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Ragwort
Mr. Cunliffe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to encourage local authorities to combat the ragwort weed. [78814]
Mr. Morley: Ragwort is an injurious weed under the provisions of the Weeds Act 1959. That Act permits the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, rather than local authorities, to serve notice on any occupier of land to control injurious weeds from spreading. Where resources permit, local authorities can themselves play a positive part in eradication, for example, by active weed control alongside rural roads and on any other land which they own.
Beam Trawlers
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce the next decommissioning scheme for beam trawlers; and by how many boats he intends to reduce the fleet. [80431]
Mr. Morley: I have no plans to introduce a decommissioning scheme for beam trawlers. UK targets for this fleet segment under the EU's Multi-Annual Guidance Programme (MAGP IV) are currently being addressed by the arrangements for managing fishing effort which I announced on 24 February 1998, Official Report, columns 187-88.
Food Advisory Committee
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the declared outside interests of the members of the Food Advisory Committee. [80630]
Mr. Rooker:
The declared interests of the members of the Food Advisory Committee are published in the Committee's Annual Report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
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Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those members or advisers to the Food Advisory Committee who are involved currently with the European Commission Scientific Committee on foods in its work with vitamin and mineral supplements. [80221]
Mr. Rooker:
None of the members of the Food Advisory Committee is involved with this work.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 29 March 1999, Official Report, column 507, on genetically modified food substances, what steps are being recommended by his Department to establishments selling prepared food, who are required to disclose items containing genetically modified ingredients. [80050]
Mr. Rooker:
Those establishments selling prepared foods will need to ask their suppliers about which of the ingredients they are using contain genetically modified material.
Mr. Hood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 30 March; and if he will make a statement. [79883]
Mr. Morley:
I, together with my noble Friend Lord Sewel, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, represented the UK. The Council adopted the Autonomous Tariff Quotas covering imports at reduced tariffs of fisheries products required by the processing industry in 1999. Ireland and Italy voted against. It had a first debate on Commission proposals implementing in the fisheries sector the reform of the EU structural funds. This revealed a wide range of views. The Commission presented its proposals on reform of the marketing regime and on the listing of serious infringements. The Presidency is aiming to reach agreement on these three regulations at the Fisheries Council on 10 June.
I raised the need for the Commission to make early progress, taking account of forthcoming scientific advice, on measures to conserve sandeel stocks for seabirds which are dependent on them, particularly during the breeding season. I also pressed the Commission to bring forward its promised proposals on the allocation of the new Total Allowable Catches for spurdog and for Northern Shrimp and the existing Total Allowable Catch for blue whiting.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the cost to each fisherman of installing satellite surveillance equipment on over 24 metre vessels; and what plans he has to provide grants towards their costs. [80432]
Mr. Morley:
The cost of installing new satellite monitoring equipment is likely to range from £3,000 to £8,000 depending on functionality and compliance with Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) requirements. Some vessels may already carry equipment that can be adapted at a lower cost. Following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review,
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the Government announced on 3 August last year that vessels subject to satellite monitoring would not receive Government assistance for their equipment.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the costs to (a) his Department of inspecting and (b) fishermen of filling in a logsheet and landing declaration. [80430]
Mr. Morley:
Information on the costs of inspecting logsheets is not readily available since such inspections form part of the wider enforcement duties undertaken by the Ministry's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate and the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron.
EU logsheets on fishing activity have to be brought up to date at least once every 24 hours and this should not entail any additional cost whilst the vessel is at sea. The average cost of submitting a logsheet at the end of a fishing trip is estimated at £2.80 and that for completing and submitting a landing declaration at £4.20 per trip.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost of an inspection by his Department of a fishing vessel (a) in port and (b) at sea. [80429]
Mr. Morley:
The Ministry's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate undertake a wide range of enforcement and other duties, including inspections of fishing vessels in port. In 1998, the direct cost of running the SFI was some £3 million and in that period it undertook some 4,271 inspections of fishing vessels in port.
Inspections at sea are undertaken by the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron on behalf of the Ministry. In 1998, the Squadron provided 1,081 patrol days at a cost of some £6 million and during that period undertook 1,828 inspections.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) he, (b) his officials, (c) his advisers and (d) his PPS have held during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 with people who work for political lobbying firms or for businesses that are members of the Public Relations Consultants Association. [79656]
Mr. Morley:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168. The requirements of the Ministerial Code also apply to Parliamentary Private Secretaries when attending meetings in an official or semi-official capacity.
Mr. Truswell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what environmental appraisals of policy his Department has (a) completed, (b) started and (c) planned. [79622]
Mr. Morley:
Environmental appraisals are not usually carried out in isolation from the general process of reviewing policies. The Ministry seeks to take into account all important factors, including environmental ones, in the formulation of policy and its implementation. Thus, there is a considerable input into monitoring the environmental
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impacts of policies, particularly where policy objectives are environmental in nature. As part of its regular policy review process, the Ministry carries out a rolling programme of economic policy evaluations. A number of these evaluations have been of agri-environment schemes or other policies with a significant environmental dimension. The evaluation programme is published on the MAFF website (http://www.maff.gov.uk/r&d/economic.htm), with details of previous research and of policies which are due to be evaluated in the coming year. A copy has also been placed in the library of the House.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the organisations and companies which have made representations about the Meat Hygiene Service's charging regime due to be introduced on 1 April 1999; [79439]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 31 March 1999]: The level of Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) charges to apply in 1999-2000 for hygiene/welfare inspection and for the
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enforcement of Specified Risk Material controls has yet to be decided. Ministers are still carefully considering proposals made by the MHS to ensure they are fully cost justified. They will then be subject to full consultation with all plant operators. The results of that consultation will be reported back to Ministers who will then take final decisions on the level of rates to apply and their operative date.
(2) what further consultations are taking place on the Meat Hygiene Services charging regime, due to be introduced on 1 April 1999, with special reference to low throughput abattoirs; and if he will make a statement. [79440]
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