Previous Section Index Home Page


Fallen Stock

Mr. Gray: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of carcases that were destroyed by (a) professional knackermen and (b) hunt incinerators in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 1998-99. [117957]

Ms Quin [holding answer 6 April 2000]: Records are not collected of the number of animal carcases destroyed by knackermen or hunt kennels and no estimates were made of the numbers destroyed during 1997-98 or 1998-99.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last issued advice to farmers on methods of disposal of fallen stock. [117960]

Ms Quin [holding answer 6 April 2000]: Advice on the disposal of fallen stock was last given to farmers when the Water Code was revised and re-issued in October 1998. A summary of the Water, Air and Soil Codes, which included this advice was circulated with IACS information to 80,000 farmers in February 1999.

Organic Farming

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the United Kingdom's balance of trade with regard to organic produce in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [118298]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 April 2000]: No such figures are available. Organic products are not separately identified in Customs and Excise trade data.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of how many farmers will request support for conversion under the organic farming scheme before April 2001. [118300]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 April 2000]: None. The Organic Farming Scheme is closed to new applications while a review is underway.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people are employed in the organic farming sector. [118297]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 April 2000]: We estimate the number of registered organic farmers and growers in the UK at the end of January to be 2,500. In addition to primary producers, we estimate that just over 1,000 operators are registered for processing and/or importing organic products.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has carried out into improving the efficiency of organic farming in the last three years; and what was the cost of the research. [118299]

10 Apr 2000 : Column: 57W

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 April 2000]: The three main objectives of the MAFF Organic research programme and the spend on these objectives for the last three years are as follows:

£000
1997-981998-991999-2000
Constraints on production8011,3201,828
Costs of the conversion period345349
Environmental impact73108150
Total9081,481(10)2,027

(10) Estimate


NORTHERN IRELAND

Housing Rents

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each council area in Northern Ireland the number of dwellings with (a) controlled and (b) registered rents. [116359]

Mr. George Howarth: As there is no requirement on landlords to register controlled rents, this information does not exist.

The number of registered rents is given in the table.

Council areaTotal number of dwellings with registered rents
Antrim44
Ards346
Armagh43
Ballymena58
Ballymoney33
Banbridge34
Belfast3,499
Carrickfergus92
Castlereagh133
Coleraine77
Cookstown41
Craigavon452
Down55
Dungannon and South Tyrone69
Fermanagh46
Larne133
Limavady24
Lisburn244
Derry City55
Magherafelt36
Moyle10
Newry and Mourne102
Newtownabbey617
North Down204
Omagh35
Strabane43
Total6,525

Heritage Lottery Funding

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for Heritage Lottery funding were made and how many projects approved in

10 Apr 2000 : Column: 58W

each of the last three years; if sufficient funding was available to match applications; and if he will make a statement. [116516]

Mr. George Howarth: Details of applications received and approved in the last three years are as follows:

Applications receivedApplications approved
1997-985726
1998-9910959
1999-00(11)15760

(11) 34 applications are still live


The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) takes a flexible approach to Partnership Funding. Applications made through the Mains Grant or Revenue programmes can receive up to 90 per cent. HLF funding for projects up to £100,000 and 75 per cent. for projects over that amount. Through these programmes in Northern Ireland the Heritage Lottery Fund is not aware of any projects which have received HLF awards failing because of applicants' inability to secure partnership funding.

Student Awards

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many awards were made available, and at what cost, to Northern Ireland students undertaking courses at residential institutions for adult education in Great Britain in each of the last 10 years. [117581]

Mr. Ingram: The number of awards is as follows:

Financial yearNumber of awards
1990-918
1991-928
1992-938
1993-948
1994-9512
1995-9612
1996-9712
1997-9812
1998-9912

The actual expenditure in 1998-99 was £46,104, when only 11 of the awards made available were taken up. Figures beyond this year are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education Budget

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) amount and (b) percentage of money from the education budget was devoted to transport in (i) 1991, (ii) 1995 and (iii) 1999. [117342]

Mr. George Howarth: The information is as follows:

Financial yearTransport costs £ millionPercentage of education budget
1991-9227.52.45
1995-9638.12.84
1996-9946.23.15

Audited figures for 1999-2000 are not yet available.

10 Apr 2000 : Column: 59W

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) amount and (b) percentage of funding was retained by his Department from the education budget in (i) 1991, (ii) 1995 and (iii) 1999. [117341]

Mr. George Howarth: The information requested is as follows:

Financial yearAmount retained (£ million)Percentage retained
1991-9215.21.36
1995-9616.31.22
1998-9919.51.33

Audited figures for 1999-2000 are not available.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount allocated to the education budget for Northern Ireland in 1991. [117339]

Mr. George Howarth: The total for the 1991-92 financial year was £1,121 million.

Works of Art

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on (a) the upkeep and (b) the purchase of works of art in his Department for each financial year since 1992. [117479]

Mr. Ingram: The Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland is responsible for the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Art Collection which is independent from the Government Art Collection.

Expenditure on the NICS art collection since 1992 is as follows:

£
UpkeepPurchase of works of art
1992-9334639,000
1993-9429030,000
1994-9528527,000
1995-9627039,000
1996-9765531,000
1997-9821523,000
1998-9995830,000
1999-20001,59459,000

I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts on 4 April 2000, Official Report, columns 393-94W.


Next Section Index Home Page