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Food Safety
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase consumer confidence over food safety. [99631]
Ms Quin: The Government has already taken a number of measures to improve consumer confidence in food safety though greater openness and transparency, putting consumers first and giving them the information to make informed judgments. Following the passage of the Food Standards Act 1999, this work will be carried forward by the Food Standards Agency, when it begins work next Spring.
Pesticides
Mr. Cox: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many pesticides have been banned from use in the United Kingdom by his Department since May 1997. [99524]
Ms Quin: Pesticide products may have their approvals revoked for a number of reasons. Since May 1997,929 pesticide products involving 229 active substances have had their approvals completely revoked. The reason for the vast majority of these revocations was as a result of a commercial decision by the approval holder not to continue marketing the products in question.
Business Advice Service
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Business Advice Service. [99212]
Mr. Morley:
My Department currently operates a Business Advice Service for exporters in our sectors, in close liaison with British Trade International. This service is run directly by my Department through its International Relations and Export Promotion Division for agriculture and fisheries goods and services, while for processed food and drink it is entrusted to a non-Departmental Public Body, Food From Britain.
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Both operations were recently subjected to separate external reviews of their efficiency and effectiveness. I am happy to say that in both cases over three-quarters of the business users surveyed expressed complete satisfaction with the service, and well over half the users surveyed confirmed that their export performance has already improved as a result.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many statutory notices have been issued under Article 18 of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997. [99290]
Mr. Morley:
1,168 Notices were recorded between 1 October 1997 and 19 November 1999. These notices were served for infringements of the Order and to facilitate the legal transport of unfit animals for treatment or slaughter. It is not possible to split the figure between these two purposes.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards the disposal of Covent Garden market; and what plans he has to bring forward legislation to permit this disposal. [99462]
Ms Quin:
We shall bring forward legislation concerning the disposal of New Covent Garden Market when Parliamentary time permits.
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what forecasts he has made for the economic prospects of the pig farming sector over the coming year. [98579]
Ms Quin:
Despite being some 15 per cent. higher than at this time last year, UK market prices for pigs remain below break-even levels. Expected reductions in production in other Member States should help stabilise the market, although prices do not seem likely to improve significantly in the near future.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what negotiations he has had with (a) Bulgaria, (b) Latvia, (c) Lithuania, (d) Malta, (e) Romania and (f) Slovakia over lifting their bans on British beef; and if he will make a statement. [98738]
Ms Quin:
The UK has approached the authorities in the six listed countries as part of a concerted campaign to lobby non-EU countries to lift their import bans, where they exist, or to agree the necessary export certification. This follows up, and builds upon, earlier approaches to key potential markets, which included Malta and Slovakia. Malta has said that they are currently maintaining their ban on the import of British beef. The other five countries listed have not so far formally responded to our approaches.
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Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what negotiations he has had with (a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Estonia, (e) Slovenia and (f) Cyprus over lifting their bans on British beef; and if he will make a statement. [98737]
Ms Quin:
The UK has approached the authorities in the six listed countries as part of a concerted campaign to lobby non-EU countries to lift their import bans, where they exist, or to agree the necessary export certification. This follows up, and builds upon, earlier approaches to key potential markets, which included Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Cyprus. Cyprus has said that it will permit the import of British beef. Estonia has said they are currently maintaining their ban on the import of British beef. The other four countries listed have not so far formally responded to our approaches.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the numbers of overseas produced turkeys that will be imported into the UK during the Christmas period. [98451]
Ms Quin:
Forecasts of turkey imports for the Christmas period are not produced. However, imports of fresh and frozen whole turkeys into the United Kingdom totalled between 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes in the fourth quarters of the last three years. In addition, imports of turkey cuts, which are not subject to the same level of seasonality, totalled between 5,000 and 6,000 tonnes in the same quarters.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in obtaining approval from (a) the European Union and (b) the Treasury for financial assistance to the pig industry with regard to the extra costs of offal disposal resulting from the BSE problem in cattle. [99047]
Ms Quin:
In discussions with the European Commission, it was clear that there would be considerable difficulties in devising a scheme to meet the cost of pig offal disposal which complied with state aid rules. Until there is a proposal which could prove acceptable to the European Commission, there is no basis for seeking additional funding.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what recent representations he has made to (a) the European Commission and (b) the Council of Ministers on the subject of the British pig industry; [100689]
Ms Quin:
My right hon. Friend the Minister wrote to Commissioner Fischler on 20 October urging him to reopen the Aids to Private Storage scheme and reinstate the special refund on exports of fresh and frozen carcase meat and cuts to Russia. Officials in the Department have
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also discussed with the European Commission the costs faced by British pig producers because of BSE and the possibility of introducing a pig offal disposal scheme. In addition, officials attend the monthly Pigmeat Management Committee meeting, chaired by the Commission, which looks at all aspects of the situation in the EU pigmeat market. The Council of Agriculture Ministers discussed the crisis in the pig sector at its meeting on 15 November.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the National Pig Association; and if he will publish the outcomes of those discussions. [100688]
Ms Quin:
My right hon. Friend the Minister met representatives of the National Pig Association on 5 October and a joint communique was issued following the meeting. I will be meeting the National Pig Association on 6 December, when I hope to discuss issues surrounding the current state of the UK pig industry.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what meetings his Department has held with representatives of the European Parliament concerning the pig industry. [100692]
Ms Quin:
Although no such meetings have been held we have kept interested MEPs informed of the situation in the pig sector by correspondence and telephone briefings.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has held with the Council of Ministers concerning pigmeat food aid exports to Russia. [100690]
Ms Quin:
The subject of exports to Russia under the food aid programme was raised in the Pigmeat Management Committee meeting on 10 November. The European Commission made clear its aim of opening tendering procedures shortly for the 42,000 tonnes of pigmeat left outstanding from the earlier exercise. Discussions in the Agriculture Council have been on the Russian food aid programme as a whole rather than on specific commodities.
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(2) what recent discussions he has held with (a) the European Commission and (b) the Council of Ministers on support for the British pig industry in respect of costs of BSE. [100691]
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