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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Organic Farming

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much financial assistance will be available to fund organic conversion in the current financial year. [127017]

Mr. Morley: We expect to spend £12 million on aid for conversion under the Organic Farming Scheme in financial year 2000-01.

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Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which European Union countries provide continuous financial support to farmers after the conversion process to organic farming has been completed. [127019]

Mr. Morley: The hon. Member may like to refer to the table of statistics (page 51 of the Minutes of Evidence) on this matter included in the Report of the Inquiry on "Organic Farming and the European Union" undertaken by the House of Lords European Communities Committee (Sub-Committee D) in Session 1998-99 (HL Paper 93).

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of agricultural land is certified organic and in conversion in (a) Austria, (b) Denmark, (c) Finland, (d) France, (e) Sweden and (f) the United Kingdom. [127016]

Mr. Morley: In respect of organic areas in other EU member states, the hon. Member may like to refer to the table of statistics (page 49 of the Minutes of Evidence) on this matter included in the Report of the Inquiry on "Organic Farming and the European Union" undertaken by the House of Lords European Communities Committee (Sub-Committee D) in Session 1998-99 (HL Paper 93). Currently, around 3 per cent. of agricultural land in the UK is certified organic or in conversion.

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer of 11 April 2000, Official Report, column 134W, on organic food, what additional financial assistance he will make available to farmers wishing to convert to organic farming, in addition to free conversion advice and on-farms visits by the Organic Conversion Information Service, before the Organic Farming Scheme reopens. [127025]

Mr. Morley: We have no plans to provide funding additional to the £12 million we already plan to spend in 2000-01 under the Organic Farming Scheme. The OFS will reopen to new applications early in 2001 following the review of the scheme, which is currently taking place.

Floods

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress the Environment Agency has made in implementing its action plan in response to the independent report on the Easter 1998 floods; and if he will make a statement on the serious flooding in Todmorden and other areas of northern England in early June. [127295]

Mr. Morley: The Chairman of the Environment Agency has provided me with a report of progress up to the end of April 2000. Copies are being placed in the House Libraries.

I am pleased to note that the major work programme set out in the Action Plan is almost complete.

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Key developments since the Agency's last report, which covered the period to end of December 1999, are as follows:







Two activities have yet to be fully completed by the Agency. These are the introduction of the new flood warning codes and revised management structures. The new flood warning codes are scheduled to be introduced on 12 September 2000. The introduction of the revised management structures will be phased during April to September 2000 in order to minimise the risk of disruption to services.

The Agency's Easter Floods Project Team has now completed its work and is to be congratulated for its efforts in delivering the Action Plan and meeting the priorities I set out in striving for a seamless and integrated service of flood forecasting, warning and response. The outstanding issues will be taken forward by the Agency's National Flood Warning Centre. Further activity in improving flood defence will be driven by the High Level Targets that the Government set last November.

As regards the flooding earlier this month, I am acutely aware of the suffering experienced by many communities in northern England, and express the Government's sympathy to all those affected. I have asked the Chairman of the Environment Agency to provide a report on the flooding, by 21 July 2000, to include:






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SCOTLAND

Employment Service

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what performance targets have been set in respect of the employment service in Scotland's aims and objectives in 2000-01. [127225]

Dr. Reid: The aim of the Employment Service is to help people without jobs find work and employers to fill their vacancies. The Employment Service in Scotland makes a significant contribution to an efficient and flexible labour market and to meeting the Government's objectives of high and stable employment and growth, opportunity for all and social inclusion. Its main priority is to help people faced with particular difficulties in the labour market move from welfare and economic inactivity into sustainable employment. It is taking forward an ambitious programme of technological change and business improvement and is preparing for the merger with the Benefits Agency in 2001. I am announcing today the targets we have set for the Employment Service in Scotland for 2000-01, which relate to its four key objectives.













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