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Over-30-months Scheme
Mr. Jack: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement setting out the criteria employed by the Intervention Board in determining the selection of slaughterhouses to carry out the requirements of the over 30-months-scheme; [105292]
- (2) if he will make a statement setting out the reasons why the Interventions Board terminated its contract with the Nottingham processing company for the over-30-months scheme. [105299]
Ms Quin [holding answer 19 January 2000]: OTMS slaughter contracts, effective from 4 January 2000, have been awarded to 20 abattoirs. Decisions were reached following a competitive tender under which bids were evaluated against previously published objective criteria, including quality of service, price, ability to offer a dedicated service, ease of supervision, throughput and location.
All the bids for a particular area of the country were scored against each of the criteria and aggregate scores were compared. Nottingham Processing Company scored well, but their aggregate score was less than the scores of the five successful companies in the Midlands region.
Beef Sales
Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to promote the sale of beef to non-EU countries. [107562]
Ms Quin: I am currently leading efforts to persuade the Governments of those countries that the trade have identified as key potential markets, to lift restrictions on the import of British beef. The programme includes direct approaches to these administrations by our local Posts, and continuing liaison between veterinary authorities; Ministers on visits abroad are briefed to raise the issue as appropriate and similar opportunities are identified when Ministers for relevant countries are in the UK. I am also in touch with their relevant overseas representatives in London.
Furthermore, promotion of British meat generally at home and abroad is the responsibility of the Meat and Livestock Commission. The Department routinely works with them and other interested organisations to try to open
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up new (and expand existing) markets and to promote exports via trade fairs and other events world wide. A number of such events are planned.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the sales of food surpluses from the European Union to countries outside the union during the last 12 months. [108013]
Ms Quin:
Details of UK intervention stocks sold outside the European Union during the 12 months of 1999 are:
| Commodity | Tonnes |
|---|---|
| Beef | 0 |
| Barley | 687,916 |
| Wheat | 25,346 |
| Butter | 0 |
| Skimmed milk powder | (13)0 |
(13) Although no skimmed milk powder was "sold" outside the European Union in 1999, 15,000 tonnes was supplied to Russia under a Community food aid scheme.
Figures for similar sales from other member states are not yet available.
Oath of Allegiance
Mr. Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the Oath of Allegiance. [108404]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 3 February 2000]: I am unable to provide this information. Details of correspondence between Members of the House and my Department--including the number received--must be treated in confidence.
Correspondence
Mr. Beith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed dated 16 November 1999, concerning the transfer of responsibility for the private water supply at Harwood Village. [108626]
Mr. Nick Brown: I replied to the letter from the right hon. Member on 7 February 2000.
Mr. Beith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed dated 27 October concerning the Government's policy on organic farming. [108627]
Mr. Nick Brown: I replied to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed on 31 January 2000.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire of 16 November 1999 about leaf minors. [109008]
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Mr. Nick Brown:
A letter to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire was sent on 4 February 2000 by my noble Friend Baroness Hayman.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of the Randomised Badger Culling trial; [108571]
Ms Quin:
Six triplets have so far been enrolled into the badger culling trial. Culling has taken place in three of these, and surveying has started in the others. Work is currently suspended in one triplet. We expect to announce the remaining triplets this year.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of TB compensation paid to farmers (a) within the Krebs Trial areas and (b) outside the trial areas during 1998-99; and what is his provision for compensation payments in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01 and (iii) 2001-02. [108377]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 3 February 2000]: The cost of TB compensation paid within the Krebs trial areas is not separately recorded.
The TB compensation paid to farmers in England in 1998-99 amounted to £3.775 million. The estimated outturn for 1999-2000 is £5.0 million, and the provisional allocation for 2000-01 is £5.99 million. The provision for 2001-02 has yet to be determined.
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the most common reasons for rejecting claims made under the Beef Special Premium Scheme. [108483]
Ms Quin:
The most common reasons for rejecting claims as a percentage of the total rejections are as follows:
(2) how many of the badger culling trials are fully operational. [108572]
1. Beef cattle stocked more intensively than two livestock units per hectare (58 per cent.).
2. Significant claimant errors which cannot be disregarded under EU regulations (10 per cent.).
3. Discrepancies discovered during inspection (5 per cent.).
Departmental Secondees
Mr. Willis: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff were seconded from the private sector to his Department in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to the latest date for which figures are available, stating in each case the companies from which staff have been seconded. [109290]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 February 2000]: The information requested is as follows:
(a) May 1997-April 1998: One, duration three months, Royal Bank of Scotland;
(b) May 1998-April 1999: One, duration three weeks, Manor Bakeries;
(c) May 1999-January 2000: None.
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Cattle
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each of the last two years for which records are available (a) the total number of cattle slaughtered for food in the UK and (b) their gender. [109338]
Mr. Morley: The requested figures are shown in the table. The gender of slaughtered calves is not collected.
| 1998 | 1999(15) | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult cattle | 2,297 | 2,217 |
| Male | 1,445 | 1,338 |
| Female | 853 | 879 |
| Calves | 32 | 75 |
(14) Excludes cattle slaughtered under the over thirty months scheme and the Selective Cull and calves slaughtered under the Calf Processing Aid Scheme
(15) Provisional
Animal Slaughter
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will meet his French counterpart to discuss the Eid el Kebir festival and the steps being taken by the French Government to enforce the law relating to animal slaughter; and if he will make a statement; [108651]
- (2) if he will prevent the export of sheep destined for the festival of Eid el Kebir; and if he will make a statement. [108650]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 February 2000]: The Government have no legal power to ban the export of livestock to another member state (in this case France) because of the way they may be treated there. The French authorities are responsible for enforcement of EU welfare rules in France, and we have drawn their attention to the very serious breaches of welfare rules that have occurred during this festival in recent years.
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