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Press Releases
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many press releases were issued by his Department in the financial years (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000; how many have been issued in the current financial year; and what his estimate is of the total number for the current financial year. [149248]
Ms Quin [holding answer 8 February 2001]: The number of MAFF News Releases put out for the years 1996-97 to date are as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 491 |
| 1997-98 | 467 |
| 1998-99 | 553 |
| 1999-2000 | 571 |
| 2000-01 | (73)381 |
(73) To date
It is not possible to forecast the total number of MAFF Press Releases for this financial year.
Pet Travel Scheme
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people in Pendle have benefited from the pet travel scheme since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [149921]
Ms Quin: Up to end of December 2000, the owners of 14,500 cats and dogs had used the Pet Travel Scheme to bring their pets into England. Unfortunately, data are not collected on numbers of people using the scheme from specific areas of the UK.
Mr. Reed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to complete a review of the inclusion of the USA and Canada in the reformed quarantine regulations for pets. [149999]
Ms Quin: The Pet Travel Scheme was extended to include pet cats and dogs from certain rabies-free islands, including Hawaii, on 31 January 2001.
A risk assessment following the Kennedy Committee Report indicated that cats and dogs from North America could be included within the Pet Travel Scheme only with a further increase in risk. Any increase, even a small one, is obviously undesirable. We are however committed to reviewing the possibility of the inclusion of the USA and Canada in the Pet Travel Scheme on the basis of new data received.
Farming (Leicestershire)
Mr. Reed: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the total value to Leicestershire farmers of CAP payments for the most recent year for which figures are available. [149987]
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Ms Quin: Total subsidies under the CAP paid to Leicestershire farmers by MAFF during the EU financial year 16 October 1999 to 15 October 2000 amounted to £36,493,221. In some cases amounts include an element of national as well as EU funding. Farmers also benefit from expenditure on market support measures, even though this is not paid directly to them.
Animal Exports
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what percentage of animals exported live from the UK undergo an inspection by an independent veterinary inspector; [150313]
- (2) what procedures exist for the inspection of animals exported live from the UK. [150314]
Ms Quin: All consignments of live farm animals destined for export are inspected by a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) in the 24 hours prior to loading as part of the export health certification procedures. Arrangements vary for other animals but almost all are inspected prior to export so that the health certification can be completed. Notes for guidance which accompany each certificate outline the procedures to be followed by LVIs and exporters. Specific guidance on pre-export procedures for LVIs certifying live sheep and pigs for fattening or slaughter to other member states was issued on 31 May 1999. Copies will be made available to hon. Members in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what percentage of animals exported live from the UK are exported under the procedure of further fattening certificates; [150315]
- (2) what percentage of animals exported live from the UK are exported for slaughter where details of the destination abattoir are required. [150316]
Ms Quin: 'Fattening' and 'slaughter' export health certificates apply to live sheep and pigs. In 1999, 99 per cent. of live sheep and 2 per cent. of live pigs were exported from the UK under 'fattening' certification and 1 per cent. of live sheep and 43 per cent. of live pigs under 'slaughter' certification. Animals exported under
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'slaughter' certification must be delivered to a specified abattoir of destination. The figures for 2000 will be available shortly.
GM Crops
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence from the USA and Canada on boundary contamination by GM crops he has taken into account in determining separation distances for GM crop trials in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [150102]
Ms Quin: Separation distances for this spring's GM farm scale trials were announced on 6 February 2001, Official Report, columns 460-91W. The Government asked SCIMAC to increase distances in two cases, following a review by the National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB) of the available scientific data in this area, including evidence from North America on boundary levels of cross-pollination. The separation distances being applied, however, reflect expected levels of cross-pollination on a whole field to field basis. The NIAB report is available on the Ministry website at www.maff.gov.uk.
Over-30-months Scheme
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the throughput was for the over-30-months scheme in each year of its existence in terms of cattle weight and, for each year, the proportion of the throughput exceeding weight limits for compensation that applied at the time. [150243]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 13 February 2001]: The table details the total throughput figures for each year in tonnes. During 1996 there was no weight cap restriction and therefore compensation was paid on the full weight. From 4 August 1997 until 5 June 2000 compensation was limited to a maximum 560 kgs. With the lifting of the weight cap on 5 June 2000 compensation now continues to be paid on the full weight. The proportion of the weight presented which exceeded the weight limit is also shown as a percentage together with the average carcase weight of the animals presented in each year.
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| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight cap (560 kilo) | 0 | (74)560 | (75)560 | (75)560 | (76)560 |
| Total weight (tonnes) | 688,799 | 492,907 | 506,192 | 538,521 | 548,289 |
| Overall % of animal weight over weight cap | 0 | 3.00 | 7.42 | 6.84 | 3.27 |
| Average carcase weight (kilo) | 605 | 582 | 565 | 555 | 562 |
(74) From 4 August 1997
(75) All year
(76) Until 5 June 2000
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Nuclear Waste
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date the last shipment of nuclear waste was dumped at sea by MV Gem. [150800]
Mr. Morley: The last shipment of radioactive waste was dumped by MV Gem in the North Atlantic in August 1982.
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Farming Costs
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the progress of the task force looking at the input costs in farming. [151437]
Ms Quin: The Inputs Task Force published an interim report on 5 February. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. A final report is due at the end of March.
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TREASURY
EU Budget
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the anticipated (a) gross and (b) net UK contribution is to the EU Budget in the current financial year. [144042]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Government estimates of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget for future years are given on a financial year basis. The Government's latest forecast for 2000-01 and 2001-02 can be found at footnote 1 to Table B17 of the pre-Budget Report (Cm 4917) published in November. Details of the spring forecasts of the United Kingdom's gross and net contribution in 2000-01 will be published in the Chancellor's Departmental Report.
Debt Servicing (HIPC)
Mr. Goggins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in total to the United Kingdom in debt servicing payments, in the last year for which figures are available, by (a) Angola, (b) Burundi, (c) Central African Republic, (d) Chad, (e) the Republic of Congo, (f) the Democratic Republic of Congo, (g) Cote d'Ivoire, (h) Ethiopia, (i) Ghana, (j) Kenya, (k) Lao PDR, (l) Liberia, (m) Myanmar, (n) Sierra Leone, (o) Somalia, (p) Sudan, (q) Togo, (r) Vietnam and (s) Yemen. [144479]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Her Majesty's Government have received amounts of debt service payments under bilateral debt agreements from the following countries in 2000:
| Country | Payment (£) |
|---|---|
| Central African Republic | 27,637 |
| Ethiopia | 525,526 |
| Ghana | 1,417,864 |
| Kenya | 6,357,388 |
| Vietnam | 66,285 |
| Yemen | 201,103 |
| Total | 9,205,803 |
No payments were made in 2000 by Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan or Togo. Nor was any payment received from Myanmar, which has no debt agreement with the UK.
Burundi, Chad and Lao PDR have no liabilities to Her Majesty's Government.
In addition, in 2000 the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) received £5,020,124 from Ghana and £1,947,456 from Kenya. CDC is a PLC owned by Government: economic interest in CDC loans to HIPCs has been transferred to DFID.
With effect from 2 December, in line with the joint announcement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for International Development, Her Majesty's Government will receive no financial benefit from any future payments by any of these countries. They will be held in trust and refunded to the country when Decision Point under the enhanced HIPC initiative is reached, at which time 100 per cent. of future payments will also be relieved.
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In order to reach Decision Point, HIPC countries must demonstrate their commitment to a programme agreed with the IMF to deliver macroeconomic stability and alleviate poverty. Poverty eradication must be the recognised priority: the UK cannot provide debt relief for conflict countries where defence spending is high or for those with no track record of economic reform.
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