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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Hill Farmers
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the deadline for responses to the consultation paper on payments to hill farmers under Agenda 2000. [97030]
Mr. Nick Brown: I intend to issue the consultation paper on payments to hill farmers in England next week. We will be seeking responses by 3 December.
Veterinary Surgeons
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with (a) the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and (b) the British Veterinary Association concerning the English language skills of foreign-trained veterinary surgeons seeking employment in this country. [88294]
Ms Quin: I can confirm that the Minister and appropriate officials have regular contact with representatives of both the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is obliged to register Veterinary Surgeons who have qualified from recognised establishments within the European Union. This is a reciprocal arrangement. Veterinary Surgeons who have qualified from non-European Union non- recognised establishments are required to pass a written examination (in English) before they can be registered with the college. Registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is a pre-requisite to practising veterinary surgery.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulatory powers he has over the level of fees charged by veterinary surgeons; and if he will make a statement. [89967]
Ms Quin:
We have no regulatory powers over the level of fees charged by veterinary surgeons in private veterinary practice. There is a free market in the provision of private veterinary services and animal owners may choose the veterinary practice which treats their animals.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost in 1997 of
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compensating farmers for (a) cattle compulsorily slaughtered after testing positive in the tuberculin skin test and (b) cattle which were found not to be infected on post-mortem and culture examination. [93738]
Ms Quin:
A total of £2.38 million was paid out in 1997 in compensation for 3,298 reactors and 462 contact animals, of which £1.02 million was for reactors subsequently found in post mortem and culture examinations not to have been infected with TB.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research the Government are conducting on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. [93739]
Ms Quin:
A wide range of research activity is in progress in this area, as set out in the reply given to the hon. Member on 20 July 1999, Official Report, column 495. In addition, the Independent Scientific Group has recently made recommendations on further research needs relating to the pathogenesis of M. bovis and MAFF will shortly be inviting applications for research proposals.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the development of a tuberculosis vaccine for cattle. [94922]
Ms Quin:
The Government are funding expenditure of about £1.4 million a year on vaccine development. The main thrust of the programme in its first five-year phase is to identify vaccine candidates. The work is being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Institute of Animal Health, drawing on work carried out internationally and in related fields, such as human vaccines, as appropriate. Emerging findings will be published as and when appropriate.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much milk was imported through Stansted airport from Holland in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [93733]
Ms Quin:
No figures are available for imports of milk through individual airports.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the publication date for the research study commissioned from Nautilus Consultants in June on economic aspects of discarding. [95404]
Ms Quin:
The research study is jointly funded by MAFF, the Commission and the Dutch and French Governments and involves consultants from UK, France and Netherlands. Nautilus Consultants is the UK Contractor. The project commenced in June and is expected to take about 18 months to complete. It is intended that the results will be published but it is too early to give a precise date for publication.
Dr. Fox:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the cost of cattle passports is calculated; and what is the cost of similar arrangements in each EU member state. [94289]
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Ms Quin:
My right hon. Friend the Minister announced on 20 September 1999 that the Government would not now be proceeding with their proposals to charge for cattle passports. In the current depressed state of the market this would be an additional burden on farmers. The Government will continue to meet the running costs of the Cattle Tracing System and will not impose charges before 2002-03 at the earliest.
Regarding charges in other member states, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen) on 22 July 1999, Official Report, column 660.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from (a) retailers and (b) consumer representatives on the thresholds of genetically modified material in food currently subject to consultation by the European Commission; what advice his Department has given to the Commission; and if he will make a statement. [94872]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 21 October 1999]: MAFF received a number of responses from retailers and consumer representatives in response to the recent EC Commission proposal on thresholds for GM material in food. The vast majority of these supported the threshold of 1 per cent. contained in the proposal as being a practical upper limit taking into account the current situation with regard to analytical methods and supply chain. It was recognised that this threshold would apply to food ingredients so that the level in the final food would be much lower.
The proposal was agreed in Brussels on 21 October with only minor changes.
In agreeing to the 1 per cent. figure we made clear that actual levels of GM material in non GM soya and maize ingredients should be kept as low as possible and that the threshold itself should be reviewed within two years. The Commission will be drafting a statement to accompany the Regulation to cover this point.
We shall be continuing to press strongly for clear EC rules to be agreed on GM free labelling and the labelling of animal foods containing GM material as quickly as possible.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what plans he has to make bilateral agreements with (a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Estonia, (e) Slovenia and (f) Slovakia to minimise regulation and to expedite veterinary inspection relating to the export of UK animal and food products; and if he will make a statement; [94609]
Ms Quin:
There are already agreements between the European Union and the applicant countries. One of the objectives of these agreements is a free trade area to
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establish progressively between the European Union and each of the applicant countries. In addition, Accession Partnerships offer applicant countries EU assistance in meeting priorities for adoption of the Community acquis, including trade rules which underpin the operation of the Single Market.
In the case of the Czech Republic there is a specific Protocol to the Europe Agreement concerning sanitary, phytosanitary and animal welfare measures in relation to trade. Under the terms of the Protocol, there are reduced frequencies for physical checks on certain products traded between the parties. The European Commission has discussed the possibility of similar protocols for trade with Slovakia, Hungary and Poland but these have not yet been concluded.
Sir Brian Mawhinney:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire can expect a reply to his letter of 1 September on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Doyle; [96287]
(3) when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire can expect a reply to his letter of 7 September on behalf of his constituents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. [96288]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I wrote to the right hon. Member on 28 October 1999 in response to the letters to which he refers.
(2) if the EU Commission is seeking to reach agreement with applicant countries for EU membership, in advance of their accession, to minimise regulation and to expedite veterinary inspection relating to the export of EU animal and food products; and if he will make a statement. [94610]
(2) when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire can expect a reply to his letter of 2 September on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Newman; [96289]
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