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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Departmental Research Contracts

Dr. Harris: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 December 1999, Official Report, columns 398-400W, what restrictions were placed on contractors carrying out research projects funded by his Department in 1999 in respect of them discussing their findings with journalists (a) before and (b) after publication. [108192]

Jane Kennedy: The Lord Chancellor's Department has not sought to control or veto contacts between contracted researchers and journalists, before or after publication, but does require that the researchers provide advance notice and/or brief details of the interview. For further details the hon. Member should consult the copies of the standard form of contract placed in the Library as indicated in my written answer of 4 February 2000, Official Report, column 764W.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Ministerial Meetings

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates since 16 December 1999 on which he (a) met and (b) spoke by telephone with the French Minister of Agriculture and Fish. [108426]

Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 3 February 2000]: I met the French Agriculture Minister on 24 January at a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council.

Farming (Berkshire)

Mrs. May: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total number of pig units in Berkshire in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99. [108422]

Ms Quin [holding answer 3 February 2000]: Information on the number of holdings with pigs is provided in the table.

Number of main holdings in Berkshire with pigs

Year	Holdings with pigs
1996	74
1997	76
1998	79
1999	70

Source:

Agricultural and Horticultural Census

Suicide Rates

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been the rates of suicides among (a) farmers and (b) vets in each of the last 10 years. [108503]

7 Feb 2000 : Column: 77W

Mr. Morley [holding answer 4 February 2000]: The number of suicides and deaths from undetermined injury between 1988-98 is set out in the table.

Deaths from suicide and undetermined injury 1988-98 Men and women aged 16-74 at death

Year of occurrence	Farmers, orticulturalists, and farm managers	Other agricultural employees	Veterinarians
1988	60	36	3
1989	45	32	6
1990	49	33	6
1991	54	31	5
1992	47	32	2
1993	50	35	3
1994	44	29	2
1995	41	17	5
1996	36	35	2
1997	42	25	3
1998	54	25	6

Note:

Data for 1999 will be available later in the year

Source:

Office for National Statistics

Farm Acreages

Mr. Cox: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average acreage of land of a farm in England and Wales in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [108172]

Ms Quin: The information requested is provided in the table:

Number and area of main holdings in England and Wales: June 1999

	Number/area
Total Number of Holdings (thousand)	175.2
Total Area (thousand hectares)	10,644
Average Farm Size (hectares)	60.7

Source:

Agricultural and Horticultural Census

Over-30-months Scheme

Mr. Paice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what point ownership of a cow over 30 months old transfers to the Intervention Board under the over-30-months scheme in the case where a livestock market is used as a collection centre and animals are tagged by the Board at that centre. [108130]

Ms Quin: For the purpose of the Over-30-months scheme the Intervention Board does not take ownership of the cattle until they are presented for slaughter, and it is at this point that eligibility for compensation is determined. Producers have the option of submitting animals into the scheme directly to abattoirs on a deadweight basis, or via auction markets who act as agents for producers in submitting animals into the scheme on a liveweight basis. At auction markets animals undergo preliminary eligibility checks, in particular weighing. A further tag is inserted in the animal's ear at this stage for ease of identification purposes only.

7 Feb 2000 : Column: 78W

Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the operational and cost consequences for farmers and the livestock trade in the north-west of the decision by the Intervention Board to withdraw the Nottingham processing company from the over 30 months scheme. [105297]

Ms Quin [holding answer 19 January 2000]: Sufficient Over-30-months Scheme (OTMS) slaughtering capacity has been contracted from the abattoirs at Oldham, Great Harwood and Ulverston, such that there will be little, if any effect on the farming community in the north-west as a consequence of the non-award of an OTMS slaughtering contract to the Nottingham abattoir.

Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the financial checks which are made on companies competing for over 30 months scheme contracts. [105293]

Ms Quin [holding answer 19 January 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 9W.

Meat and Bonemeal

Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the location of each site where meat and bone meal is stored prior to incineration and the tonnage stored at each of these sites. [107933]

Ms Quin: At 31 December 1999 stocks of meat and bone meal produced from the rendering of animals under the Over-30-Month Scheme and Selective Cull Scheme were estimated at 459,712 tonnes. The material is stored at 15 locations in the UK as shown in the table.

Store location	Tonnage as at 31 December 1999
Preston, Lancashire	21,447
Longton, Lancashire	35,040
Chorley, Lancashire	29,690
Liverpool, Merseyside	54,269
Widnes, Cheshire	2,535
Barkston Heath, Lincolnshire	92,841
Childs Ercall, Shropshire	9,991
Woodbury Salterton, Devon	11,677
Wrangton, Devon	49,224
Glenrothes, Fife	49,798
Kirknewton, Midlothian	22,314
Newtownabbey, County Antrim	11,822
Castledawson, Londonderry	23,882
Ballinderry, County Antrim	10,329
Newtonstewart, County Tyrone	34,853
Total	459,712

Pig Industry

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding EU grants for exceptional occurrences within the pig industry; and what action he has taken. [R][ [107472]

Ms Quin: We have received no representations and there are no such EU grants. MAFF Ministers continue to follow closely developments in the pig sector.

7 Feb 2000 : Column: 79W

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the European Agriculture Commissioner regarding payments to the pig industry to offset the cost of exceptional occurrences resulting from BSE in cattle. [R] [107471]

Ms Quin: My right hon. Friend has many discussions with Mr. Fischler on all manner of topics. The Minister and I last discussed state aid in the pig sector with Mr. Fischler in the margins of the Agriculture Council on Monday 24 January.

Red Tape Review

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will implement the recommendations of the Pooley report. [R] [107473]

Ms Quin: As indicated in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Dr. Naysmith), 1 February 2000, Official Report, column 570W, we have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the Government's response to the report of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group. This indicates that we have accepted most of the recommendations in the report. Some of these can be implemented straight away but others will require discussions in Brussels with the EU Commission and others (including the industry) before they can be fully implemented. Nevertheless, it is our intention that this should be done as speedily as possible. From April most of the recommendations will be for the Food Standards Agency to carry forward.

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