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Badger Culling

28. Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress reports he has recently received in relation to the selective culling programme for badgers. [146804]

Ms Quin: Ten areas have been enrolled in the badger culling trial and initial culling has been carried out in seven of these, in line with the timetable set down by the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on cattle TB. The ISG has advised that the trial is on course to produce results by the end of 2004 and possibly earlier.

Rural Development Funding

Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what rate rural development funding obtained though the modulation scheme will be matched by Government funding. [147852]

Ms Quin [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The Spending Review 2000 plans include match funding of modulation receipts at a rate of 100 per cent.

Agricultural and Food Imports

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the volume of (1) food imports into the United Kingdom; [147853]

(2) agricultural imports into the United Kingdom. [147854]

Ms Quin [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The tables show summaries of the volume and value of agricultural and food imports into the UK in 1999, as recorded by the Overseas Trade Statistics. More detailed information on processed and unprocessed imports,

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covering the period 1988 to 2000, is available on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food website at: http://www.maff.gov.uk/esg/excel/webindig.xls.

Livestock imports in 1999

	Number (000 head)	Value (£ million)
Cattle	3.0	2.3
Sheep and goats	123.4	4.5
Pigs	180.3	10.0
Poultry, including chicks	9,134.6	5.5

Agricultural and food imports in 1999

	Quantity (000 Tonnes)	Value (£ million)
Unprocessed
Eggs	16.0	11.5
Fish: live, fresh or chilled	82.2	141.7
Cereals, unmilled	2,625.8	286.8
Fruit and vegetables: fresh, chilled or frozen	3,974.3	2,364.7
Honey	23.2	16.1
Cocoa and coffee	351.0	341.1
Animal feedingstuffs	141.8	9.7
Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits	1,149.2	199.4
Total unprocessed	8,363.5	3,371.1
Processed
Meat and meat products	1,298.5	2,194.9
Dairy products and egg products	760.7	1,175.9
Fish, frozen or prepared	469.0	1,148.5
Cereals and bakery products	1,145.5	847.9
Fruit and vegetables, processed or preserved	2,949.7	1,768.6
Sugar and sugar confectionery	2,258.6	725.2
Cocoa and chocolate, coffee, tea and spices	472.3	893.6
Animal feedingstuffs	4,624.4	639.9
Cooked and prepared foods, sauces	578.4	963.5
Alcoholic drinks	2,427.4	2,854.5
Animal oils and fats	1,570.9	617.9
Total processed	18,555.3	13,830.3
Total imports	26,918.8	17,201.4

Livestock Imports (France)

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on livestock imports from France. [147851]

Ms Quin [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The Chief Veterinary Officer's report for 1999 shows that livestock imports from France during 1999 were as follows:

		Number
Cattle	Breeding	175
Cattle	Fattening	1,458
Sheep	Breeding	86
Sheep	Fattening	184

The importation of all these animals is subject to harmonised Community rules.

Public Interest Immunity Certificates

Sir Nicholas Lyell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many public interest immunity

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certificates (a) he, (b) Ministers of State, (c) junior Ministers and (d) civil servants in his Department have signed in each calendar year from 30 May 1997 [147733]

Ms Quin [holding answer 30 January 2001]: There have been no public interest immunity certificates issued from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of civil or criminal litigation from 30 May 1997.

Pet Travel Scheme

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in the extension of the Pet Travel Scheme to rabies-free islands. [146776]

Ms Quin: The Pet Travel Scheme was extended from 31 January to include cats and dogs from 28 rabies-free islands, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Cyprus. Over 14,500 cats and dogs have now successfully entered the UK using the scheme since it was launched last February.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Members of Parliament (General Election Statistics)

Mr. Ashton: To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members left the House through (a) retirement and (b) losing their seats in (i)1983, (ii) 1987, (iii) 1992 and (iv) 1997. [148264]

Mrs. Beckett: This information requested is not held centrally.

However, unofficial publications provide the following information:

	Stood down	Defeated
1983	77	63
1987	87	41
1992	79	60
1997	117	132

NORTHERN IRELAND

Speeding Fines

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was collected in fixed-penalty speeding fines on Northern Ireland's (a) M1 and M2 motorways, (b) urban non-motorway roads and (c) rural non-motorway roads for each year since 1996. [144693]

Mr. Lock: I have been asked to reply.

Information detailing the amounts collected in fixed-penalty speeding fines in Northern Ireland since 1996 by category or road is not held centrally.

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was collected in speeding fines in Northern Ireland in the years 1996 to 2000; and how and where this money was spent. [144685]

Mr. Lock: I have been asked to reply.

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Information detailing how much money was collected in speeding fines in Northern Ireland during the years 1996 to 2000 is not held centrally. Such fines are paid over directly to HM Treasury's Consolidated Fund.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Entertainment Expenses

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answers of 29 January 2001, Official Report, column 71W, if she will publish the full list of invitees to the party at Haymarket House on 22 September 1999 for the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz); and if the Lord Chancellor spoke at that function to welcome guests. [148265]

Jane Kennedy: As I have already made clear, the reception was hosted by The Hinduja Foundation who determined the invitation list, which was cross-party. The Lord Chancellor spoke briefly at the function.

Asylum Appeals

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what provision the Government are making for the general public, asylum seekers and their representatives to access information about the asylum appeals system. [148633]

Jane Kennedy: The Immigration Appellate Authority is today launching a website www.iaa.gov.uk. The site features up-to-date information on the organisation, the two judicial tiers it administers and the appeal procedures that apply. The IAA website will have links to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Community Legal Service sites www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk and

1 Feb 2001 : Column: 300W

www.justask.org.uk. The IAA website will provide a useful entry point to gain information on the process of applying for asylum.

A key feature of the IAA site is the provision of detailed daily court lists for all the Authority's hearing centres--allowing parties involved in appeals access to listing information as early as possible. Supporting the lists with on-line access to leaflets, guidance and travel maps, the website provides asylum seekers and their representatives with easily obtained practical information.

Judges (Political Neutrality)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance he issues to judges on maintaining a politically neutral stance in public in respect of bills before Parliament. [147474]

Mr. Lock: The current guidance given to judges on appointment advises them against engagement in any capacity which might undermine, or be reasonably thought to undermine, their judicial independence or impartiality. A statement about the position of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary was made by the Senior Law Lord in another place on 22 June 2000, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 419-20, setting out the general principles on the participation of the Lords of Appeal in the business of the House of Lords.

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