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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Ministerial Conduct
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out the cost to public funds of the publicly-owned property maintained for his private use. [115124]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 17 March 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 5 June 2000, Official Report, columns 50-51W.
GM Trial Sites
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the GM trial sites at Kempley, Gloucestershire and Preston Wynne, Herefordshire on organic farms in Herefordshire within a six mile radius; and if he will make a statement. [122040]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 15 May 2000]: Of the particular sites mentioned in the question, fodder beet is being grown near to Preston Wynne. The beet will be carefully managed to prevent it flowering, so no pollen will be produced. The oilseed rape, being grown near Kemply, can only cross-pollinate with sexually compatible crops of the same species flowering at the same time. The separation distances reduce the chances of cross-pollination to less than 1 per cent. Also, organic farms do not tend to grow organic oilseed rape.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research has been conducted by his Department into ways to recover pollen dispersed from field trials of GM plants; and what data his Department has obtained in respect of such research conducted abroad. [124793]
Mr. Meacher: The Department has not conducted any such research and has no data on any such research conducted elsewhere. We would not expect it to be possible to recover pollen dispersal from field trials of GM plants.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statements have been made by the Government about the minimum number of genetically modified crop trials required to fulfil the objectives of the current crop trial programme. [122996]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 22 May 2000]: In carrying out the Farm Scale Evaluations, the Government are advised by an independent research consortium and Scientific Steering Committee, who oversee the conduct of the trials. The design of the Evaluations is that over a three-year period we should seek a total of 60 to 75 sets of data for each crop.
At present, the Scientific Steering Committee have advised that 20 to 30 fields annually should be sought for beet, in a roughly equal proportion of fodder to sugar beet.
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This is because the Evaluations would be investigating a potentially broader range of management practices for beet than for the other crops.
The Scientific Steering Committee met on 8 February and set minima of 12 to 15 sites for oilseed rape and maize and around 20 sites for beet, for the programme to begin. They confirmed at their meeting on 10 March that sufficient sites had been identified to ensure that a properly balanced scientific assessment could be made. I announced this year's programme on 17 March and there are currently 49 sites.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to use the provisions of the Biosafety Protocol to restrict imports of crop seeds in order to reduce the risk of contamination with GM seeds. [124152]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 June 2000]: The import of GM seeds is already covered by EU legislation. The Cartagena Protocol (Biosafety Protocol) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is not yet in force, and to become so, requires ratification by 50 signatories. The UK signed the Protocol at the earliest opportunity at the 5th Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and by the end of the Conference, a total of 67 countries plus the European Commission had signed. Allowing for the time taken for ratification through national parliaments, the Protocol is unlikely to come into force within less than two years.
We expect that the EU legislation will be extended as necessary to incorporate the requirements of the Protocol. We and other member states are already looking at ways of reducing risks of contamination with GM seeds using Community legislation.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if any of the current licensed GM crop trials taking place in the UK include procedures to test claims of sterility in the GM varieties concerned. [124159]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 June 2000]: Several of the current consents for deliberate release are for GM oilseed rape hybrid systems comprising a male sterile line and a fertility restorer line which, when grown together, form a hybrid seed. It is the hybrid line which would form the seed stock for trials and for commercial production. The GM oilseed rape being grown in the farm scale evaluations is a fertile hybrid formed from crossing the male sterile line Ms8 and fertility restorer line Rf3.
Construction Industry (Certification Schemes)
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has received on the rationalisation of certification schemes for the construction industry; [124704]
- (2) which construction industry certification schemes his Department is evaluating; [124703]
(3) what plans he has to rationalise the certification schemes for the construction industry. [124705]
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Ms Beverley Hughes: The Department is evaluating two pilots of a proposed quality mark scheme for builders and other contractors working in the domestic sector, which have recently started in Birmingham and Somerset. We will use the experience of the pilots to develop a national scheme and to decide how to roll out the scheme nationally.
During the development of the quality mark, representations were made to avoid duplication with Constructionline, which is the Government's list of approved contractors and consultants for public sector as well as professional private sector clients for non-domestic works. This is why Constructionline is also providing the central services for the quality mark pilots. Further rationalisation would need to take into account the different requirements between domestic and non-domestic sectors and the different levels of expertise and requirements of the clients in the two sectors.
Departmental Policies
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in what ways his Department and executive agencies deliver services to meet the needs of the public as consumers, with particular reference to families. [124531]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 5 June 2000]: Mainly through its executive agencies, my Department provides a range of services direct to the public including services to vehicle owners, drivers and operators and those appealing against planning decisions. We seek to ensure these services are responsive to the needs of the consumer, for example by carrying out customer surveys, by publishing the standards of service that users can expect to receive and, in some cases, by extending opening hours to suit customer preferences. We are also gradually extending electronic availability of services to enable users to access them when they wish.
Although none of our services is targeted specifically at families, we seek to ensure that those with families can access them conveniently.
Holyhead
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what volume of (a) freight and (b) passenger traffic passed through the port of Holyhead in each of the last 10 years. [124725]
Mr. Hill: Information on freight and passengers passing through the port of Holyhead is as follows:
(11) Because of changes in procedures for recording passenger data, the 1997 and 1998 passenger figures do not include cruise passengers. Holyhead, however does not have regular cruise passenger calls so this is unlikely to have had an impact on the figures presented.
(12) Provisional
Source:
DETR
9 Jun 2000 : Column: 422W
Rail Track Safety Company
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 88W, on the Railtrack Safety Company, what the timetable will be for the consultation by the rail regulators on the creation of a safety company; and how passengers will be consulted before decisions are taken. [124774]
Mr. Hill: The Health and Safety Commission published a consultative document on 19 May seeking views on proposed changes to the safety regime for the railway industry. The deadline for comments is 24 July 2000. The Office of the Rail Regulator will issue shortly a separate consultative document about changes to Railtrack's Licence.
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