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Salmon Farms
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the inspection regime for salmon farms. [136563]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 6 November 2000]: As at 2 November there were 17 registered salmon farms in England; 16 freshwater sites and one marine site. When operating, they all produce salmon smolts for on-growing in sea cages in Scotland. Each farm is inspected at least annually by the Fish Health Inspectorate and their discharges are, as with all other fish farms, regulated by the Environment Agency.
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Bovine TB
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representation he has received regarding compensation for farmers for time spent testing animals for TB for the purposes of protecting human health; and if he will make a statement. [137560]
Ms Quin: The Government are aware of the burden that regular testing of cattle herds for TB imposes on farmers. Under the 2000 Spending Review, extra money has been allocated for increased TB testing and compensation payments to farmers for the market value of cattle slaughtered as TB reactors or contacts. There are no plans to extend compensation to other losses at this stage.
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of current levels of testing for TB in respect of (a) badgers and (b) bovines. [137562]
Ms Quin: There is no reliable test for bovine TB in live badgers. Badger carcases collected in the badger culling trial and from the survey announced on 6 November 2000, Official Report, column 48W are being tested for bovine TB at post mortem.
Cattle herds are tested for bovine TB at one, two, three or four yearly intervals as required by EU legislation, and additionally at the discretion of Divisional Veterinary Managers of the State Veterinary Service. The Government keep TB testing levels under constant review.
Sugar Beet
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect upon livestock feeding stuff costs of the proposed new EU sugar regime. [137591]
Ms Quin: As they stand, the current proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime will not have a significant effect on livestock feeding stuff costs.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK sugar beet industry of European Commission proposals for the new sugar regime; and if he will make a statement; [138906]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK sugar beet industry of the European Commission proposals for (a) Everything But Arms initiative and (b) the sugar regime to be introduced on 1 July 2001; and if he will make a statement. [138908]
Ms Quin [holding answer 17 November 2000]: The proposals for reform of the EU regime, which would come into effect on 1 July 2001, will impact on the UK sugar beet industry by permanently reducing the UK quota, by removing the aid for storing sugar and the levy on industry which finances it, by removing the requirement to keep minimum stocks, and by requiring the Government to adopt measures to promote environmentally friendly farming.
The proposal for duty free access for goods from Least Developed Countries (the Everything but Arms initiative) could lead to significant imports of sugar from these
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countries once the EU tariff has been significantly reduced. This could precipitate further quota cuts or the opening of intervention, which could affect all member states including the UK.
The Government are concerned that the Commission's proposals on reform do not take account of the impact which the LDC access proposal might have on the sugar regime. We are pressing for the implications to be fully considered before a decision is taken on reform.
School Milk
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase the subsidy provided to supply milk to schools; and if he will make a statement. [137622]
Ms Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) on 16 November 2000, Official Report, column 1056.
Pesticides Tax
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish his response to proposals put forward by the agriculture industry as an alternative to a pesticides tax. [137578]
Ms Quin: The agriculture industry has made a valuable contribution to the development of a voluntary package of measures to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides use. My right hon. Friend the Minister and I welcome this initiative and look forward to working with the industry and other stakeholders in developing constructive measures which meet our environmental objectives.
Taxation is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who set out the current position in relation to a pesticides tax in the pre-Budget report on 8 November 2000.
Drainage
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department spent on drainage of agricultural land in each year from 1970 to the most recent year for which figures are available. [138091]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 November 2000]: Grants for drainage works on undrained land were discontinued in the late 1980's. Grants for replacement or renewal of existing field underdrainage systems were available until the end of 1994. The precise information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Farm Workers
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many adults worked in the sectors of (a) farming, (b) gamekeeping, (c) fisheries, (d) horticulture, (e) forestry and (f) veterinary practice in the local government districts of (i) Cannock Chase, (ii) South Staffordshire and (iii) Stafford in the latest year for which figures are available. [138813]
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Ms Quin: The information available is included in the table:
| Farming(2) | Horticulture(3) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cannock Chase | 94 | 18 |
| South Staffordshire | 1,495 | 216 |
| Stafford | 2,457 | 133 |
(2) Does not include farmers on minor holdings. Farming is defined as all agricultural and horticultural holdings.
(3) Does not include farmers on minor holdings. Horticultural holdings are defined using EC farm types 2011 to 2032, 2034, 311 to 340, 601 and 606.
Notes:
1. Information on Fisheries and Forestry is not available.
2. Information on Gamekeeping and Veterinary Practice (Annual Employment Survey) is confidential for these areas.
Source:
Agricultural and Horticultural Census--June 1999.
DUS Testing
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) all the correspondence between his officials and the French authorities since 22 September in respect of the testing regime for distinctness, uniformity and stability of agricultural varieties, (b) documents describing the French DUS testing regime which he has received from (i) the French authorities and (ii) the European Commission, (c) the documents which constitute the bilateral arrangements between the United Kingdom and France for the DUS testing of Chardon LL and (d) the United Kingdom's protocol for DUS testing and the French protocol for DUS testing. [138845]
Ms Quin: Copies of the correspondence and documents have been placed in the Library.
Regulatory System
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to reduce the level of regulation for farmers in the (a) dairy sector, (b) sheep sector and (c) beef sector. [139271]
Ms Quin: We are currently implementing recommendations made by the industry in the Red Tape Reviews on the Meat Industry, on IACS and Inspection and on Intervention, many of which will benefit the dairy, sheep and beef sectors. The dairy sector's key concern about Dairy Hygiene Regulations has also been met. (A detailed progress report is on the MAFF website--www.maff.gov.uk/aboutmaf/regulat/redtape/redtape.htm.). We are now considering the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force on environmental regulations. We shall continue to seek to minimise new regulations and review existing ones where a need for change is identified.
Subsidy Payments
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce an independent appeal service for dealing with agricultural subsidy payments. [139269]
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Ms Quin: MAFF officials are currently preparing a consultation paper on possible options that could be introduced that would be of benefit to the industry and we expect to be in a position to consult industry on these very soon.
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