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Farmers
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers there were in business (a) 10 years ago and (b) at the latest available date. [92717]
Mr. Rooker: The information available relates to agriculture holdings rather than farm businesses; some businesses operate more than one holding. The 1988 June agriculture census recorded 247,300 agriculture holdings in the United Kingdom. The equivalent figure for 1998, the latest available, was 237,900.
Fish-eating Birds
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the results of his research studies into the effect of fish-eating birds on fisheries will be published. [92626]
Mr. Rooker: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) on 29 June 1999, Official Report, column 92.
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties. [92655]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 23 July 1999]: In accordance with the terms of the Ministerial Code, Ministers are required always to make efficient and cost- effective travel arrangements. The last time I used a train in the course of my official duties was on 23 July when visiting Pig Farmers in Yorkshire.
Pet Travel Scheme
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what vaccines will be used in the new pet travel scheme and what laboratories will be able to
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 365
undertake testing; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the arrangements that are being put in place for the introduction of the pilot schemes next year. [93042]
Mr. Rooker:
Pet cats and dogs taking part in the forthcoming Pet Travel Scheme must be vaccinated against rabies using an inactivated vaccine approved for the purpose by the authorities of the country in which the animal has been resident. There are two such vaccines currently authorised for use in the UK: Nobivac and Rabisin.
Details of the laboratories that may carry out blood tests for the Pet Travel Scheme will be announced shortly.
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on managing the changeover from the present quarantine regulations to the new pet travel scheme. [93043]
Mr. Rooker:
I have received representations from a number of individuals and from organisations representing pet owners and the owners of quarantine premises. A Pet Travel Scheme Advisory Group has been set up. This includes representatives from the quarantine industry and others with a direct interest in the Pet Travel Scheme. The Group provides the Government with advice on the Pet Travel Scheme, including managing the changeover from the present arrangements.
Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to introduce the new arrangements under which (a) he will nominate the certifying local veterinary inspectors to individual consignments of live farm animals destined for export and (b) he will pay the inspectors and recover the costs for this service through charges on the exporter; and if he will make a statement. [93041]
Mr. Rooker:
We are currently considering the responses to the consultation exercise. We will announce our decision in due course.
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish details of the performance assessments of official veterinary surgeons and their inspection teams. [88281]
Mr. Rooker:
Performance appraisals are conducted for all Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) staff, whilst contract appraisals are carried out for those Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) and inspection staff contracted to the MHS.
Both types of appraisal are considered confidential and may contain commercial information relating to the workings of a particular plant. It would therefore be inappropriate for details of these assessments to be published.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the (a) volume and (b) value of (i) GM soya and (ii) GM maize imported into the United Kingdom from the United States for each of the last three years. [93076]
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Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 26 July 1999]: Total imports of maize and soya beans from the USA for each of the past three years were as follows:
| Maize (unmilled) | Soya beans | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonnes | Value (£ million) | Tonnes | Value (£ million) | |
| 1996 | 12,971 | 3.5 | 409,762 | 77.9 |
| 1997 | 7,206 | 2.9 | 474,226 | 86.2 |
| 1998 | 7,634 | 2.5 | 459,804 | 71.0 |
Trade statistics do not enable us to differentiate between GM and non-GM material.
Genetically Free Products
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions (a) he has had with European Environment Ministers, and (b) his officials have had with Commission officials on the definition of genetically free products for labelling purposes. [93192]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 26 July 1999]: No such discussions have taken place with European Environment Ministers on this subject but European Commission officials have recently informed officials here that a Commission proposal on the labelling of GM free claims is planned for the autumn. This proposal will be widely circulated for comment when it is received.
Regulatory Capture
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the allegations of regulatory capture of US Food and Drugs Administration and the implication thereof for the forthcoming WTO discussions in Seattle. [93071]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 26 July 1999]: None.
Mouse-breeding Facilities
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department's mouse-breeding facilities conform to the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [93074]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 26 July 1999]: Yes. The Department's mouse-breeding facilities do comply with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons his Department has mouse-breeding facilities. [93075]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 26 July 1999]: My Department has mouse-breeding facilities to generate mice for use in research projects approved under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Milk Marque
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of his proposals for Milk Marque on the access of Milk Marque's members to CAP support measures. [93248]
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Mr. Rooker:
I would not expect there to be a significant impact in the foreseeable future on access to CAP support measures resulting from the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on which occasions since 1993 his Department has received written or oral approaches from the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Wells) on matters relating to fruit production in Belize since 1993. [93240]
Mr. Rooker:
The information requested needs to be researched. I will write to my hon. Friend during the first week of August.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will issues guidance to bee-keepers about protection from contact with genetically modified material in cases where they wish to label their produce as organic and non-genetically modified; and if he will make a statement. [93201]
Mr. Rooker:
Existing UK rules on organic honey production require that hives are not placed within four miles of conventionally farmed land, private gardens, or areas subject to inorganic pollution. Following the recent agreement on Community livestock standards, including rules on honey production, the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) will be re- examining existing UK standards to determine the changes that will need to be made. This is likely to include the issue of controls on possible GM contamination.
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