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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Agriculture Council
Mr. Hood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 March; and if he will make a statement. [115958]
Mr. Nick Brown: I represented the UK at the EU Agriculture Council meeting in Brussels on 20 March 2000. Mr. Ross Finnie, Minister for Rural Affairs at the Scottish Executive, and Ms Christine Gwyther, Secretary for Agriculture and the Rural Economy at the National Assembly for Wales, were also present.
The Council had an exchange of views on the Commission White Paper on food safety, focusing particularly on the case for horizontal legislation providing for controls across the whole food chain, the need for transparency in the operation of controls, and procedures for the effective handling of the results of inspection visits. Similar debates on the Commission's White Paper are being held in other instances of the Council in order to inform the Commission's eventual report to Heads of Government.
23 Mar 2000 : Column: 636W
The Council agreed on conclusions to guide the Commission in its strategy for accommodating budgetary and WTO pressures in the fixing of export refunds on processed goods. I emphasised to the Council the importance of export refunds to the cereals-based spirit drinks sector, notably Scotch Whisky, and urged the Commission to recognise this concern in its implementation of export refund reductions. A statement to this effect was recorded in the minutes of the Council.
The Council also had a first discussion of a proposal to maintain the EU subsidised school milk scheme, but on a basis of a reduced EU budget contribution and compulsory co-financing by member states. I stressed the importance to the UK of continuing the scheme for the benefit of school children, and requested the Commission to examine other possibilities for savings in the EU milk regime before co-financing had to be considered.
Among other issues discussed in the Council were the present state of negotiations on the EU banana regime and the impact on agriculture of the EU nitrates directive. The Council also agreed a request from Italy for authorisation for payment of a state aid in the sugar sector, with Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands abstaining.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the agricultural shows that he and each of the ministers in his Department have accepted invitations to attend in 2000. [114757]
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: Ministers have received a number of invitations to attend agricultural shows in 2000. These are currently being considered.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the agricultural shows that he and each of the ministers in his Department attended in 1999 and the dates of each such visit. [114756]
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: The table details the agricultural shows attended by Ministers during 1999.
| Show | Date | Minister |
|---|---|---|
| MUCK 99 Agricultural Show | 28 April 1999 | Elliot Morley |
| Devon County Show | 21 May 1999 | Lord Donoughue |
| Royal Bath and West Show | 24 May 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Beef 99 Show | 3 June 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Staffordshire County Show | 3 June 1999 | Jeff Rooker |
| East of England Show | 18 June 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Three Counties Show | 19 June 1999 | Jeff Rooker |
| Lincolnshire Agricultural Show | 23 June 1999 | Elliot Morley |
| Highland Show | 25 June 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Royal Show | 5 July 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Royal Show | 6 July 1999 | Lord Donoughue |
| Kent County Show | 15 July 1999 | Elliot Morley |
| Welsh Show | 20 July 1999 | Nick Brown |
| Ryedale Agricultural Show | 27 July 1999 | Elliot Morley |
| New Forest Show | 28 July 1999 | Elliot Morley |
Press Office
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the (a) Civil Service grade and (b) areas of responsibility of each of the staff employed in the MAFF Press Office. [114754]
23 Mar 2000 : Column: 637W
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: The MAFF Press Office is headed by the Chief Press Officer (Grade 7). The staff reporting to him and their areas of responsibility are as follows:
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the budget for running the MAFF Press Office in each of the last 10 financial years. [114755]
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: Pay and non-pay running costs, attributable to the MAFF Press Office, for each of the last 10 financial years are as follows:
Senior Information Officer
Information Officer
Animal welfare, fisheries, countryside matters, flood and coastal defence.
Senior Information Officer
Information Officer
Assistant Information Officer
Food safety, food standards, meat hygiene, animal health (including BSE), pesticide safety, veterinary medicines, plant health and research, quarantine.
Senior Information Officer
Information Officer
Assistant Information Officer
Europe, CAP, regions, food and drink industry, marketing and competition, export promotion, administration, horticulture, pigs and poultry.
There are five administrative support staff, one Executive Officer, two part-time Administrative Officers, one Administrative Assistant and one Personal Secretary.
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | (10)382,000 |
| 1998-99 | 556,000 |
| 1997-98 | 460,000 |
| 1996-97 | 442,000 |
| 1995-96 | 417,000 |
| 1994-95 | 539,000 |
| 1993-94 | 532,000 |
| 1992-93 | 490,000 |
| 1991-92 | 519,000 |
| 1990-91 | (11)n/a |
(10) Expenditure up to the end of January 2000
(11) Comparable figures are not available for 1990-91
Beef Ban
Mr. Burnett: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress made in the case of the European Union v. Government of France relating to the ban on UK beef. [113399]
Ms Quin [holding answer 16 March 2000]: On 4 January the European Commission brought before the European Court of Justice its infringement action against the French Republic over France's failure to lift its import ban on British beef. Notification of these proceedings (Case C-1/00) was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 4 March. The French Government has now to prepare its defence.
Local Authority Farmland
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of farmland are owned by local authorities. [113880]
23 Mar 2000 : Column: 638W
Ms Quin
[holding answer 10 March 2000]: Information available relates to land let by English local authorities as statutory smallholdings. The most recent figures, covering the period 1 April 1996-31 March 1997, were published in the "Forty-seventh Annual Report to Parliament on Smallholdings in England". A total area of 119,977 hectares, equivalent to 296,463 acres, was held for smallholdings purposes.
Miss Geraldine Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, (1) pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 16W, concerning the number of hon. Members he has met or refused to meet to discuss farming issues, for what reasons he did not provide the numbers requested; [114536]
Mr. Nick Brown
[holding answer 14 March 2000]: I meet individual hon. Members and representatives of farming and other organisations frequently to discuss farming issues in both ministerial and party political contexts. The detailed information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EC fishing nations regarding sport angling and offshore trawling for bass in the English Channel. [115738]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 22 March 2000]: My fisheries science advisers at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science are working with their opposite numbers in IFREMER, the French Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea, on studies on the movement of sea bass offshore. If this work indicates that there are threats to the long-term sustainability of the bass stock, I shall seek to persuade the other countries with an interest in the bass fishery and the European Commission of the need to act to protect the stock.
(2) pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 16W, concerning his meetings with hon. Members, if he will list the individual hon. Members he has (a) agreed to meet and (b) refused to meet to discuss farming issues since his appointment. [114537]
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