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Farm Repossessions

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in the last three years have lost their businesses because of repossession of their farms by lenders. [110444]

Ms Quin: There are no statistics on farm repossessions but I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 6 March 2000, Official Report, column 528W.

Primate Exports

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries to which the UK exports primates; and what species of primates are imported to the UK other than macaques. [111150]

Ms Quin: During 1999 my Department issued health certification for the export of primates to the following countries:

Australia


Croatia


Czech Republic


Denmark


Finland


France


Gabon


Germany


Hungary


Indonesia

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 717W

Israel


Poland


Republic of Ireland


Russia


South Africa


Spain


Sri Lanka.

In 1999 import licences were issued for the following species of primates:

Crab-eating Macaque (Cynomolgus Macaca Fascicularis)


Red Bellied Lemur (Lemur rubriventer)


White Fronted Brown Lemur (Eulemur fuluus albifrons)


Humboldt's Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha)


White Collared Lemur (Eulemur Fulvus albocollaris)


Crowned Lemur (Lemur coronatus)


Western Gentle Lemur (Hapalemur griseus occidentalis)


Pale headed Saki (Pithecia pithecia)


Dusky Titi Monkey (Callicevus moloch)


Owl Faced Monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni)


Geoffroy's Marmoset (Callithrix geoffroyi)


Western black and white Colobus (Colobus Polykomos Polykomos)


Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia rosalia)


Capuchin Monkey (Cebus albifrons)


Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus)


Tamarin (Saguinus midas)


Binturang (Artictis Binturang)


Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)


Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)

Ring Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)


Colombian Black Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps robostus)


Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

Golden Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontideus chrysomelas)


Sclater's Lemur (Lemur flaurifrons)


Red Ruffed Lemur (Vercia variegata rubra)

Siamang (Syndalactus)

Moloch Gibbon (Hylobates moloch moloch)


Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)


Gelada Baboon (Theropithecus gelada)


Lesser Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus).

Agriculture (Somerset)

Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) pig units, (b) dairy units and (c) poultry units there were in Somerset in (i) 1990-91, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98, (iv) 1998-99 and (v) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111962]

Ms Quin [holding answer 28 February 2000]: The table shows the number of main holdings in Somerset with (a) pigs, (b) dairy cattle and (c) poultry.

	Holdings with pigs	Holdings with dairy cattle	Holdings with poultry (18)
1990	473	1,724	950
1991	463	1,685	927
1996	350	1,422	n/a
1997	371	1,371	n/a
1998	382	1,326	815
1999	372	1,289	851

(18) Fowls including layers and broilers

Source:

Agricultural and Horticultural Census

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 718W

Pig Industry

Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what recent informal discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss state aid for the UK pig industry; [111719]

(2) what recent discussions he has had with HM Treasury regarding schemes to compensate pig farmers for BSE-related costs. [111720]

Ms Quin: My right hon. Friends the Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer discuss many issues, both formally and informally. The Government are well aware of the current market conditions in the UK pig sector and of the representations which have been made for the introduction of some form of aid to compensate for the costs of BSE control measures falling on the pig sector. The scope for providing state aid is an issue which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has looked at very closely and will continue to do so. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, any investment by Government must be linked to the long-term strengthening of the industry as part of an agreed overall strategy. To this end, my officials are in close touch with the National Pig Association and others.

Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he had with representatives of the pig industry in January regarding schemes to compensate pig farmers for BSE-related costs. [111708]

Ms Quin: We have had a number of meetings with representatives of the pig industry in recent months which have included BSE-related costs. This is an issue which my right hon. Friend the Minister has looked at very closely and will continue to do so. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, any investment by Government must be linked to the long-term strengthening of the industry as part of an agreed overall strategy. To this end, my officials are in close touch with the National Pig Association and others.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what progress his Department has made in respect of state aid to restructure the UK pig industry; [113162]

(2) what requests he has made to the EU Commission in respect of state aid for restructuring the United Kingdom pig sector; [113160]

(3) what measures he is proposing to reduce the impact of the BSE-equivalent levy on UK pig farmers. [113161]

Ms Quin: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 1 February, any investment by Government must be linked to long-term change in the structure of the industry. It must also be part of an agreed overall strategy; to this end, my officials are in discussion with the National Pig

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 719W

Association and others. Discussions on this topic are also taking place with the European Commission, including direct contacts between my right hon. Friend the Minister and the Agriculture Commissioner.

BSE Inquiry (Costs)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the estimated public costs of the BSE Inquiry up to the date of expected reporting of the inquiry; of those costs, what has been spent during the inquiry (a) by the inquiry team and its staff and (b) within (i) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, (ii) the Department of Health and (iii) other departments and in support of their current and ex-civil servants, (c) supporting current or previous external Government advisers and (d) supporting the relatives of people with vCJD. [112441]

Ms Quin: The estimated public cost of the BSE Inquiry, including the costs of liaison units and legal support for witnesses from the main departments involved, up to the date of expected reporting is about £27 million. This includes:

(a) The BSE Inquiry, including reimbursement of direct costs incurred by relatives of people with vCJD attending the hearings: £16 million;

(b)(i)

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Liaison Unit, including support to current and former officials, former Ministers and current and previous external government advisers: £7.63 million;

(ii) Department of Health Liaison Unit, including support to current and former officials and former Ministers: £2.73 million;

(iii) Other administrations and departments sponsoring the Inquiry--liaison units including support to current and former officials and former Ministers: £0.5 million.

(c) Costs of support for current or previous external government advisers cannot be fully separated out and are therefore included in (b) (i) above;

(d) Reimbursement of direct costs incurred by relatives of people with vCJD attending the hearings: £70,000, included in (a) above.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total amount of public money spent to date in the BSE Inquiry on fees for lawyers not directly employed by the Civil Service; and of these how much has been spent (a) on fees for (i) the Inquiry Chair, (ii) the solicitor to the inquiry and (iii) the main counsel to the inquiry, (b) in support of external Government advisers, (c) in support of employees or ex-employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and (d) in support of employees or ex-employees of the Department of Health. [112442]

Ms Quin: The total amount of public money spent to date on the BSE Inquiry for lawyers not directly employed by the Civil Service is about £9.1 million. Further costs are still being incurred.

(a) The Chairman of the Inquiry and the solicitor to the Inquiry have been paid their normal salaries as public servants while involved in the Inquiry. The Counsel team to the Inquiry has so far cost around £1.7 million. It is not appropriate to provide an indication of fees for individual Counsel;

(b) In support of external government advisers: £0.33 million;

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 720W

(c) In support of employees or ex-employees of MAFF: £4.95 million;

(d) In support of employees or ex-employees of DH: £1.41 million

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the direct and opportunity costs met by (a) witnesses to the BSE inquiry and (b) their employers; and what level of reimbursement for such costs has been made from public funds. [112439]

Ms Quin: We are not in a position to estimate the direct and opportunity costs to witnesses or their employers of the Inquiry. Serving civil servants have participated in the Inquiry as part of their employment and relevant direct costs--travel and subsistence--are met from local budgets. Reimbursement from public funds of direct costs incurred by witnesses, who are no longer serving officials, in preparing and giving evidence to the Inquiry which have been paid by the Inquiry, MAFF, DH and other sponsoring departments, amounts to about £60,000.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to evaluate the relationship between the costs and outcome of the BSE Inquiry. [112438]

Ms Quin: Questions about the relationship between the costs and outcome of a public inquiry can only be addressed once the Report has been received by the Government and assessed by all the parties concerned.

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