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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sugar
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 1999, Official Report, column 120, what assessment he has made of the extent of competition within the UK sugar industry; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the sugar import levy on that competition. [66671]
Mr. Rooker: I have made no assessment of the extent of competition within the UK sugar industry. This is a matter for the competition authorities.
EU import tariffs restrict imports of sugar from third countries, with the important exception of some 1.6 million tonnes per annum under preferential agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and India, most of which come to the UK. In accordance with the Uruguay Round agreements, these tariffs will have to be cut by 20 per cent. by 2000-01.
The Government believe that the EU sugar regime imposes unnecessarily high prices on consumers and sugar-using industries, and will be seeking significant changes when it comes up for reform in 2001.
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Ministry has made of the research work on genetically modified potatoes undertaken by Dr. Pusztai whilst at the Rowett Research Institute. [70046]
Mr. Macdonald
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: I have been asked to reply as responsibility for this subject lies with The Scottish Office.
The Department has itself made no assessment of the work in question, but following the publicity which surrounded this project the Rowett Research Institute arranged last August for an audit committee, including external experts, to carry out a full analysis of all data available. The audit committee concluded that the data did not support any suggestion that the consumption by rats of transgenic potatoes expressing the lectin GNA (Galanthus nivalis) has an effect on growth, organ development or the immune system.
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The report of the Audit Committee was published by the Director of the Rowett Research Institute in October 1998.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Jim Marshall:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the outcome was of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 22 and 23 February; and if he will make a statement. [73486]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I represented the United Kingdom, accompanied by my noble Friends the Parliamentary Under-Secretaries for Scotland and for Northern Ireland and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, at a meeting of the European Union Agriculture Council in Brussels beginning on 22 February.
The Council embarked upon negotiations on the Commission's proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. These comprise proposals for reform of the arable crops, beef, milk and wine regimes, proposals on rural development and on common measures affecting direct payments to farmers, and a proposals concerning the financing of the CAP. My objective in the negotiations was to secure ambitious and worthwhile reforms in all sectors and to ensure that, by 2006, CAP spending is stabilised in real terms at its current level.
By the early hours of Friday morning, after several days of intensive negotiation, the conditions were not yet ripe for an overall agreement to be reached. The Council will accordingly meet again on Thursday 4 March to continue the negotiations.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for 1998-99 the current number of applicants for (a) primary and (b) secondary teacher training courses including PGCE by (i) gender, (ii) age and (iii) subject. [69902]
Ms Estelle Morris:
As at 6 February 1999, the current number of postgraduate applicants to primary and secondary PGCE courses is as follows:
(18) GTTR have set a deadline on 1999-2000 primary applications of 15 December 1998. Applications received after this date will be considered if the institution still has vacancies for the named course.
Note:
Age of applicant is not available
Source:
Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)
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At the corresponding date in 1998, secondary applicants to 1998-99 PGCE courses made up about half of the final number of secondary postgraduate applicants. Over the last three years there has been a trend for postgraduate applications increasingly to be made later in the year.
| As at 5 February 1999 | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 7,867 | 48,458 |
| Secondary | ||
| Mathematics | 102 | 145 |
| English | 22 | 98 |
| Science | 115 | 156 |
| Languages | 7 | 22 |
| Technology | 436 | 290 |
| History | 0 | 0 |
| Geography | 7 | 17 |
| Physical education | 2,767 | 2,613 |
| Art | 22 | 64 |
| Music | 14 | 6 |
| Religious education | 3 | 15 |
| Other | 578 | 553 |
| Total secondary | 4,073 | 3,979 |
| Overall total | 11,940 | 52,437 |
(19) UCAS count up to six applications per applicant.
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will develop fast track PGCE qualifications for British teachers who have taught with non-PGCE qualifications abroad. [73199]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The new employment-based training routes--the Graduate and Registered Teacher Programmes--which began last year, enable trainees to work as teachers at the same time as following an approved training programme designed to enable them to gain Qualified Teacher Status. In the case of people with
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relevant teaching experience, which can include experience overseas, graduates can gain Qualified Teacher Status in as little as three months.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what systems he has in place to ensure that policies being developed by his Department are subject to a crime impact (a) assessment and (b) audit and are not likely to lead to enhanced criminal opportunities. [72692]
Mr. Blunkett
[holding answer 24 February 1999]: Government Departments are co-operating on policy development and, therefore, I work closely with other Ministers on any likely implications for crime of new developments, as indicated by research.
As far as my Department is concerned, all our policies should support Home Office Aim 1, which is to reduce crime and fear of crime. Giving everyone the chance, through education, training and work to realise their full potential and thereby contributing to the building of an inclusive and fair society supports this aim. Our research programme monitors and evaluates the effects of new policy and other interventions.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the provision of capital funding for schools in Cumbria. [72668]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 24 February 1999]: The following table shows the total amount of capital funding made available to Cumbria Local Education Authority since 1997-98. There are a significant number of Grant Maintained schools in Cumbria, for which the Funding Agency for Schools has funding responsibility. I have asked the Agency to arrange for a reply to be sent to the right hon. Member.
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Capital Guideline | 3,450 | 3,252 | 3,720 |
| New Deal for Schools | 598 | 856 | -- |
| Infant Class Size Reduction | -- | 113 | -- |
| Energy Improvement | -- | 119 | -- |
| Removal of Outside Toilets | -- | 143 | -- |
| Supplementary Credit Approvals (excluding Schools Renewal Challenge Fund) | 47 | 416 | -- |
| Schools Renewal Challenge Fund | 150 | -- | -- |
| Total | 4,245 | 4,899 | 3,720 |
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 590
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