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Farm Incomes
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average farmer's income (a) in Wales and (b) broken down by the smallest regional level for which figures are available, in each of the last five years. [136839]
Ms Quin: The information requested is given in the table. The data are not available at a smaller regional level.
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| Net farm income (average per farm) | £000 |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 11.6 |
| 1995-96 | 23.2 |
| 1996-97 | 18.7 |
| 1997-98 | 11.4 |
| 1998-99 | 5.8 |
Source:
Farm Business Survey
Flooding (Lewes)
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to aid the business community affected by the recent floods in Lewes. [136567]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have the utmost sympathy for all those affected by the flooding but no Government assistance is available, either to householders or businesses, as flooding is an insurable risk.
I have written to my hon. Friend the Paymaster General to bring to her attention the concerns expressed by the hon. Member, during the Adjournment Debate on 25 October, about deadlines for VAT and tax returns.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to amend the Forestry Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2000-01. [138192]
Mr. Morley: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class X, Vote 3 (Forestry Commission) the Forestry Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2000-01 will be increased by £18,040,000 from £58,025,000 to £76,065,000 £12,600,000 of the increase is the net effect of a fall in receipts from sales of timber offset by savings in other net expenditure, and a further £740,000 has been awarded from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund. These increases totalling £13,340,000 will be a a charge on the Departmental Expenditure Limit Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
An award of £4,700,000 from the Capital Modernisation fund brings the total additional requirement to £18,040,000.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes are proposed to the Departmental Expenditure Limit for his Department for 2000-01. [138191]
Mr. Nick Brown: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £205,550,000 from £1,157,390,000 to £1,362,859,000.
The increase is the net effect of an Intervention Board (IB) increase of £5.393 million arising from delayed costs associated with IT systems and services, the introduction of facilities to UK traders across certain schemes to receive payment in euros in line with the ministerial statement of November 1998 and increased levels of charges paid to agents; and MAFF increases of
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£54.3 million to implement the Action Plan for Farming; £2.669 million for successful projects under Modernising Government initiatives; £30 million in lieu of End-Year Flexibility (EYF); transfers from the Scotland Office (SERAD) and the Wales Office (NAWAD) totalling £3 million relating to work on the Cattle Herd Registration Scheme; £13 million for implementing the Agenda 2000 reforms; and £9.735 million to repay advances from the Contingencies Fund and a further £90.309 million provision in respect of payments in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 arising out of the Factortame Judgment. These increases are offset by transfers to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) totalling £2.856 million, being their share of MAFF's EYF and funding for work transferred to the Agency following its formation in April 2000.
Within the DEL there will be a transfer of £14 million from MAFF to IB to cover the costs of the Pig Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.
Chardon LL Hearing
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wirral, South (Mr. Chapman) of 1 November 2000, Official Report, columns 472-73W, if he will make a further statement on the Chardon LL Hearing. [138193]
Ms Quin: In agreement with Agriculture Ministers in the devolved Administrations, we have asked Mr. Alun Alesbury--the person appointed to conduct the Hearing--to consider adjourning the Chardon LL Hearing until further notice pending further consideration of the testing system used by France to establish distinctness, uniformity and stability.
Details of the French testing system were given in the MAFF press notice of 31 October. Other member states in the EU also rely on French data, and the views of the Commission on the status of the French procedures are being sought.
Trawlers
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many trawlers operate under the UK flag with quota; and what was the figure in May 1997. [137418]
Mr. Morley: As of May 1997 there were some 7,546 licensed UK fishing vessels, of which 2,360 were over 10 metres in overall length. In October 2000 the number of licensed vessels was 6,690, of which 1,939 were over 10 metres.
Cod Catch
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of cod caught in British waters is caught and landed by British trawlers. [137419]
Mr. Morley: The information requested is not recorded.
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The United Kingdom has 47 per cent. of the EC cod quota in ICES area IV (North Sea), 53 per cent. in ICES area VI (West Scotland), 43 per cent. in ICES area VIIa (Irish Sea) and 8 per cent. area VIIb-k (English Channel and Western approaches).
Fish Conservation
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he will take to conserve stocks of (a) John Dory, (b) anchovy, (c) pilchard and (d) bream. [137417]
Mr. Morley: The revised EC Technical Conservation Regulation 850/98 which came into operation on 1 January 2000 imposes the following requirements for the species named:
| Species | Towed gear mesh size(6) (mm) | Fixed gear mesh size(6) (mm) | MLS(7) (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Dory | 80-99 | -- | -- |
| Anchovy | 16-31 | -- | -- |
| Pilchard | 16-31 | 10-30 | 11 |
| Bream | 80-99 | -- | -- |
(6) These bands represent the minimum mesh allowed
(7) Minimum landing size
HOME DEPARTMENT
Far East Prisoners of War
Dr. George Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former prisoners of war in the Far East are still alive and reside (a) in the constituency of North West Norfolk and (b) the county of Norfolk. [136796]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces gave on 18 January 2000, Official Report, column 398W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes to the 2000-01 departmental expenditure limits and running costs limits within his responsibility. [138028]
Mr. Straw: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure limit, which covers Class IV Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales) and Vote 2 (Prisons, England and Wales), will be increased by £756,420,000 from £8,110,836,000 to £8,867, 256,000. The running costs limit will be increased by £177,549,000 from £2,176,135,000 to £2,353,684,000.
The changes are the net effect of the following transfers: £1,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for a project to develop criminal justice IT interface systems; £273,000 to the Lord Chancellor's Department (Class V Vote 1) in respect of a project to develop criminal justice IT interface systems; £150,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund
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for funding criminal justice system interface development; £150,000 to the Crown Prosecution Service (Class V Vote 4) for criminal justice system interface development; £275,000 to the Department of Trade and Industry (Class IX Vote 1) in respect of crime reduction programmes; £166,000 to the Welsh Assembly (Class XIV Vote 1) for crime reduction teams; £3,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for confiscated assets; £45,000 to the Department for Education and Employment (Class 1 Vote 3) in respect of the evaluation of the progress drug project; £150,000 to the Department for Education and Employment (Class 1 Vote 3) in respect of the recovery employment project; £1,118,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for expenditure on DNA; £492,000 to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III Vote 1) for the rough sleepers initiative; £36,000 to the Department of Health (Class II Vote 2) for central treatment fund pilot projects; £352,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for grant to the Police Information Technology Organisation for the interface development fund; £303,000 to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (Class III Vote 8) for improvements in the motor registration system; £150,000 to the Welsh Assembly (Class XIV Vote 1) in respect of locks for pensioners; £1,500,000 from the DEL Reserve in relation to the setting up of the Electoral Commission; £150,000 from the DEL Reserve in respect of cross funding for voluntary bodies; £5,556,000 from the DEL Reserve for the Kosovo humanitarian evacuation programme; £666,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for asylum support including unaccompanied asylum seeking children; £113,000 to the Lord Chancellor's Department (Class V Vote 1) in respect of the Immigration Services Tribunal; £3,000,000 from the Department of Health (Class II Vote 2) for asylum support to unaccompanied asylum seeking children; £5,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for research relating to crime reduction programme and anti drugs strategy; £6,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for administrative support costs; £3,747,000 from the civil service modernisation fund; £16,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for the Kosovo special grant; £46,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for police modernisation.
The increase in the Department's running costs limit is the net effect of the following transfers: £728,000 from the DEL Reserve for a project to develop criminal justice IT interface systems; £273,000 to the Lord Chancellor's Department in respect of a project to develop criminal justice IT interface systems; £110,000 to the Department of Trade and Industry in respect of crime reduction programmes; £166,000 to the Welsh Assembly for crime reduction teams; £596,000 from the DEL Reserve in relation to setting up the Electoral Commission; £167,252,000 from the DEL Reserve for asylum support; £113,000 to the Lord Chancellor's Department in respect of the Immigration Services Tribunal; £6,000,000 from the DEL Reserve for administrative costs; £3,635,000 from the civil service modernisation fund.
These changes will be offset by transfers or a charge on the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
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