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Farmland Access (Horseriders)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to provide financial assistance to those farmers who provide new opportunities for access to their land by horseriders; and if he will make a statement. [78220]
Mr. Morley: Payments are available for farmers who provide voluntary access for horseriders on their land under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Agreements are for 10 years. An independent evaluation of the access provisions under the agri-environment schemes, including the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, was carried out in 1998. This will form the basis of a review including consideration of access for horseriders under Countryside Stewardship in future.
Regional Development Funding
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total budget for the EAGGF South West Objective 5b Area for Devon and Cornwall; how much money has been received by the Government in respect of the fund; what is the actual amount spent; and what is the balance as yet unspent. [78372]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 23 March 1999]: The total EAGGF allocation for the South West Objective 5b area is £30.14 million. Of this 89.5 per cent. has been committed to projects. £6.33 million has been spent by projects to date. The unspent balance is £23.81 million. Advances of EAGGF funds are paid when expenditure trigger points are reached. So far £1.94 million has been received and a further payment of 9.26 million euros (approximately £6.59 million) is being processed by the Commission.
Tridemorph
Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Government are taking in respect of the pesticide Tridemorph. [78922]
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Mr. Rooker:
The independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides has considered new scientific information and has identified a possible risk of harm to the unborn child if the mother is exposed to high levels of the fungicide tridemorph while working with the compound.
The Government's first priority is human safety. We therefore acted on 19 March to impose, with immediate effect, stringent measures designed to minimise the risk of harmful exposure. These include engineering controls and protective clothing as well as restrictions on the maximum dose and the way in which it may be applied to the crop. We are also requiring those companies that market the pesticide to mount an active information campaign to inform pesticide users of the issues and the action which they should take.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response the Government have made to the House of Lords European Communities Committee report of Session 1998-99 on EC regulation of genetic modification in agriculture (HL 11). [78923]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government have welcomed the Report as making an important contribution to the intense debate on the regulation of GMOs in agriculture through the presentation of a balanced and considered perspective on the key issues surrounding the application of biotechnology in agriculture and food production.
24 Mar 1999 : Column: 330
The Government's response in particular welcomes a number of the Committees's recommendations. It makes the point that vigorous and wide-ranging assessment of risks to the environment and human health must continue to form the foundations of the regulatory process and that the Government are committed to ensuring that risk assessment provisions are strengthened and extended to include indirect and delayed environmental monitoring on the grounds that this will allow a clear picture to be built up of the environmental effects of GMOs, and enable the assumptions in the risk assessment to be verified.
The response further welcomes the Committee's recommendations on labelling and makes it clear that the Government are pressing the European Commission to develop further proposals on thresholds for adventitious contamination and a list of materials from GM crops that will not require labelling.
Finally, the response states that the effective and timely revision of Directive 90/220 on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs is a major priority for the Government. It offers the opportunity to reinforce the existing legislation to secure full protection for human health and the environment, while providing a stable and predictable regime which will maintain UK and EU competitiveness in the commercial exploitation of biotechnology and genome research. The European Parliament adopted its first reading Opinion in February 1999. The Government welcome the Opinion, and support the Parliament's call for moves to reach a common position shortly.
A copy of the Government's response is available in the Library of the House.