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Farms (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dominant farm type for each parish in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. [111072]
Ms Quin: The information requested is provided in the following table:
(5) Suppressed to prevent discourse of information about individual holdings
Note:
This data relates to main holdings only ie minor holdings excluded
Source:
June 1998 Agricultural and Horticultural Census
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The table indicates the farm type with the most main holdings in each parish. Further information on the farm types is available from "The Digest of Agricultural Census Statistics 1993".
Broiler Chickens
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage the broiler chicken industry to give a higher priority to selective breeding of broiler chickens so as to reduce leg disorders, strengthen legs and increase walking ability. [110771]
Mr. Morley: Breeding companies select for a wide range of traits and I am aware of no evidence to suggest that leg strength is not accorded sufficient priority. However, since the Farming Animal Welfare Council reported on broiler welfare in 1992 we have taken a range of measures to address leg weakness, including an extensive research programme and improved training for veterinarians conducting welfare inspections. The industry itself is conducting a survey of leg health, the results of which it is reporting to the Farm Animal Welfare Council.
Peat Compost
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [110730]
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Mr. Morley:
The Ministry has had a policy since 1993 to substitute the use of peat with suitable alternative organic wastes such as compost, manure, leaf mould, bark chippings or coir. Advice on how to replace or minimise the use of peat has been circulated to all MAFF sites. The policy was updated in June 1999 and applies to all sites where the Ministry is responsible for grounds maintenance, including those of its Executive Agencies. We will be using the Green Ministers' Biodiversity Checklist (which encourages the use of peat substitutes and which is due to be published early in March) to raise awareness and to reinforce further our policy. The Ministry has specification clauses included in its contracts covering this issue.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. [110681]
Mr. Morley:
One member of the senior civil service (SCS) in MAFF has declared himself to be from an ethnic minority background. Two MAFF staff who have declared themselves to be of ethnic minority background are currently on secondment to SCS posts in other Government Departments. Both are men.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the recent representations he has received regarding EU regulations to control nitrate in (a) surface water and (b) ground water in the UK. [110536]
Mr. Morley:
This Department has received two recent representations from industry organisations about general implementation of the EU Nitrate Directive as part of the Review of Regulatory Burdens on Agriculture.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent meetings he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss (a) the economic state of the agriculture industry, (b) the high value of the pound sterling and (c) supermarket prices. [110532]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received on the cost burden that faces the UK meat industry in comparison with other EU countries; and if he will make a statement. [110534]
Ms Quin:
A large number of representations has been received from Members of Parliament, industry organisations, individual meat plant operators, farmers, consumers and others about the cost burden facing the UK meat industry in comparison with that in other member states.
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The Government have, on a number of occasions, made clear to the European Commission its concerns over the lack of transparency in the charging arrangements applied in other member states and its doubts as to whether such charges are being set on a common basis throughout the European Union, in accordance with Community Law.
We have passed to the Commission copies of both our own survey of meat inspection charges in other member states and the Meat and Livestock Commission's report on meat inspection charges and other enforcement costs. These have been published and copies are available in the Library of the House. My right hon. Friend the Minister and officials continue to press the Commission to carry out a thorough investigation of the way in which the EU Charges Directive has been implemented in all member states and to establish the level of inspection charges in each country.
At the same time, the Government do recognise the difficulties faced by the industry and has acted on the concerns of the meat industry over the impact of increased inspection costs. As the hon. Member will know from my right hon. Friend the Minister's announcement on 20 September 1999, charges for Specified Risk Material controls will now not be imposed before 2002-03 at the earliest. In addition, on 1 December 1999, he announced that Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) hygiene inspection charges for the whole of 1999-2000 were to be held at the level fixed for 1998-99. This will result in a saving to the meat industry of some £7 million in charges in 1999-2000. We also gave a commitment that the rates of MHS hygiene inspection charges in 2000-01 will not rise by more than the rate of inflation above the levels charged in 1999-2000. These measures represent a considerable cost saving for plant operators.
The cost burden faced by the industry was one of the main issues considered by the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group, whose report was published on 13 December 1999. Of its 35 recommendations, 32 have been accepted, or are under further consideration, including the establishment of a small task force to explore all the issues surrounding a "capping" approach to charging. This is being pursued urgently.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department come from a sustainable source. [110147]
Mr. Morley:
The Ministry's Greening Operations Strategy, which was updated and re-published in June 1999, has among its key aims to conserve resources and minimise waste by reducing the use of materials from non-renewable resources and to ensure that any products derived from nature, such as paper and timber, are derived from sustainable resources and comply with EU and international trading agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
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