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Light Lambs

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many lighter lambs the Government plan to buy in 2001. [6661]

Mr. Morley: Under the light lamb scheme introduced from September 2001, the Government are prepared to pay £10 for the buying up of light lambs for which there is currently no export market because of the foot and mouth export ban. This could cost up to £25 million in purchase costs but estimates of uptake are uncertain. The scheme will not operate in 2002 and we expect farmers to look into selling lambs into the food chain as their first priority.

Waste Disposal

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that incineration is only used to burn sorted, post-recycled waste and not mixed household waste; and if she will make a statement. [4149]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 16 July 2001]: The Government have now set each local authority statutory targets for recycling and composting. In future, therefore, material burnt in municipal waste incinerator residues cannot be counted towards meeting the statutory recycling targets.

Sugar Beet Industry

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support is to be given by her Department to the sugar beet industry over the next five years. [4494]

7 Nov 2001 : Column: 301W

Mr. Morley: Support for the sugar beet industry is governed by the European Union's common agricultural policy (CAP) regime for sugar. A new regime was agreed at the May Agriculture Council and runs for five years from 1 July 2001. This maintains support prices for sugar and sugar beet at previous levels, but ends support for the storage of sugar. The regime will be subject to review at the beginning of 2003 on the basis of a Commission report and any necessary proposals. The Government's view is that the EU support for sugar needs to be put on a more sustainable basis.

Carcase Burial Site, Petrockstowe

Mr. Burnett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will state, in relation to the carcase burial site at Ash Moor, Petrockstowe, (a) what the level of the water table is below the surface of the land and (b) whether a microbiological study has been conducted into the use of the land for the burial of animal carcases; if she will publish the environmental impact and risk assessments for the site and list the recommendations they made; which legal requirements were complied with before construction of the site started; what has been (i) the cost of work to date and (ii) the continuing cost of upkeep; what additional cost will be incurred if the site is brought into use for the burial of animal carcases; and if she will make a statement. [R] [10735]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 29 October 2001]: In relation to the burial site at Ash Moor, Petrockstowe:

(a) The level of the water table is 1.3, to 3.5 m below ground level.

(b) No. A microbiological study is not necessary as the only vectors for micro-organisms to travel from burial into the environment are in the leachate or gas. The environmental assessment describes how these vectors will be controlled.

The environmental statement will be published after local consultation. The document is currently in draft format and is being finalised prior to local consultation.

Prior to construction an Environment Agency risk assessment (available from the Public register at Exminster House, Miller Way, Exminster, EX6 8AS) was completed on 11 April 2001. EA authorisation under regulation 18(3)(a) of the Groundwater Regulations 1998 was granted on 12 April 2001. (Construction at Ash Moor started on 20 April 2001).

(i) £5.6 million is the cost of the work to date but this figure is subject to confirmation as negotiations are on-going with one of the contractors.

(ii) £20,000 per week is the continuing cost of upkeep.

If the site is brought into use for the burial of animal carcases the one off cost for one cell would be approximately £350,000. If three cells were used the cost rises to approximately £670,000 and if all cells were used the cost would be approximately £1,550,000. On top of this, there would be costs for odour controls, long-term maintenance and monitoring and testing. These are expected to be approximately £350,000-£400,000 per annum irrespective of the number of cells used. Such costs would fall after four or five years.

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Compensation (Tuna Fishermen)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on compensation to UK tuna drift net fishermen for the withdrawal of their licences. [11591]

Mr. Morley: Funding available under Cornwall's objective 1 fisheries programme includes grants for the conversion of fishing vessels to more environmentally friendly fishing methods. Depending on the new fishing method chosen, conversion from drift netting could be treated as a priority under this scheme.

Those affected by the ban may also apply under the decommissioning scheme which I recently announced.

Livestock Markets

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to support livestock markets in England and Wales to ensure that they have a viable future; and if she will provide financial aid and support for livestock markets to assist with the financial costs they are incurring due to additional cleaning and disinfecting measures that are in place. [10497]

Mr. Morley: The question of whether, and if so under what conditions, livestock markets will reopen is kept under review in the light of the developing disease situation.

Livestock markets are commercial operations, and there are no plans to offer them subsidies from the public purse.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what long-term plans her Department has for local collection points at livestock markets; what plans she has (a) to help livestock farmers to off-set the costs of having their livestock collected at markets and (b) for assisting markets with the costs they incur in acting as collection points. [10499]

Mr. Morley: The question of whether, and if so under what conditions, livestock markets will reopen is kept under review in the light of the developing disease situation.

There are no plans to offer subsidies (a) to farmers to offset the cost of having livestock collected at markets or (b) to markets to offset costs incurred in acting as collecting points.

Devolved Administrations

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department giving evidence to (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) Welsh Assembly and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly Committees; and to what categories of document she gives (A) full access, (B) restricted access and (C) no access to (w) Scottish parliament, (x) Welsh Assembly, (y) Northern Ireland Assembly and (z) House of Commons select committees. [7045]

Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1003–05W.

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Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Research Programme

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will provide the information on her Department's TSE research programme promised in her statement of 22 October. [13487]

Margaret Beckett: I have today placed a paper describing the programme in full in the Library of the House.

Live Animal Exports

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many exporters of live animals have been found to have breached the live transport regulations; and how many have had their licence revoked since July 1997. [10389]

Mr. Morley: Since July 1997, anyone transporting farm livestock for journeys exceeding eight hours by road or any animals on commercial journeys by rail, sea or air must hold a specific authorisation. The TRADE database, maintained by DEFRA, records enforcement action under the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 but does not separately identify transporters who are exporters of live animals. No specific authorisations have been revoked. One case is pending.

Correspondence

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to letters from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire of 3 April concerning Mr. Gale, 4 April concerning Chaddesley Corbett, 18 April concerning Mr. and Mrs. Morris, 20 April concerning Mr. Boaz, 25 April concerning Mr. Chadwick, 30 April concerning the Wyre Piddle By-Pass, 30 April concerning Ann Ward and 2 May concerning landfill sites. [2705]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2001]: Replies have been sent to all the hon. Member's letters to MAFF Ministers with the exception of his letter of 30 April, of which I am afraid we have no record.

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