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Radioactive Waste (Irish Sea)

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amount of radioactive waste was discharged into the Irish Sea, broken down between each radionuclide, in each year since 1979. [29244]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 22 January 2002]: Annual radioactive discharge data, for nuclear sites in the UK, for the years in question, are contained in the following Government reports:

Aquatic Environment Monitoring Report, Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles, MAFF. Annual Report, 1977–94


Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, Food Standards Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Annual publication, 1995–2001.

Copies of these publications can be found in the Library of the House.

Data, in the form requested, from these reports (updated and amplified from other sources for certain years and radionuclides) are reproduced in the tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The timespans over which radionuclides have been measured at different contributory nuclear sites varies depending upon the discharge authorisations issued by the relevant UK regulator.

Copies of these publications can be found in the Library of the House.

Data, in the form requested, from these reports (updated and amplified from other sources for certain years and radionuclides) are reproduced in the tables. The timespans over which radionuclides have been measured at different contributory nuclear sites varies depending upon the discharge authorisations issued by the relevant UK regulator.

Fluoride

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which countries the UK imports fluoride. [42975]

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.

According to information compiled by HM Customs and Excise, UK imported fluorides ¹ from Germany, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Belgium, France, Japan, Italy, China, Netherlands, Brazil, India, Hong Kong, Irish Republic, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Norway and South Korea.

Note:

¹ Fluorides are defined by codes 282611, 282612 and 282619 of the Harmonised System.

20 Mar 2002 : Column 373W

Illegal Meat Imports

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the role of her Department in checks on illegal meat imports at coastal ports in the last two years. [44212]

Margaret Beckett: The responsibility for sea ports lies with the local/port-health authority and not with DEFRA. Although we do have a presence in most ports and offer advice and support to the local authorities, it is their function to quality assure legitimate trade and to identify illegal imports.

I am chairing a high level forum on Thursday 21 March 2002 involving all stakeholders, to consider the next steps for intensifying our efforts and to agree further priorities and action. A number of other Government Departments and agencies plus the enforcement bodies will be participating.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 12 March, ref. 38842, on which dates members of the State Veterinary Service were involved in joint exercises at Heathrow. [44230]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 18 March 2002]: Since April 2001, members of the State Veterinary Service have been involved in nine joint exercises at Heathrow. Dates include the 8, 15 and 29 April, 24 June, 30 October, 9 November 2001 and 12, 14 and 17 February 2002.

Winter Wheat/Winter Barley

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total amount of sowings of (a) winter wheat and (b) winter barley for the year ending 2001; and what the comparable figures were for 2000. [44103]

Mr. Morley: The December 2001 survey of agriculture results for England were published on 7 March 2002 in DEFRA Statistics News Release 11/02 and are available on the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk. Estimates for the areas of wheat and barley sown by 3 December 2001 are detailed in the table together with comparable figures for December 2000.

thousand hectares

	1 December 2000	3 December 2001	Percentage change(6) December 2001–December 2000
Wheat sown by survey date	1,271	1,868	+47.0
Barley sown by survey date	390	486	+24.4

⁽⁶⁾ Based on unrounded figures.

Notes:

1. Includes estimates for minor holdings.

2. For 2000, areas sown by 1 December were affected by poor drilling conditions caused by wet weather.

* Based on unrounded figures

Fish Quotas (Shetland and Orkney)

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total

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amount expended by the Shetland and Orkney Islands councils annually for the purchase of fish quotas was from 1995 to 2002. [44099]

Mr. Morley: I understand no moneys have been expended by the Shetland Islands council on the purchase of fish quotas but that £2 million was spent on quota purchase in 1998 by Shetland Leasing and Property Ltd. (SLAP), using moneys lent by Shetland Development Trust, and the Orkney Islands council spent £1.5 million in 1999.

Beam Trawling

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the restrictions are on the frequency with which a seabed may be beam trawled; and how such restrictions are enforced. [43880]

Mr. Morley: There are no restrictions on the frequency with which a seabed may be beam trawled.

Large beam trawls are prohibited within 12 miles of the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland under EC Fisheries Technical Regulations. Further restrictions have been placed on the use of beam trawlers by some of the 12 Sea Fisheries Committees who are responsible for managing fishing in the 0-six mile zone around England and Wales.

Quarantine Kennels

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will introduce statutory standards for animal quarantine kennels. [44258]

Mr. Morley: Under the Animal Health Act 1981 and the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 (as amended) animal quarantine kennels are regulated with regard to disease security and isolation. There are standard requirements for the design, construction, operation and management of authorised quarantine premises, and it is the responsibility of the Veterinary Superintendent of the premises to ensure that these standards are met, and also to ensure the safe custody and strict isolation of each animal throughout its period of quarantine.

Currently, all approved quarantine premises have undertaken to abide by a Voluntary Code of Practice on the Welfare of Dogs and Cats in Quarantine Premises. But we are determined to improve the welfare standards of animals in quarantine. The Animal Health (Amendment) Act 1998 gives us the power to set statutory welfare standards in quarantine premises. In 2000 we consulted on a draft order which contained, among other things, such statutory welfare standards.

Work on the draft order was suspended during 2001 due to foot and mouth disease. We hope to introduce the legislation later this year.

Agrimonetary Compensation

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 741W, on

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agrimonetary compensation, how much compensation has been paid to each county in each year since 1997. [43320]

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Mr. Morley: The table sets out agrimonetary expenditure between 1997 and 2001, at county level.

£

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Avon	46,582.90	613,088.12	422,405.20	1,830,896.78	1,924,263.55
Bedfordshire	25,290.49	293,235.94	206,457.71	3,839,765.31	1,259,794.09
Berkshire	28,809.38	400,592.56	260,462.17	2,511,894.50	1,178,826.26
Buckinghamshire	100,094.62	1,255,101.58	853,874.65	4,388,599.35	2,092,800.55
Cambridgeshire	23,892.00	551,524.65	246,919.03	10,820,475.59	3,058,492.15
Cheshire	103,980.30	593,821.65	442,161.92	3,384,855.17	5,352,276.59
Cleveland	19,357.65	240,278.79	179,040.27	1,048,734.42	631,118.43
Cornwall	312,282.84	4,295,307.33	2,742,830.25	6,739,851.65	6,119,660.05
Cumbria	1,581,523.72	11,521,556.80	11,466,448.01	12,384,974.29	12,339,555.73
Derbyshire	254,718.03	2,502,485.44	1,905,839.31	4,463,025.68	4,020,015.53
Devonshire	962,388.98	9,361,751.91	7,646,831.69	13,638,895.19	12,607,153.67
Dorset	104,554.91	1,135,612.92	911,914.98	5,044,705.36	4,203,644.04
Durham	365,091.13	3,383,218.90	2,707,639.08	5,051,444.27	3,048,254.02
East Sussex	137,904.52	1,252,188.03	1,093,737.33	3,068,280.67	1,777,719.86
Essex	33,215.82	478,784.80	279,345.86	10,755,207.25	3,281,451.08
Gloucestershire	178,772.97	1,873,157.21	1,501,465.61	6,659,059.08	3,600,129.59
Greater London	704.01	73,983.78	13,022.03	288,208.92	125,517.66
Greater Manchester	41,634.29	356,106.11	163,950.72	630,903.23	531,791.45
Hampshire	70,985.24	1,146,950.89	579,784.76	7,306,807.10	2,956,214.06
Hereford and Worcester	568,266.71	4,796,637.65	4,390,840.36	9,734,386.41	5,869,263.64
Hertfordshire	19,930.95	408,442.43	175,598.11	4,001,736.34	1,354,289.14
Humberside	59,690.26	1,105,624.06	560,294.56	11,029,835.20	3,054,684.10
Isle of Wight	15,821.16	228,109.70	130,355.30	720,196.43	405,029.93
Kent	241,348.70	1,902,805.26	1,730,036.63	8,406,074.77	3,094,404.04
Lancashire	447,736.02	3,228,481.79	3,326,149.41	4,744,869.02	5,548,309.02
Leicestershire	167,956.70	1,632,267.42	1,391,865.92	7,598,278.46	3,927,548.61
Lincolnshire	101,037.07	1,775,789.62	892,910.26	19,312,091.10	6,052,915.42
Merseyside	2,935.16	51,534.61	23,059.98	549,660.68	287,127.35
Norfolk	70,955.48	1,510,377.40	656,988.66	12,750,388.93	4,465,805.66
North Yorkshire	1,098,985.24	8,681,985.38	8,255,463.12	19,806,227.51	11,203,839.86
Northamptonshire	170,684.41	1,600,108.65	1,385,136.16	8,059,386.46	3,058,931.74
Northumberland	879,434.05	8,336,908.10	6,586,422.68	10,900,145.61	6,227,342.15
Nottinghamshire	43,231.52	629,141.42	387,537.85	5,903,619.88	1,537,998.45
Oxfordshire	94,797.97	1,162,121.82	800,669.71	8,022,062.71	3,250,752.69
Scilly Isles	0.00	1,508.47	238.26	632.36	712.97
Shropshire	450,045.29	2,589,329.24	2,091,822.20	8,370,680.73	6,652,592.24
Somerset	331,143.35	3,305,963.81	2,585,044.47	6,620,751.59	6,560,058.18
South Yorkshire	40,175.04	595,423.53	344,468.63	2,849,217.26	1,361,540.11
Staffordshire	134,429.01	1,140,809.91	752,202.20	4,594,325.61	4,218,938.86
Suffolk	33,567.51	695,129.84	344,544.71	10,444,578.42	3,379,338.28
Surrey	30,549.37	543,349.49	259,523.94	1,245,831.43	815,929.17
Tyne and Wear	3,740.64	152,949.68	64,707.76	609,647.24	298,146.66
Warwickshire	147,950.13	1,318,825.80	1,199,911.67	5,662,022.73	2,480,183.29
West Midlands	10,550.20	184,153.27	89,202.93	511,241.44	495,061.73
West Sussex	56,625.96	755,687.75	444,876.68	3,375,760.17	1,787,853.01
West Yorkshire	123,095.24	1,403,953.16	956,780.51	2,460,213.00	1,899,087.59
Wiltshire	95,682.95	1,516,854.72	871,506.70	8,270,806.18	4,829,054.65
Total	9,832,149.89	92,583,021.39	74,322,289.95	290,411,251.48	164,225,416.90

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