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Farming Subsidies
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers receive total annual subsidies of more than (a) £1,000, (b) £5,000, (c) £10,000, (d) £20,000 and (e) £25,000. [103664]
Ms Quin [holding answer 21 December 1999]: Figures for the number of farmers receiving annual subsidies are unavailable. However figures held by MAFF for the number of UK agricultural holdings which received payments under the Schemes covered by the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) 1 in the 1997-98 EAGGF year are as follows:
| Financial bonds | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,000+(19) | (20)-- | (20)-- | (20)-- | (20)-- |
| £5,000+ | 158,285 | 23,794 | 19,457 | 28,634 |
| £10,000+ | 36,530 | 8,891 | 2,846 | 4,697 |
| £20,000+ | 19,817 | 5,356 | 777 | 1,358 |
| £30,000+(19) | 12,689 | 3,299 | 262 | 488 |
(17) The Arable Area Payments, Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Sheep Annual Premium Schemes and Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances.
(18) Payments are for the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund year 16 October 1997-15 October 1998.
(19) The figures for the number of agricultural holdings receiving annual subsidies of over £1,000 and £25,000 are not available without incurring disproportionate costs to provide the information requested.
(20) Unavailable.
Milk
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how long the intervention milk price equivalent has been set in euros rather than ecu; what assessment he has made of the effect of the decline of the euro against the pound on UK milk support prices for each 1 per cent. fall in the euro; and if he will estimate the differential in UK milk prices if the IMPE had continued to be set in ecu. [105479]
Ms Quin:
The Intervention Milk Price Equivalent (IMPE) is a derived value for the price of the milk which goes into the manufacture of intervention products in the dairy sector. It has no formal basis either in the CAP regime or in UK law and is used only as a commercial negotiating mechanism between milk sellers and purchasers. The Government make no calculation, therefore, of its value. For each 1 per cent. decline in the euro against sterling, EU milk support prices in the UK also fall by 1 per cent.
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Mr. Cawsey:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assistance the Government have given the pig sector since 1 January 1999; and what further assistance his Department plans to give. [105434]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: The pig sector was eligible for marketing grants under the Agriculture Development Scheme 1999. The scheme closed for applications on 30 November 1999 and successful applications were announced recently. Pig industry projects benefited significantly from the scheme, receiving over 35 per cent. of the total grants made. £3 million of marketing/promotional money was also earmarked exclusively for the pig sector. Discussions with the industry have resulted in the Government part funding a £4.6 million industry-led welfare-linked promotion campaign. This will begin in February and continue through to October.
The "verification officer" appointed by my right hon. Friend the Minister, will continue his work with industry bodies to identify cases where product is being sold at retail or catering level which misleads the consumer into believing it contains pork of British origin when in fact it is imported. He will also continue to check progress on the commitment given some time ago by major retailers that all their own label fresh pork and certain processed products such as bacon would come from stall and tether and Meat and Bone Meal free production systems. Meetings between Ministers and retailers and caterers on all these issues have taken place. The Minister has also written to public authorities encouraging them to purchase their pork supplies to British standards.
Sir Peter Emery:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he will take to ensure that UK farmers, producing short fibre flax, are not discriminated against under the EU flax regime proposals for processing aid. [105611]
Ms Quin:
The Commission proposals to bring reform to the flax and hemp sector are broadly welcome, particularly on budgetary grounds.
However, some aspects of the proposals discriminate against UK production and in the negotiating process we shall seek to ensure a more equitable outcome.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the official procedures to which the GM AgrEvo T25 Maize, covered by Commission Decision 98/293/EC dated 22 April 1998, (a) was subjected and (b) will be subjected for the purpose of assessing its safety for (i) human and (ii) animal consumption. [107266]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 27 January 2000]: The application to market AgrEvo's T25 GM maize was submitted to France in accordance with procedures in Directive 90/220/EEC. The application was subsequently assessed by all Member States, including the UK.
In the UK the application was assessed by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. The
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marketing consent permitting importation and cultivation in the EU for use as food and feed ingredients was issued by France in August 1998.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he received a copy of the notification under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 of AgrEvo T25 modified maize; and if he will place a copy of the notification in the Library. [107541]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 28 January 2000]: Ingredients derived from AgrEvo T25 modified maize were approved for food use in the UK in February 1997 following a full safety assessment by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP). Details of the Committee's assessment can be found in its 1996 Annual Report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
The notification, by AgrEvo under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97, containing the ACNFP's assessment report, was transmitted to all Member States on 6 February 1998. No one objected to the notification.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes submitted to the European Commission under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 in respect of AgrEvo's T25 genetically modified maize. [107784]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 31 January 2000]: The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes' report on food ingredients derived from AgrEvo's T25 genetically modified maize is contained in their 1996 annual report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the notifications of which he has received copies from the EC under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 since 1 January 1999. [107783]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 31 January 2000]: Since 1 January 1999 three notifications under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 have been received. These relate to the placing on the market of processed oil from the following three varieties of genetically modified oilseed rape:
These notifications are based on an assessment by the German competent authority.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific scientific factors he or his advisers apply in determining whether a particular food or food ingredient contains or consists of genetically modified organisms, for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 or otherwise. [107837]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 31 January 2000]: For the purposes of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 food or food ingredients containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refers to products where
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GMOs, as defined in article 2(2) of Directive 90/220/EEC, are present. In this definition, an organism is a biological entity capable of replication or of transferring genetic material.
1. Falcon GS 40/90--AgrEvo
2. Male sterile MS8, fertility restorer RF3, all conventional crosses from these and the hybrid combination (MS8xRF3)--Plant Genetic Systems
3. Liberator L62--AgrEvo.
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