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PRIME MINISTER

European Defence Review

Dr. Godman: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the leaders of NATO member states to discuss matters relating to a European Defence Review. [85195]

The Prime Minister: The last collective meeting was the NATO Summit in April where the main focus was the conflict in Kosovo. However, the Summit unanimously welcomed and endorsed the European defence initiative we launched last year.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made to the House on 8 June 1999, Official Report, columns 463-65, where I set out details of agreement reached at the Cologne European Council on the further development of a common European security and defence policy.

Official Engagements

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 9 June. [85905]

The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I will have further such meetings later today.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Bat Meat

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the extent of the illegal trade in bat meat within the UK; and what steps he is taking to eradicate it. [85742]

Mr. Rooker [holding answer 8 June 1999]: I am aware of the recent press reports stating that illegally imported bat meat is being sold in this country. MAFF officials, Official Veterinary Surgeons at Border Inspection Posts and local authorities have been asked to increase their vigilance in order to prevent this trade.

Horticulture Industry

Mr. Paice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the applicability of the EU fruit and vegetable regime to the UK horticulture industry; and what proposals he has to improve the UK take-up of assistance under the regime. [86107]

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Mr. Rooker: The reformed EU fruit and vegetable regime offers enormous benefits for UK growers. The progressive reduction in aid for intervention, and diversion of funds to structured operational programmes, has already enabled those growers who trade through producer organisations (POs) to benefit. Payments to POs for constructive works over a period of years enables POs to improve production techniques, quality, preparation for market, marketing and promotional activity, in addition to encouraging the use of environmentally sound practices.

Seventy six operational programmes are currently running in the UK. Funding for work on UK programmes in 1997 totalled £5.7 million. Payment for work in 1998 is expected to be about £7 million with a potential payment of £12 million for 1999. This represents new funding for the UK horticulture industry.

There is no great tradition of grower co-operation in the UK and, although a total of 92 POs in the UK are recognised under the new regime, the percentage of the UK fruit and vegetable sector covered by recognised POs is only 35 per cent. My officials have contacted organisations which have not sought recognition and encouraged them to do so. Independent growers are also encouraged to join existing POs or to form new organisations and seek recognition, so that they can benefit from EU aid.

International Whaling Commission

Mr. McNulty: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the recent meeting of the International Whaling Commission. [86331]

Mr. Morley: The International Whaling Commission's 51st Annual Meeting was held in Grenada from 24 to 28 May. I attended the meeting, together with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands, as well as representatives of environmental organisations.

At the meeting I re-affirmed the United Kingdom's opposition to whaling. I am pleased to say that efforts by Japan to secure a quota of 50 minke whales, despite the moratorium on commercial whaling, and to weaken the Southern Ocean Sanctuary were defeated by substantial majorities. There was once again strong criticism of Norway's and Japan's continued whaling activities.

The Chairman of the IWC, the Commissioner for Ireland, announced that discussions with IWC members on the ideas put forward by Ireland in 1997 were continuing, although he had no real progress to report. The Irish proposals would involve a ban on all whaling, including scientific whaling, outside coastal waters, with the possibility that countries might authorise whaling under IWC rules within their own coastal waters for domestic consumption. The proposals also envisage a ban on international trade in whale products.

In the ensuing debate I made it clear that the UK's ultimate aim remained a permanent, worldwide moratorium on all whaling other than aboriginal subsistence whaling. However, we recognised that this was not something that was likely to be achieved overnight, or that could be imposed on members of the IWC against their will. We were, therefore, prepared to

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consider ideas for reaching interim solutions on the way to our ultimate destination. But any arrangements of this kind would have to deliver very real benefits to whale conservation. In this context, we continued to have reservations about some aspects of the Irish proposals, in particular the possibility of renewed coastal whaling. I noted that it seemed, in any case, unlikely that the Irish proposals represented a realistic way forward, given the opposition by Japan to ending scientific whaling. In these circumstances it was important to consider other ways in which the IWC could move forward. In the UK's view these included:

the creation of new regional sanctuaries;

changing the emphasis of the IWC's scientific committee away from the management of whale stocks in the context of whaling towards a much broader exploration of whale conservation issues;

continuing the IWC's efforts to assess fully the impact of environment change for cetaceans;

greater involvement of the IWC in issues relating to small cetaceans;

encouraging whalewatching as a benign, potentially very profitable and sustainable way of exploiting a natural resource;

continued involvement of the IWC in welfare issues, including the encouragement of more efficient and humane killing methods, particularly in aboriginal subsistence whaling.

I also reaffirmed that in the UK's view the IWC has an essential role to play as the only international body with worldwide responsibility for the conservation of whales and that we would continue to participate actively, and constructively, in its deliberations.

Australia and New Zealand reported that consultations were continuing on the idea of a South Pacific Sanctuary, but that they were not yet in a position to put forward a formal proposal; the IWC is likely to revert to this topic next year.

The meeting confirmed the central role that environmental concerns now play in the IWC's work. An impressive presentation by the US Commissioner demonstrated the scale of the potential threat posed to cetaceans by climate change and pollution. I emphasised that, in the light of our increasing understanding of these threats there was greater concern than in the past about the ability of whale populations to withstand direct exploitation; in our view this was a cogent reason to adopt a precautionary approach to cetacean conservation and management. The IWC agreed to provide core funding, including £100,000 drawn from its reserves, for two substantial programmes of research on the effects of climate change and pollution on cetaceans; it also urged other interested parties to contribute to these programmes.

The IWC agreed a further 3-year aboriginal subsistence quota permitting inhabitants of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to take two hump back whales a year. During the meeting the IWC considered whether recent takes under this quota contravened IWC rules, which prohibit the killing of whale calves: it was not possible to reach a firm conclusion on this matter, as the rules in question are not entirely clear. However, the agreement to extend the quota amended the rules to remove any uncertainty, and the IWC also agreed a definition of the term calf for the purposes of this quota. In agreeing the quota the IWC also noted commitments by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to ensure that this hunt is properly regulated, to review and improve hunting and killing

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methods and to provide a more detailed statement of its aboriginal subsistence needs when seeking any further quota. As amended it is now absolutely clear that the taking of a cow and calf is forbidden.

The IWC meeting was preceded by a workshop of scientific and veterinary experts which examined methods used to kill whales with a view to improving their humaneness. The UK delegation to the workshop was led by Professor Sir Colin Spedding, a previous chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and an internationally recognised authority on welfare issues. The workshop produced an 11 point action plan to improve the effectiveness and humaneness of whale killing methods, including those used in aboriginal subsistence hunts. This was endorsed by the Commission in a resolution, which went on to encourage member governments to continue to submit relevant information to the IWC and to future workshops and to take steps, including the provision of appropriate technical assistance, to improve the humaneness of aboriginal subsistence whaling.

The Dall's porpoise hunt off the coast of Japan is the largest directed take of small cetaceans in the world. Recent information suggests that the level of catch may not be sustainable and the IWC adopted a resolution, put forward by the UK, expressing concern about the sustainability of the hunt, directing the IWC's Scientific Committee to carry out a full review of the affected stocks in 2001 and, in the meantime, inviting the government of Japan to reconsider the quota it sets for Dall's porpoises.

A number of other issues were considered. There was a discussion on whalewatching, in which I emphasised the economic benefits of this activity, particularly in the Caribbean, and drew attention to the Guidelines of Whalewatching in the UK issued by the Government. A resolution was adopted drawing attention to the risk posed to consumers of whalemeat (including meat from small cetaceans) by the high levels of contaminants found in some samples, and requesting the IWC's Scientific Committee to monitor contaminant burdens in cetaceans and, where necessary, pass the information on to the World Health Organisation and appropriate national authorities. Other resolutions were agreed requesting the Scientific Committee to develop DNA methods for monitoring the origin of whalemeat as part of a control scheme for any future whaling and drawing attention to the continued threat posed to small populations of highly endangered whales by ship strikes, by-catches, and in a limited number of cases, whaling.

Overall, this was a successful meeting for the UK. We achieved all our main objectives, and made progress towards our ultimate goals. My presence at the meeting underlined the importance that the Government attach to their policy of opposing whaling and to the role of the IWC.

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