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Fishmeal
Mr. Curry: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the cost to the United Kingdom feed manufacturing industry of a ban on the use of fishmeal in feeds for cattle and sheep; [149653]
- (2) if it is his intention to seek a derogation for the United Kingdom from EU proposals banning the use of fishmeal in feeds for cattle and sheep. [149654]
Ms Quin [holding answer 9 February 2001]: Interested parties have been consulted on the impact of the new EU-wide feed controls, including the ban on fishmeal. Representations received are currently being examined. When this assessment is complete, we will announce how we intend to proceed.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received concerning the proposed European ban on the use of fishmeal in animal feedingstuff; and what reply he has sent. [150062]
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Ms Quin [holding answer 14 February 2001]: We have received letters from 12 hon. Members and 53 other interested parties, including agricultural trade associations, farmers, feed manufacturers, feed nutritionists, veterinarians and welfare groups.
In responding to letters addressing the Agricultural Council decision on feed controls, we have made clear our intention to implement the ban on fishmeal from ruminant feed in a proportionate way, so far as we are able. Letters relating to the consultation on implementation of the feed controls will be considered as part of the consultation process and individual replies issued in due course.
GM Vines
Ms Walley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will propose to the (a) European Commission and (b) Council of Ministers that they review support for the proposed provision under Directive 68/193/EEC in respect of the commercialisation of genetically treated grafted and non-grafted rooted vines; and if he will make a statement. [150441]
Ms Quin: The horizontal EU Directive on GMO releases 90/220 already allows for the marketing of genetically modified vine varieties, subject to rigorous controls to safeguard human health and the environment. The Commission's proposal to amend Directive 68/193 on the marketing of vines does not introduce anything new in this respect but mirrors the relevant provisions of Directive 90/220. Nevertheless, the Agriculture Council agreed at its most recent meeting that the proposal should be subject to further detailed consideration before there is any question of its possible adoption.
Agrimonetary Compensation
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his
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policy on paying agrimonetary compensatory amounts to (a) cereal producers, (b) pig producers and (c) other producers. [148948]
Ms Quin: The decision to pay each tranche of agrimonetary compensation is considered on a case by case basis, taking into consideration the state and prospects for the industry and other calls on the UK Exchequer.
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what mechanism has been proposed by the Government to replace the agrimonetary compensation scheme. [150705]
Ms Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 14 February 2001, Official Report, column 141W.
Departmental Business (Overseas Visits)
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many visits abroad have been made by his Department's officials on departmental business (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the last 12 months. [149142]
Ms Quin: Information about the number of individual visits overseas undertaken by my officials on departmental business since 1 May 1997 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Travel Costs
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were his Department's total gross running costs for travel, including fares, subsistence, accommodation and any other expenses met from public funds but excluding all such costs for journeys and stays exclusively within the United Kingdom (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the last 12 months. [149139]
Ms Quin: The information requested is set out in the table.
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| Actual spend/description | 1 May 1997 to 31 January 2000 | 1 February 2000 to 31 January 2001(72) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel EC Institution Meetings | 1,701,787.10 | 631,973.23 | 2,333,760.33 |
| Travel Other Overseas Visits | 1,401,096.55 | 537,523.73 | 1,938,620.28 |
| Travel Foreign Hospitality | 15,406.42 | 7,972.30 | 23,378.72 |
| Subsistence EC Institution Meetings | 968,357.23 | 229,150.30 | 1,197,507.53 |
| Subsistence Other Overseas Visits | 648,217.95 | 136,662.08 | 784,880.03 |
| Total | 4,734,865.25 | 1,543,281.64 | 6,278,146.89 |
(72) This column includes unaudited figures from 1 April 2000
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Support Payment
Mr. Breed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the normal procedure is for notifying farmers of changes to their support payments. [149287]
Ms Quin: Proposals for major changes in the structure of agricultural support, such as the Agenda 2000 proposals, are the subject of consultations with farmers' organisations and other interested parties that are designed to inform the discussions which take place in the Council of Ministers, as re proposals for implementing such
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changes in the United Kingdom once agreement is reached in the Council. The outcome of any consultation is notified to the farming industry in a Press Notice.
Changes to the rules of the aid schemes are announced in scheme literature issued by the Ministry and the Intervention Board Executive Agency or in letters sent directly to farmers and traders. The scheme literature gives details of payment rates fixed in Euros but, where the Sterling rates are given, it is made clear that these are estimates and that the final rates of payment will depend
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on the exchange rate effective on the date which sets the conversion rate applicable to the scheme in question. These dates vary from scheme to scheme. Changes in payment rates resulting purely from changes in the Euro/Sterling exchange rate are published in Notices to Traders issued by the Intervention Board.
Individual claimants are notified by the Regional Service Centre of the Ministry which handles their claim (or by the Intervention Board, as appropriate) of the amounts of aid that will be paid to them.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Spring: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the effect to date of BSE on the consumption of beef in the EU. [148762]
Ms Quin [holding answer 7 February 2001]: Beef consumption in some member states has remained stable while in others, particularly France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium and Austria, significant short-term falls have been reported. In January these latter countries indicated (on the basis of market intelligence reports rather than official statistics) that beef consumption had fallen by between 20 and 50 per cent. The Commission has estimated that overall EU consumption might fall by 10 per cent. or more in 2001. It is too early to judge whether this forecast will prove to be accurate.
Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what internal audit report he has commissioned into the plans to create a new CAP paying agency; and if he will place copies in the Library. [150867]
Ms Quin: The MAFF and Intervention Board Internal Audit Units have recently reviewed the programme controls which are being put in place to ensure the successful delivery of the new CAP Payments Agency.
An Action Plan covering the recommendations in the audit report is currently being finalised. I will place copies in the Library when it is available.
Farm Aid
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide a breakdown of expenditure of the £203.5 million, announced to United Kingdom farmers in March 2000. [150707]
Ms Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister on 16 January 2001, Official Report, columns 138-42W.
Fruit
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage producers to bring on to the market varieties of (a) apples, (b) pears and (c) other fruits that were readily available in 19th-century England but are rarely found today. [149743]
Ms Quin: The England Rural Development Programme can assist growers to pursue new market opportunities, for example grants under the Rural Enterprise Scheme can help with the marketing of quality agricultural products, including older varieties of apples, pears and other fruit. The National Fruit Collection of Brogdale is a rich resource containing over 3,000 distinct
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varieties of apples, pears and other stone and bush fruits which are available to those interested in identifying old varieties suitable for niche markets. The Government support the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale at a cost of £180,000 per annum.
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