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Farmers' Co-operatives

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support he plans to give to farmers' co-operatives in the (a) dairy sector, (b) sheep sector and (c) beef sector. [139272]

Ms Quin: The Government are keen to encourage the development of co-operatives and similar collaborative groups across all agricultural sectors. Collaboration can help farmers and growers to secure the scale required to do business with today's major buyers, strengthen members' buying power, and provide access to professional expertise in important areas such as marketing and new production techniques. The England Rural Development Programme, launched last month, identifies improved levels of co-operation and collaboration as a national priority. In particular, collaborative groupings will be able to put forward projects for funding under the new Processing and Marketing Grant, Rural Enterprise Scheme and Vocational Training Scheme. Over £200 million of funding is available under these schemes over seven years.

ERDP

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 7 November 2000, Official Report, column 152W, on ERDP, if he will provide a breakdown of each measure by the schemes under which farmers will be able to claim the funds allocated. [139697]

Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 21 November 2000]: The following table shows the planned expenditure for each measure under the ERDP over the period 16 October 1999 to 15 October 2006, broken down by scheme within each measure.

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 661W

£ million

	FEOGA years(20)
Measure and scheme	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	Total
Investment in Agricultural Holdings
Energy Crops (Miscanthus)	0.0	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	4.9
Diversification (RES)(21)	0.0	0.3	0.7	1.4	2.4	2.8	4.0	11.6
Total	0.0	1.0	1.5	2.3	3.3	3.7	4.8	16.6
Training
Vocational Training Scheme	0.0	2.1	2.5	3.6	4.0	4.0	5.7	22.0
Less Favoured Areas
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances (2000)/Hill Farm Allowance (2001-06)	42.4	43.8	40.9	37.4	34.8	27.2	27.2	253.8
Agri-environment
Countryside Stewardship(22)	27.5	37.9	53.0	68.0	83.0	98.0	113.0	480.4
Environmentally Sensitive Areas	39.1	50.1	48.3	48.2	48.2	48.2	48.2	330.4
Organic Farming	13.4	20.6	19.0	19.9	22.3	22.9	22.6	140.7
Nitrate Sensitive Areas	3.7	2.7	1.8	1.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	9.6
Total	83.6	111.3	122.1	137.6	153.5	169.2	183.8	961.1
Improving Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products
Processing and Marketing Grant	0.0	2.2	6.3	8.0	8.0	8.0	11.4	44.0
Afforestation of Agricultural Land
Farm Woodland Premium Scheme	7.5	8.0	9.0	10.0	11.0	12.0	13.0	70.8
Woodland Grant Scheme	8.0	9.0	11.0	12.0	12.0	13.0	13.0	78.0
Energy Crops (S.R.C.--agricultural land)	0.0	3.3	3.9	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0	23.2
Total	15.5	20.3	23.9	26.1	27.1	29.1	30.1	172.0
Other Forestry Measures
Energy Crops (S.R.C.--non-agricultural land)	0.0	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	4.1
Woodland Grant Scheme	7.8	8.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	60.8
Total	7.8	8.5	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.7	64.9
Adaptation and Development of Rural Areas(21)
Rural Enterprise Scheme	0.0	4.3	9.5	17.5	28.6	33.2	47.2	140.3
Total expenditure	149.3	193.5	216.6	242.1	269.1	284.0	320.0	1,674.7

⁽²⁰⁾ FEOGA years run from 16 October to 15 October

⁽²¹⁾ The Rural Enterprise Scheme also includes diversification projects under Article 4 of the Rural Development Regulation (EC Reg. No. 1257/99), which covers measures in support of investment in agricultural holdings

⁽²²⁾ Includes expenditure on closed schemes

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 661W

Broiler Chickens

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many broiler chickens were dead on arrival at UK poultry slaughterhouses in 1999. [139721]

Mr. Morley: The Meat Hygiene Service reports that 989,053 broiler chickens were dead on arrival at licensed poultry slaughterhouses in England between 28 December 1998 and 26 December 1999. This compares with the total number of 644,202,192 birds of all types of poultry arriving at slaughterhouses in England during this same period. Broilers constitute the great majority of the birds delivered to the slaughterhouses.

The comparable information for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland may be obtained by asking the Ministers responsible for the respective Departments.

Farm Animal Feed

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the use of poultry offal meal and hydrolysed feather meal in the feed of farm animals, including poultry. [138914]

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 662W

Ms Quin [holding answer 21 November 2000]: The use of poultry meal and feather meal in farmed livestock feed in the UK is permitted providing it has been processed to appropriate standards. However, in practice this material is used largely for pet food rather than livestock feed and a voluntary industry code currently excludes the use of these materials in poultry feed. These are issues being considered in the FSA Review of BSE Controls.

Sheep

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list (a) the estimated number of sheep in England at five year intervals since 1970 and (b) the off-land price for (i) lamb and (ii) mutton (1) in each of these years and (2) at 1999 values discounted by RPI indices. [139972]

Ms Quin: The following tables show:

(a) Estimated number of sheep in England at five year intervals since 1970

Year	Total sheep and lambs
1970	11,627,455
1975	13,065,998
1980	14,554,451
1985	16,440,497
1990	20,586,427
1995	19,607,285
1999	20,030,615

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 663W

(b) Off-land price for (i) and (ii) mutton in (1) each of these years and (2) at 1999 values discounted by RPI indices

Year	Prices for sheep and lambs (UK)-- £ per head	Prices for mutton (finished sheep) pence per kilo(23)
1970	8.03	(24)38.6
1975	14.4	(25)75.5
1980	25.7	(25)125.7
1985	36.4	175.2
1990	33.8	174.5
1995	44.5	236.4
1999	28.6	180.3
2000	(26)34.9	(27)198.1

DCW = Dead Carcase Weight

⁽²³⁾Estimated DCW for England, unless noted

⁽²⁴⁾ England/Wales

⁽²⁵⁾ UK

⁽²⁶⁾ Estimate 9 to 10 months data

⁽²⁷⁾ Estimate prior to 31 October 2000

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 664W

Year	Prices for sheep and lambs deflated by RPI at 1999 values	Prices for mutton deflated by RPI at 1999 values
1970	71.7	344.6
1975	69.7	365.4
1980	63.6	311.1
1985	63.7	306.4
1990	44.3	228.9
1995	49.4	262.3
1999	28.6	180.3
2000	33.9	192.5

Flood Defences

Mr. Norman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the planned expenditure on flood defence in (a) Kent and (b) Sussex for (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03, (A) overall and (B) broken down by coastal defence and other defences. [140718]

Mr. Morley: Flood defence works are mainly undertaken by the Environment Agency. The following table shows planned expenditure by the Agency (capital and maintenance) over this and the next two financial years in the areas of the Kent and Sussex Local Flood Defence Committees.

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 663W

£ million

			Subject to LFDC recommendations
	Current 2000-01 budget		2001-02 budget		2002-03 budget
	Kent	Sussex	Kent	Sussex	Kent	Sussex
Coastal investments	1.6	1.5	3.6	1.7	11.0	8.1
Other capital investments/defences(28)	2.7	2.3	4.2	5.1	5.7	4.0
Maintenance	3.8	2.5	4.0	2.7	4.0	2.6
Total	8.1	6.3	11.8	9.5	20.7	14.7

⁽²⁸⁾ Inc. fluvial and flood warning

29 Nov 2000 : Column: 663W

Following the recent floods, the Government announced an increase of £51 million to MAFF's flood defence budget nationally over this and the next three financial years. This will be used predominantly to accelerate river flood defence works and the Ministry is working with the operating authorities to establish their plans with a view to determining the content of the enhanced national river works programme. Some of the additional funding will be used for whole catchment area planning and to allow an earlier start to be made on planned flood warning improvements. The expenditure figures above may increase as a result of this.

Some flood defence work is undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards, but the figures are not readily available.

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