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Beef Exports

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assistance is provided by his Department for the export of English beef to the EU. [105032]

Ms Quin [holding answer 17 January 2000]: Officials have sent detailed guidance on the Date-based Export Scheme (DBES) to all abattoirs that may be eligible to participate in the Scheme and set up a helpline to give advice. The Government have also spent more than £1 million on developing the scheme, including the IT systems which are necessary to support it, which will not be recovered through charges. Close contact is maintained with the English slaughterhouse participating in DBES and a temporary rebate has been applied to charges for checking the export eligibility of animals.

Genetically Modified Food

Mr. David Heath: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department will be funding research to confirm the findings of the Scottish Office's flexible fund project RO 818 (grant number FF818) on potatoes modified for the GNA gene undertaken by the Rowett Research Institute. [101753]

Ms Quin [holding answer 9 December 1999]: We have no plans to carry forward this research.

Flood Defences (South-West)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase funding to the Environment Agency to undertake emergency flood prevention measures in the South-West. [105417]

Mr. Morley: The Government are aware of the serious flooding that occurred over the Christmas period. We sympathise with all those affected and pay tribute to the work done by the Environment Agency and others to mitigate the effects. Apart from grants towards approved capital works, the Ministry does not contribute to the cost of the Environment Agency's flood defence work. The great majority of this work is funded by levies on local authorities, for which funding is provided through the Revenue Support Grant and Standard Spending Assessments arrangements. The cost of any emergency

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flood prevention measures in the South-West will need to be met through these existing mechanisms. If studies identify the need for future capital works, MAFF funding will be considered against the normal criteria and national priority assessments.

Interest Rates (Farmers)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce low-interest loans and mortgages for farmers. [105030]

Ms Quin [holding answer 17 January 2000]: The Government have no plans at present to introduce low interest loans and mortgages for farmers. The £1.6 billion support for Rural Development, which my right hon. Friend announced on 7 December 1999, Official Report, columns 701-03, will be applied through project funding or grants which offer effective and well focused forms of support.

In addition, loan guarantees will continue to be available to qualifying sectors of the agriculture industry under the Government's Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Departmental Properties

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are (a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105305]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 19 January 2000]: The information requested is set out as follows:

















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    The site will be marketed when an appeal against a rejection of an application for planning consent is determined.


    9. Former Buffer Depot, 5 Almondbank, Perth--closed 29 September 1995.


    MAFF's agents advise that marketing of this site should be delayed until the planning status of an adjacent site is established.


    10. Former Central Science Laboratory, Torry Research Station, 135 Abbey Road, Aberdeen--closed 31 August 1996.


    A purchaser has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.


    11. Former Central Science Laboratory, Hatching Green, Harpenden, Herts--closed 1 December 1996.


    A purchaser has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.


    12. Land and dwellings at Worthing Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex--vacated on various dates between January 1996 and May 1999.


    An application for planning consent has been submitted and we await the outcome.


    13. Land at Ware Road, Hoddesdon, Hertford--originally vacated in 1989,


    We are co-operating with the Health Authority, who own adjacent land, with a view to establishing a planning designation and joint marketing arrangements.


    Properties mainly vacant


    14. Crown House, Sittingbourne Road, Kent--mainly vacated in October 1992.


    15. Offices in Albert Dock, Hull--mainly vacated in June 1996.

Deregulation

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what orders his Department has made under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 in each year since 1994; and what plans it has to introduce such orders. [106084]

Ms Quin [holding answer 20 January 2000]: Since 1994 the Department has made two orders reducing regulatory burdens, The Deregulation (Corn Returns Act 1882) Order 1996 and the Deregulation (Slaughterhouses Act 1974 and Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) Act 1980) Order 1996. These Orders are estimated to have each saved industry £100,000 per year. We will continue to look for opportunities to use such orders to remove legislation where we can.

Fisheries Council

Mr. Hood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the outcome was of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 14 January; and if he will make a statement. [106539]

Mr. Morley: Since the Fisheries Council which met on 16-17 December succeeded in agreeing on Total Allowable Catches for 2000 there was no need for a further meeting of the Council on 14 January.

Chicken Imports

Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding the labelling of chicken imported into the UK from outside the European Union. [103293]

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Ms Quin: Ministers and officials have received a number of letters from right hon. and hon. Members, the industry and the public on this matter. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Minister met with representatives from the National Farmers Union, the British Poultry Meat Federation and other poultry organisations on Monday 20 December to discuss this and other issues of concern to the sector.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Bonuses

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies spent in total on extra bonuses above usual payments for staff working over the New Year period; what were the (a) maximum and (b) minimum bonuses paid; how many people received the (i) maximum and (ii) minimum payments; and if he will make a statement. [104471]

Mr. Straw: I will write to the hon. Member.

Home Detention Curfew

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners who have electronic tags have not been convicted of violent crimes. [105334]

Mr. Boateng: As at 12 January 2000, 81 per cent. of those prisoners subject to home detention curfew at that time did not have a current index offence for an offence of violence. Of the total number of prisoners placed on home detention curfew since the scheme began on 28 January 1999, 83 per cent. did not have a current index offence for an offence of violence.

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