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Rural Task Force
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the remit of the Rural Task Force. [16527]
Alun Michael: The Prime Minister gave the Task Force the following terms of reference when it was established in March 2001.
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- "To consider the implications of outbreak of foot and mouth disease for rural economy, both immediately and in the longer term, and to report to the Prime Minister on appropriate measures. In particular to:
identify the problems that the FMD outbreak is causing for the wider rural economy;
draw up specific guidance for the public and businesses in accordance with veterinary advice;
identify any initiatives—eg from the Rural White Paper—whose implementation might be brought forward to help those caught up in the crises;
identify potential new actions which would help to kick-start the rural economy again once the outbreak had been eradicated."
Supermarkets
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 306W, if she will make it her policy to send a copy of the Code of Practice on relationships between supermarkets and suppliers to all farmers and growers in Worcestershire after the agreement of the four major retailers to the code has been obtained. [16244]
Mr. Morley: As I noted in my reply to the hon. Gentleman on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 306W, the Code of Practice is available on the DTI website. Copies may also be obtained from the Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. We have no plans to send copies to all farmers and growers in Worcestershire, relatively few of whom are likely to sell their produce directly to the supermarkets who will be bound by it.
Dangerous Wild Animals Act
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent guidance she has issued to local authorities in respect of their powers and duties under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976; [15391]
- (2) what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) use by the local authorities of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 in relation to the sale of animals subject to the Act. [15392]
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Mr. Meacher [holding answer 19 November 2001]: No recent guidance has been issued to local authorities in respect of their powers under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. However, my Department recently commissioned an independent review of the Act.
A copy of the review report is on the Department's website and comments on it have been invited by 31 January 2002. Once this consultation exercise has been completed, we will publish a paper setting out how we intend to take forward the report's recommendations, which include proposals that additional guidance should be provided for local authorities, and that it should be an offence to sell, give or otherwise transfer responsibility for a dangerous wild animal to an unlicensed keeper.
Combined Heat and Power
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government's CHP strategy will be published. [5186]
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government's CHP strategy will be published. [5765]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 19 July 2001]: We will be issuing a draft Government strategy for consultation by the end of this year.
UK Fuel Poverty Strategy
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the final version of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy will be published. [17432]
Mr. Meacher: The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy has been published today and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
Rural Bus Services
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to provide door-to-door public transport services for those unable to walk to rural bus stops. [16584]
Ms Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are specifically supporting the development of demand responsive, door-to-door transport services in rural areas, especially through DTLR's Rural Bus Challenge and the Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership programme. The Rural White Paper published last year announced £92 million would be made available over the next three years to fund these two initiatives. Many of these services will also benefit as a result of the Government's intention to extend eligibility to receive fuel duty rebate to a wide range of community transport services. Following consultation earlier this year, regulations implementing this change will be introduced later this financial year.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of households in rural areas lived within 10 minutes walk of at least hourly bus services in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000 and (f) 2001. [15908]
Ms Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
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The proportion of households in rural areas within Great Britain living within about 10 minutes walk of a bus stop with at least an hourly service was:
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1992–94 | 44 |
| 1995–97 | 41 |
| 1998–2000 | 50 |
Trends should be treated with caution as sample sizes for rural areas are small, despite aggregation of data over a three year period.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Afghanistan
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters he has received from residents of the Buckingham constituency (a) supporting and (b) opposing military action in Afghanistan. [16168]
Mr. Bradshaw: Since 11 September the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received over 6,000 letters about the terrorist attacks against the US and the subsequent situation in Afghanistan. Of these some 400 letters were addressed to the Foreign Secretary. The letters have addressed a wide range of different themes related to the current crisis. Each letter has received a reply.
It is not possible to provide a breakdown by constituency without incurring disproportionate cost.
European Union
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a pan-Union referendum following the next Intergovernmental Conference. [14807]
Peter Hain: Treaty change is a matter for member states to decide by unanimity in accordance with their own constitutional requirements. In the United Kingdom, this involves a ratification procedure requiring legislation. It is right that Parliament should decide on the results the Government achieve at Intergovernmental Conferences.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the European Women's Lobby concerning (a) its campaign and (b) receiving EU funding. [14817]
Peter Hain: I have not received representations from the European Women's Lobby.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards a second chamber of the European Parliament. [14820]
Peter Hain: The Prime Minister has proposed that representatives of national parliaments be more involved in European matters through a Second Chamber of the
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European Parliament which could review the EU's work and provide democratic oversight at a European level of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The role of national parliaments in the European architecture is one of the agenda items for the next Intergovernmental Conference in 2004.
Freedom of Information Act
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up. [14768]
Mr. MacShane: A steering group of senior officials was set up in August 2000 to oversee implementation of the FOI Act and a dedicated unit has been working on preparations to implement the Act.
FCO officials meet regularly to review progress.
Biological Weapons
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what powers individuals can be (a) prosecuted and (b) extradited for activities involving biological weapons. [13954]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 14 November 2001]: Individuals can be prosecuted under Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974. It is an offence for any person to develop, produce, stockpile, acquire or retain any biological agent or toxin where there is no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes. A person in possession of a biological weapon for terrorist purposes would also commit an offence under section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The United Kingdom has extradition arrangements with well over 100 countries. In most cases, a crime is extraditable if the available prison sentence in the United Kingdom and in the requesting jurisdiction is 12 months or more.
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