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Fishing Zone Rights
Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what plans he has to alter the boundaries between the English fishing zones and those for (a) Scotland and (b) Wales; [114893]
- (2) what reserved rights fishermen from England have to operate in United Kingdom fishing zones controlled and managed by the (a) Scottish Parliament and (b) National Assembly for Wales; [114891]
(3) if he will list the responsibilities of (a) his Department and (b) the devolved Executives in respect of the delineation of fisheries zones in United Kingdom waters; and if he will make a statement. [114892]
Mr. Morley: The licensing arrangements put in place following devolution leave unchanged the rights of all UK fishermen to fish throughout British Fishery Limits.
The Scottish Zone of British Fishery Limits was established by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 [SI 1999/1126] made under the provisions of Section 126(2) of the Scotland Act 1998. There is no Welsh zone, but as a result of the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 [SI 1999/672] the National Assembly has devolved responsibility for fisheries matters in Wales out to the limit of adjoining territorial waters.
There are no plans to change these arrangements.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 2000, Official Report, column 868W, if he will make a statement on the practice of spreading of liquid condensate on land in Staffordshire; when he intends to announce new proposals; and what public consultation is proposed in relation to the Committee's recommendations. [115087]
Ms Quin:
We are actively considering controls on the spreading of condensate from the rendering of ruminant animals to land. Once proposals are ready, we will consult on them.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has been given on the conditions necessary for the degradation of DNA, particularly in food matrices; and if he will make a statement. [115499]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 20 March 2000]: DNA is a normal part of the everyday diet. It is degraded to varying degrees during processing and cooking etc. according to the conditions applied. It is also degraded by the digestive processes of the gut once consumed.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 7 March
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 587W
2000, Official Report, column 581W, on fishing quotas, what was the nature of the United Kingdom response to the Commission opinion. [115574]
Mr. Morley:
In allocating quota to producer organisations and other groups in 1992 and subsequent years adequate provision was made for the return to the UK fleet of vessels which had been previously de-registered as a result of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times section 18(2a) of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 has been invoked in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [115274]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 21 March 2000]: To date, we have been notified of 404 notices issued under Article 18(2) of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 by inspectors of the Ministry or local authorities during the six months to 29 February 2000. Figures are not kept to show under which part of Article 18(2) these notices are issued.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department's officials discussed the weather and sea conditions with the Master of the Cap Afrique on the night of 2 March; and if he will make statement. [115241]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 21 March 2000]: The weather and sea conditions on the night of 2 March were not discussed with the Master of the Cap Afrique. This is a matter for concern, given that the weather conditions were such that they ought to have triggered discussions between Ministry staff and the Master. The standing instructions to staff are being revised so as to tighten procedures on future occasions.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to announce the arrangements and criteria for the allocation of tuna licences for the current year. [115629]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 21 March 2000]: An announcement on the arrangements and criteria for the allocation of tuna licences for the year 2000 will be made shortly.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elected members of local authorities have been appointed (a) chairman and (b) non-executive director of (i) health authorities and (ii) trusts since 1 May 1997, indicating the party affiliation in each case. [114366]
Ms Stuart
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The information requested is given in the table.
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 588W
| Political party | National Health Service trusts | Health authorities |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | ||
| Chairs | 6 | 1 |
| Non-Executives | 3 | 4 |
| Liberal | ||
| Chairs | 5 | 0 |
| Non-Executives | 27 | 8 |
| Labour | ||
| Chairs | 35 | 6 |
| Non-Executives | 234 | 43 |
| Other | ||
| Chairs | 0 | 0 |
| Non-Executives | 8 | 2 |
| Total since 1 May 1997 | 318 | 64 |
This represents approximately 12.3 per cent. of those appointed to the boards of National Health Service trusts and health authorities since 1 May 1997.
NHS Appointments
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the political affiliation of non-executives appointed to NHS bodies, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by body, health authority, region and in total, (b) the names of those whose political affiliation has changed during this period and (c) the political affiliation of those who have left non-executive posts in the same period; and if he will make a statement. [114211]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Department does not collect information on the political affiliation of those appointed to National Health Service bodies. In accordance with guidance from the Commissioner for Public Appointments, information is collected on political activity undertaken by chairs and non-executives at the time they apply for a National Health Service appointment. Details of those board members who have undertaken political activity for different parties is published in the Department of Health Public Appointments Annual Report. Copies of the 1996, 1998 and 1999 reports are in the Library. The 2000 report will be published in May. Information on board members who have declared political activity and who have left non-executive or chair posts at National Health Service trusts or health authorities in the last three years is given in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 133 |
| Independent | 10 |
| Labour | 98 |
| Liberal Democrat | 25 |
| Other | 10 |
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 589W
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of appointments to health authorities, trusts and other NHS bodies he has made in Greater London since 1 May 1997 indicating the total number who have declared a Labour Party background, their names, and Labour Party activities. [114772]
Ms Stuart
[holding answer 16 March 2000]: Information on candidates appointed to National Health Service boards and any political activity declared is recorded in the Department of Health Public Appointments Annual Report for 1999, copies of which are available in the Library. The 2000 report will be published in May.
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 590W
Earnings Top-up Pilot
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each year of the earnings top-up pilot, the relevant local authority area in England and Wales and the total number of individuals, indicating their (a) gender and (b) average ETU award, who participated in the pilot. [115109]
Angela Eagle:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 589W
| Number of participants | Average weekly ETU (£) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot area | Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All |
| All areas | 11,195 | 12,253 | 23,448 | 26.43 | 23.67 | 24.99 |
| Scheme A | ||||||
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 1,914 | 1,909 | 3,823 | 25.10 | 21.90 | 23.51 |
| Barnsley, Castleford, Pontefract, Wakefield and Dewsbury | 1,253 | 1,393 | 2,646 | 26.66 | 21.99 | 24.20 |
| Southend | 432 | 568 | 1,000 | 24.48 | 22.00 | 23.07 |
| Wales | 1,299 | 1,402 | 2,701 | 26.16 | 23.41 | 24.73 |
| Scheme B | ||||||
| Sunderland | 3,136 | 3,235 | 6,371 | 26.79 | 24.35 | 25.55 |
| Doncaster | 1,605 | 1,989 | 3,594 | 27.17 | 24.90 | 25.92 |
| Bournemouth | 868 | 796 | 1,664 | 27.79 | 25.88 | 26.88 |
| Scotland | 688 | 961 | 1,649 | 26.32 | 24.31 | 25.15 |
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 589W
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 589W
22 Mar 2000 : Column: 589W
| Year | Number disallowed |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 5,801 |
| 1997-98 | 6,635 |
| 1998-99 | 7,485 |
Notes:
1. Based on 100 per cent. caseload figures.
2. Figures are unrounded.
3. Figures represent the sum of all participants in each given period. Claims are only counted once in each year, although there will be a degree of double counting between years where a participant has been receiving ETU over more than one yearly period.
4. Detailed figures for disallowed cases of ETU are not available, as gender and pilot area are not recorded.
Source:
Earnings Top-Up Statistical Enquiry, February 2000.
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the evaluation of the effects of the Earnings Top-Up pilot. [115107]
Angela Eagle: A report providing a description of the programme of research to evaluate the effects of the Earnings Top-Up pilot was published in May 1996 and placed in the Library. Interim findings from the evaluation were published in the Department of Social Security Research Series in March 2000 and final results will be available in early 2001.
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