traditional farming practices form part of the risk assessment, exporting countries disagree. My instructions are that the UK, on its own and as part of the EU negotiating group, should seek an outcome that includes some reference to socio-economic factors and encourages research into impacts on farming practices. We expect that countries will always be able to ban imports where there is evidence of serious damage to the environment or human health.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the Singapore-UK air services agreement; and if he will make a statement. [72163]
Dr. Reid:
A number of representations have been received on the UK/Singapore air services arrangements, which already provide for unlimited capacity from Summer 2001. At the bilateral negotiations which took place earlier this month my officials confirmed that we would review Singapore's request for transatlantic fifth freedom rights either when we have liberalised the air services arrangements between the UK and the United States or in January 2000, whichever is the sooner.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the names of those he has nominated to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, together with (a) their qualifications, (b) details of relevant (i) public and (ii) private interests and (c) dates of appointment; if he will make a statement on the resources allocated to the Committee; and if he will set out the references to any of the Committee's published reports. [72556]
Mr. Meacher:
Details of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) are as follows:
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Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions who will represent his Department at the Biosafety Protocol meeting in Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [72229]
Mr. Meacher:
I am being represented by officials at the Biosafety Protocol meeting in Colombia. The only European Union Minister to attend, that I am aware of, is the German Health Minister, representing the EU Presidency.
The Protocol is being prepared by an Open Ended Ad Hoc Working Group which has met five times and is meeting now in Colombia to complete its work. The negotiating brief was agreed by ministers in detail beforehand and is being monitored by ministers throughout the negotiations to ensure it is strictly adhered to. An extraordinary Conference of the Parties will be held immediately afterwards for the adoption of the Protocol. There is to be no high level segment in Colombia and my official acting as Head of Delegation in Colombia will sign for the UK.
Assuming the Protocol is adopted, I shall sign it at the official ceremony in New York in three months' time.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the tonnage of UK (i) owned and (ii) registered vessels in the maritime industry; and in each case what the figure was (a) 10 years and (b) 20 years ago. [72074]
Dr. Reid:
Information on a consistent basis is not available prior to end-1986 because vessels registered in the UK cannot be distinguished from those registered in the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man and Channel Islands). The information that is available is as follows:
Environment
Membership of ACRE, with qualifications and interests:
Professor John Beringer (Chairman)
Professor of Molecular Genetics and Dean of Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol. Member of Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification (ACGM). Member of the Council of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Dr. Philip Dale
Senior Research Scientist, John Innes Centre. Consultant to EC DGX1 and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
Dr. Ian Garner
Assistant Director of Research, PPL Therapeutics, Roslin. Member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's Genes in Developmental Biology Network.
Professor Alan Gray
Head of Furzebrook Research Station, NERC Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. Honorary Professor, University of Southampton.
Ms Julie Hill
Programme advisor to Green Alliance. Member of the advisory committee for the Pesticides Trust, Environmental Law Foundation, centre for Ecology and Hytrology and environmental advisory bodies for Shanks and McEwan plc and Southern Electricity.
Dr. Julian Kinderlerer
Senior lecturer, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield. Assistant Director, Institute of Biotechnology Law and Ethics, University of Sheffield. Member of ACGM. Consultant to UNIDO.
Mr. John MacLeod
Director of National Institute of Agricultural Botany. Member of UK Plant Varieties and Seeds Committee. President of Groupe Consultatif International de Recherche sur le Colza.
Professor Bev Moseley
Retired, former head of the Institute of Food Research Reading Laboratory.
Professor David Onions
Head of the Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Glasgow. Honorary Director of the Leukaemia Research Funds Human Virus Centre. Consultant to Q-One Biotec. Advisor to Intervet International BV.
Professor Nigel Poole
External and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Zeneca Plant Science, Bracknell Honorary Professor, University of Aberdeen Honorary Professor, John Moores University.
Dr. David Robinson
Principal Research Scientist, Scottish Crop Research Institute. Honorary Lecturer, University of Dundee. Member of Genetic Manipulation Safety Committee at Nickerson Seeds Castleton of Eassie site.
Dr. Katherine Venables
Senior lecturer in epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute. Honorary consultant physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Honorary Consultant in Public Health, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority.
Dr. Ingrid Williams
Principal scientist, leader of the Insect-Plant Interactions Group, Institute of Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted. Honorary Research Associate, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. Visiting Professor, Estonian University of Agriculture. Chairman of International Commission for Plant-Bee Relationships. Council member and company director of International Bee Research Association.
Dates of appointment
The chairman and members are appointed for three years, most recently with effect from 17 June 1996.
Resources allocated
The costs of ACRE for 1997-98 were as follows:
£
Members' fees 8,805
Travel subsistence and meetings 7,338
Estimated staff costs for servicing ACRE and processing cases (salaries, accommodation and overheads) 144,097
Published reports
Annual reports for ACRE are placed in the Library. DETR/ACRE have also produced a series of guidance notes and DETR has produced a number of research reports to inform ACRE's advice. These are all listed in the annual reports.
| UK-owned vessels | UK-registered vessels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading vessels | All vessels | Trading vessels | All vessels | |
| 31 December 1986 | 18,609 | n/a | 10,458 | 11,952 |
| 31 December 1988 | 16,593 | 18,145 | 5,709 | 7,072 |
| 31 December 1998 | 9,761 | 11,577 | 2,699 | 4,150 |
(1) All vessels 100 gross tonnes and above
Source:
Lloyd's Maritime Information Services Ltd.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many UK (a) officers and (b) ratings are currently employed in the maritime industry; and how many there were (i) 10 years and (ii) 20 years ago. [72073]
Dr. Reid:
There is no consistent series of UK nationals employed in the maritime industry. The Chamber of Shipping collects data on employment on vessels operated by its members, and this is shown for selected years in
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the table. It is known that many UK nationals, especially officers, work on non-member vessels, but precise figures for earlier years are not known.
| Year | Officers | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 32,188 | 25,570 |
| 1986 | 10,871 | 12,706 |
| 1988 | 8,885 | 12,114 |
| 1995 | 7,724 | 8,721 |
| 1997(2) | 6,186 | 7,929 |
(2) Forecast
Note:
Years refer to 31 December, except 1978 which is 31 September. From 1991 statistics of crew serving as back-up for non-UK flag vessels were specifically included.
Source:
Chamber of Shipping Fleet and Manpower Inquiry.
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