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Organic Food
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the food consumed in the UK is organically produced; and what estimate he has made of the amount that will be so produced in 2006. [118573]
Mr. Morley: Precise information is not available. We estimate the share of organic food in the overall UK market as in the order of 5 per cent.
We have made no estimate for future years.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of money paid under the Common Agricultural Policy to organic farmers in the EU; and what percentage this represents of the total CAP spend. [118577]
Ms Quin: The information requested is not available in the format required.
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Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets other EU member states have set for organic farming. [118574]
Mr. Morley: The information available is not complete but we understand that Austria, Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden have set targets for the conversion of agricultural land to organic farming. In addition several of the German Bundeslander have set such targets. These targets range from 3 per cent. to 10 per cent. of agricultural land.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money his Department has spent on research into (a) organic farming, (b) biotechnology and genetic modification and (c) all areas of agriculture, in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [118568]
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Ms Quin: MAFF spending in these areas over the last five years is shown in the tables. The figures for 1999-2000 are provisional.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 0.931 |
| 1996-97 | 1.116 |
| 1997-98 | 0.908 |
| 1998-99 | 1.481 |
| 1999-2000 | (2.027) |
The organic farming sector also benefits from much of the other research the Ministry undertakes: for example, its planned spend of over £8 million in 1999-2000 on biological control techniques, plant health, animal welfare and wildlife conservation on farms.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 20.09 |
| 1996-97 | 22.94 |
| 1997-98 | 25.22 |
| 1998-99 | 28.91 |
| 1999-2000 | (ca. 26) |
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 88.94 |
| 1996-97 | 87.14 |
| 1997-98 | 89.74 |
| 1998-99 | 90.58 |
| 1999-2000 | (90.78) |
West Dorset
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will classify West Dorset as an area qualifying for hill farming compensation. [118623]
Ms Quin [holding answer 17 April 2000]: To qualify for hill livestock compensatory allowances, West Dorset would have to be designated as a Less Favoured Area (LFA).
LFAs in the UK were first designated under Council Directive 75/276/EEC, and last amended by Commission Decision 91/25/EEC. For any additional area to be designated as LFA it would need to meet the general criteria set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/99 (Articles 17-21) and the specific criteria set out in Council Directive 75/268/EEC (Articles 3 (4) and 5) as adopted by Council Directive 84/169/EEC.
Proposals for any extension of the LFA area in England would need to be submitted to the European Commission for approval as part of the England Rural Development Plan. No such proposals have been included.
Lindane
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the approvals for products containing Lindane which have been suspended, withdrawn or revoked from market authorisation in the
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last five years, indicating the crops for which use of the products had been approved, including off-label approvals. [118804]
Ms Quin [holding answer 12 April 2000]: Those products containing Lindane which have been suspended, withdrawn or revoked from the market since 1 November 1995, and the crops for which they held approval, are:
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Pesticides
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason, in the 1998 survey of the working party on pesticides residues, aldicarburas was not among the pesticides actively sought in retail samples of speciality potatoes. [118803]
Ms Quin [holding answer 12 April 2000]: This was the first time speciality potatoes had been analysed as part of the Government's annual residues monitoring programme. The potatoes were therefore tested against a standard multiple residue screen to give an indication of the residues present. Aldicarb is not part of this general screen. However, processed potato products were also surveyed in 1998, and aldicarb was included in this analytical suite. The results of this survey are due to be published later this year. A special survey on the variability of aldicarb residues in potatoes (including new potatoes) was published in August last year, the results of which are available on the Pesticide Safety Directorate's (PSD's) internet website (http://maffweb/aboutmaf/agency/psd/psdhome.htm), or direct from PSD. The full document is also available to all Members in the Library of the House.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria were used in the 1998 survey of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues to select the countries of origin from which samples of imported speciality potatoes would be tested. [118807]
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Ms Quin [holding answer 12 April 2000]: The surveys of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues (WPPR) are not, except in certain circumstances, directed towards produce of particular countries. The samples of speciality potatoes purchased as part of the 1998 survey were representative of what was available on the UK market at the time of purchase.
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