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Public Authorities
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the bodies which he intends to designate as public authorities under section 75(3)(a) and (3)(d) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; which Departments, corporations or bodies listed in Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 will not be so designated; and when he intends to make the final list public. [113560]
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Mr. George Howarth:
The Northern Ireland Act 1998 defines over one hundred public bodies to which the section 75 obligations already apply. However, the Secretary of State may designate additional bodies under section 75(3)(a) and (d) of the Act, including those listed in the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, to which the obligation should apply. The Parliamentary Commissioner Act lists a large number of public authorities, many of which have little or no influence in Northern Ireland.
I have met the Equality Commission to discuss the contents of the proposed designation order. At our meeting, the Equality Commission suggested a considerable number of other bodies for inclusion in the order. We plan to consult those bodies suggested to us by the Equality Commission which carry out functions relating to Northern Ireland as part of our consideration of whether they should be designated.
We intend to lay an order before Parliament as soon as possible which will list a number of bodies in respect of which our consultation is complete. In due course we hope a more comprehensive designation order will be drafted, for making later this year.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of (a) applicants and (b) admissions into the Armstrong Primary School in Armagh City in September 1999; what provision there is for a pre-school class at this school; at which locations in Armagh City he has approved pre-school provision; if there is an application by the Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility; and if he will make a statement. [113685]
Mr. George Howarth
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The total number of applicants and the total number of admissions to the Armstrong Primary School, Armagh in September 1999 was 37. This includes 22 applications for reception during the current school year as they reach their fourth birthdays. Funded pre-school education provisions exists or has been approved through the 1999-2000 Pre-School Education Development Plan for the Southern Education and Library Board area in the following settings in Armagh City.
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(7) Number of reception children in attendance on 31 October 1998.
(8) The reception places are due to be replaced by the nursery places in the 2000-01 school year.
Note:
There is currently no application by Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility in addition to its reception group. A proposal in 1999 from the Southern area Pre-School Education Advisory Group for the establishment of a nursery unit at the school was not approved by the Department of Education.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Organic Farming
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the main obstacles to the growth of the organic farming sector. [113827]
Mr. Morley: As part of the Review of the Organic Farming Scheme we are commissioning a study to ascertain farmers' views on organic farming and to identify the nature and extent of the main barriers to conversion.
Tree Felling Licences
Mr. Chope: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000, Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling licences, if he will place a copy of the licence referred to in the Library. [114430]
Mr. Morley: I have arranged for a copy of the tree felling licence for Avon Heath Country Park to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000, Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling
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licences, if he will identify in respect of each of the breaches the owner or organisation responsible and the nature of the breaches alleged. [114386]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: In the last five years, three owners were successfully prosecuted for breaches of tree felling licences. One owner had felled unapproved trees within the approved area; his conviction is now spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The other two owners, Mr. L. B. Holliday and Mr. C. A. P. Duncombe, had both felled trees outside the approved area.
In the other breaches investigated by the Forestry Commission over the last five years the owners were not successfully prosecuted so it would not be appropriate to give their names. In each case they had either felled trees outside the approved area or felled unapproved trees within the approved area.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000, Official Report, columns 581-82W, on tree felling licences, what was the size and location of each area covered by the licences; and how long each licence is to remain in force. [114213]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The size, location and expiry dates of tree felling licences granted to the RSPB in each of the last five years are given in the table.
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| Year ending 31 March | Location | Number of trees licensed for felling | Size of area (hectares) | Expiry date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk | 390 | 3.7 | March 1988 |
| 1997 | Nil | -- | -- | -- |
| 1998 | Stowborough Nature Reserve, Dorset | 200 | 0.6 | April 2000 |
| 1998 | Grange Heath, Dorset | 800 | 8.0 | September 1999 |
| 1998 | Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire | 2,680 | 2.6 | February 2000 |
| 1998 | Aldringham Walks, Suffolk | 180 | 5.0 | October 1999 |
| 1999 | Avon Heath Country Park, Dorset | 86,000 | 77.9 | January 2004 |
| 1999 | Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire | 15 | 0.1 | March 2001 |
| 2000 | Grange Heath, Dorset | 210 | 0.5 | January 2004 |
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Mr. Chope:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary guidance drawn up by the Forestry
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Commission as to how its staff when considering felling licences should respond to potential conflict arising from the EU requirement to restore heathland habitats in Dorset
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and the need to retain trees as a habitat for woodland birds and as an amenity landscape feature. [114322]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Forestry Commission's guidance to staff on this issue is given on pages 13, 14 and 29 of the Forestry Commission's publication "Lowland Heaths and Forestry", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Commission is currently drafting more detailed guidance for its staff, and I have asked the Commission to send the hon. Member a copy of the first draft.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on how the Government intend to encourage farmers (a) to protect and maintain hedgerows and (b) to increase the number and area of field buffer strips; and if he will make a statement. [114173]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Ministry operates a range of schemes to encourage environmentally friendly farming. The Countryside Stewardship (CSS) Scheme and the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Scheme both provide for the planting, laying and coppicing of hedgerows. 10,000 km of hedgerows are currently managed under these schemes.
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