---

National Savings

Ms Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what performance targets have been set for National Savings for 1999-2000. [90496]

Ms Hewitt: National Savings has as its declared aim to add value by helping to reduce the costs to the taxpayer of Government borrowing and by supporting Government savings policies. This is supported by two objectives:

to market Government debt to retail investors so as to help to minimise the combined cost and risk of the total national debt and to contribute to the Government's funding needs;

to promote Government savings policies among personal investors.

In meeting these objectives the Agency will operate cost effectively and in a competitive and commercial manner that does not distort the savings market; and in a manner that benefits both Government and the retail saver--now and in future. During 1999-2000 National Savings will be set the following challenging targets:

i. To work within the terms of the funding remit for 1999-2000;

ii. Following the outsourcing of National Savings' operations, by 31 March 2000 to implement a productivity measure to monitor cost reductions;

iii. No less than 97 per cent. of all customer sales documentation to be issued within the published time scales;

iv. No less than 97 per cent. of all customer sales documentation to be 100 per cent. accurate;

v. No less than 97 per cent. of all customer payments documentation to be issued within the agreed time scales;

vi. No less than 97 per cent. of all customer payments documentation to be 100 per cent. accurate;

vii. No less than 97 per cent. of after sales customer correspondence to be responded to within agreed time scales;

viii. To introduce a new Pensioners Bond by mid July 1999;

ix. To agree a new contract with POCL, by 30 September 1999, which secures improved commercial practice and enables development of a new relationship to incentivise value, service and cost competitiveness;

x. To achieve IiP accreditation by 2000;

xi. To make firm proposals for the resolution of the historic transaction accounting discrepancies by 31 October 1999;

xii. To publish the first full set of audited product accounts by 31 December 1999.

The funding remit sets out the costs and volume assumption that National Savings works to. The remit was published in the Debt Management report issued in March 1999.

7 Jul 1999 : Column: 552

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

EU Chocolate Directive

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the European Commission's objections to the proposed comitology provisions of the proposed EU Chocolate Directive. [90091]

Mr. Rooker: The Commission objected to a part of the proposed Directive which limited its powers to make technical changes to the law. However, I am pleased to say that a new Presidency compromise has now received Commission support and I am hopeful that a Common Position will be achieved during the Finnish Presidency.

Wild Boar

Mr. Green: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage individual identifications of wild boar on farms; and if he will make a statement. [89939]

Mr. Rooker: There are no plans to require that wild boar be individually identified on farms. Producers are free to do so if they want.

Intervention Food Stocks

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the daily cost to the European Union for the destruction of intervention food stocks in the last year for which figures are available. [89833]

Mr. Rooker: Except in comparatively rare instances where they became damaged in store, intervention stocks of cereals, beef and milk products are sold back onto the market when circumstances permit.

Special arrangements exist for recognised producer groups to withdraw from the market certain fish and fruit and vegetables subject to their meeting the required grading standards. Withdrawn fish stocks may be returned to the sea or denatured for use in the production of fish meal. Fruit and vegetable stocks are destroyed by biodegradation or composting but may also be provided free to non-profit making organisations where their use can be shown to be additional to the organisations' normal requirement.

Unpublished EU figures ¹ for the financial year ended 15 October 1998 show the total cost of compensation paid to producer groups as:

	£ million
Fruit and vegetables	96.56
Fish	6.98

Separate figures for the various means of disposal are not available.

Figures for the UK are:

	£ million
Fruit and vegetables	1.89
Fish	1.89

In the marketing year 1998-99 the UK supplied fruit and vegetables to the value of £14,100 to non-profit making organisations.

7 Jul 1999 : Column: 553

Withdrawals occur on a seasonal basis and the daily cost could only be determined by assuming that the expenditure was spread evenly over the year.

¹ Source:

EU Commission DGVI GI Data

Ecu converted to UK £ using representative rate current at 31 December 1998.

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods

and Processes

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what qualifications are needed for membership of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes; and if he will list the members of the committee. [89525]

Mr. Rooker: Members of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) are appointed by Ministers so as to ensure that the Committee has a broad spectrum of relevant scientific expertise and knowledge at its disposal, including that in nutrition, microbiology, genetic modification, food technology, immunology, toxicology and allergy. In addition it has members with experience in consumer affairs and ethics.

The membership of the ACNFP is currently as follows:

Professor J. Bainbridge BSc, PhD, Grad. Cert. Ed. (Tech.), MOSFHT, FRSA--(Chair)


Director of Science and Technology, University of Teesside


Dr. M. J. Gasson BSc, PhD--(Deputy Chair)


Head, Genetics and Microbiology Department, Institute of Food Research, Norwich


Professor P. J. Aggett MSc, MB, ChB, FRCP(L)(E)(G) DCH


Head of Lancashire Postgraduate School of Medicine and Health


Dr. Philip Dale BSc, PhD


Research Group Leader, Genetic Modification and Risk Assessment, John Innes Centre, Norwich


Dr. J. Heritage BA, DPhil, MLBiol

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Leeds


Professor D. A. Ledward MSc, PhD FIFST


Professor of Food Science, University of Reading


Reverend Dr. M. Reiss BSc, MA, PhD, FIBiol


Senior Lecturer, Homerton College, University of Cambridge (ethical adviser)


Mrs. E. Russell BSc


Consumer Representative


Professor I. Rowland BSc, PhD


Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ulster; Head of Northern Ireland Centre for Diet and Health


Professor T. A. B. Sanders BSc, PhD


Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kings College, London


Professor H. Sewell MB, ChB, BDS, Msc, PhD, FRCP (L) (G), FRCPath, F. Med. Sci


Head of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Hospital Medical School, Nottingham

7 Jul 1999 : Column: 554

Dr. N. A. Simmons FRC Path. FIFST


Emeritus Consultant in Microbiology, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital Trust, London


Professor R. Walker PhD. CChem. FRSC FIFST


Emeritus Professor of Food Science, University of Surrey


Professor J. Warner MB, ChB, DCH, MRCP, MD, FRCP, MRCPCH, FRCPCH


Professor of Child Health at University of Southampton

Professor H. F. Woods BSc, BM, BCh, DPhil, FFPM, FRCP (London and Edin).


Sir George Franklin Professor of Medicine, University of Sheffield (Chairman of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment).

Monsanto

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the trips, facilities, gifts and other offerings of a financial value provided by Monsanto to (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department since 1 May 1997. [88955]

Mr. Rooker [holding answer 29 June 1999]: I am not aware of any trips, facilities, gifts or other offerings of a financial value being provided by Monsanto to Ministers or officials in this Department since 1 May 1997.

Chemical Residues (Crops)

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the chemical residues retained as a result of crop treatment in (a) imported US genetically modified soya and (b) imported non- enetically modified soya. [88942]

Mr. Rooker: Two genetically modified (GM) types of soya are currently grown in the USA. One is tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate, and the other to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium.

Experimental studies indicate that two major residues may be found in glyphosate treated soya. The residues concerned are glyphosate itself and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). These two residues occur in both conventionally bred soya and genetically modified (GM) glyphosate tolerant soya. However, the levels of the metabolite AMPA are generally higher in GM crop.

In the case of glufosinate-ammonium the major residue in conventionally bred varieties is glufosinate. In GM varieties the major components of the residue are glufosinate and a metabolite n-acetyl glufosinate.

---