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Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money has been spent on the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme since its introduction, broken down by the different measures. [51977]

Mr. Meacher: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, now marketed as the Warm Front Team, was launched on 1 June 2000. The following table identifies the amount of grant spent on insulation and heating measures from June 2000 to March 2002.

£ million

	Insulation	Heating
HEES installed measures	58	13
HEES plus installed measures(2)	29	83

⁽²⁾ HEES Plus measures includes central heating systems for the over 60s in receipt of an income-related benefit

Pesticides

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the voluntary package of measures to reduce the environmental damage of pesticide use implemented by the industry and other stakeholders in April 2001; if she will place copies of related documentation in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [53712]

Mr. Meacher: The first progress report from the Steering Group of the Pesticides Voluntary Initiative was received in February and assessed by the Government to inform the 2002 Budget (Budget Report 2002—Chapter 7).

I am placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Farming/Tourism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the changes in revenues received by the (a) farming and (b) tourism industries as a result of foot and mouth disease and the events of 11 September 2001. [54840]

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Mr. Morley: It is difficult to separate out the effects of either of these events and estimates will depend on a range of assumptions. The best estimates that we have made, in conjunction with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is that foot and mouth imposed economic costs of some £3.1 billion on UK agriculture and the food industry (of which some £2.6 billion was met by the Exchequer). In the case of businesses dependent on tourism the economic losses were estimated at between £2.7 billion and £3.2 billion as a result of estimated loss of revenue of £4.5 billion to £5.3 billion. The overall losses to the economy will have been much smaller than these estimates as expenditure on trips to the countryside (by UK visitors) which were foregone because of foot and Mouth appear to have largely been replaced by spending elsewhere in the economy, either in alternative tourist locations or on goods and services unrelated to tourism.

There are no comprehensive estimates of the effects of the events of 11 September on tourism or farming. However the International Passenger Survey reports that overseas residents' total expenditure on visits to the UK was down by 19 per cent. for the three months September to November 2001 and 13 per cent. for December to February 2002 compared to the same periods in 2000.

Refrigerators and Freezers

Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies her Department has made into the preparation by other EU states to meet the latest EU regulations on the disposal of old refrigerators and freezers, with special reference to the equipment obtained. [34837]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The Department has made inquiries via the British embassies. Five member states appear to have sufficient treatment facilities to deal with all their fridges. It appears that four, like the UK, are complying with the regulations as they have plant operating which can partly meet their requirements and are exporting the remaining fridges. Five member states do not appear to have plants currently which can remove CFCs from insulation foam and are either storing or exporting them, or do not meet the regulation.

Dairy Produce

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much milk produce was imported into the United Kingdom (a) in total, (b) as liquid, (c) as powder, (d) as cheese and (e) as yoghurt in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2001–02. [55194]

Mr. Morley: The table shows the UK imports of milk and milk produce between 1999 and 2002.

PQ 5942—UK imports of milk and milk produce (1999—2002)

	1999		2000		2001		2002 (Jan-Feb)
Product type	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes	£000
Liquid milk and milk product
Buttermilk	22,537	22,148	26,120	26,623	28,859	25,654	2,498	2,280
Condensed milk	14,046	12,087	14,937	16,611	14,002	15,449	1,834	1,932
Skimmed milk	54,051	13,890	21,813	5,572	12,604	5,085	1,984	640
Whole milk	84,378	19,999	104,199	23,141	80,007	19,479	4,442	1,434
Total	175,012	68,124	167,068	71,946	135,471	65,667	10,759	6,287
Powdered milk and milk product
Skimmed milk powder	17,839	25,144	13,824	21,973	22,665	25,974	2,454	3,216
Whole milk powder	9,561	13,076	10,986	15,662	8,314	13,400	2,260	2,710
Total	27,400	38,220	24,809	37,634	30,980	39,374	4,715	5,926
Cheese	277,359	630,131	254,753	601,037	273,148	652,872	37,857	86,152
Yoghurt	68,479	55,975	131,858	67,901	144,192	72,590	6,856	5,950
Other (mainly butter and ice cream)	203,777	363,324	214,753	367,441	224,659	389,771	24,334	39,968
Grand total	752,026	1,155,774	793,241	1,145,960	808,450	1,220,273	84,521	144,283

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Travellers (Horses)

Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received from travellers groups regarding (a) horse management and (b) the tethering of horses. [55878]

Mr. Morley: Friends, families and travellers advice and information unit have responded to the consultation on an Animal Welfare Bill. Their letter deals with equine tethering.

Intensive Farming (Ducks)

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on intensive farming of ducks, with particular reference to (a) the number of ducks intensively farmed, (b) the size of cages used, (c) the type of food that is available to them, (d) the availability of fresh water and (e) the use of antibiotics to counter disease. [54980]

Mr. Morley: DEFRA does not currently collect data on the rearing methods employed by individual duck producers or on the use of medicinal antibiotics in intensive systems. Antibiotics for ducks are licensed under the Medicines Act 1968 and are only available to counter disease on prescription from a veterinary surgeon.

Ducks are not kept in cages in the UK. Ducks must be kept in accordance with the Code of Practice on the Welfare of Ducks. The detailed recommendations for feed and water are: the birds should have easy access to adequate fresh feed each day, and have fresh water at all times; consideration should be given to the provision of water troughs which are deep enough to allow the ducks to get their heads completely under water; whatever feeding and drinking system is used sufficient trough space for feeding and drinking should be provided to prevent undue competition for feed or water; stale or contaminated feed or water should not be allowed to accumulate and should be replaced immediately; and efforts should be made to minimise the risk of drinking water freezing. The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 also requires that all animals must be fed a wholesome diet that is appropriate to their age and species.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of each version of the internal guidance which have been drawn up by her Department since

14 May 2002 : Column 562W

1 January 1999 to assist staff in her Department to answer subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998. [53361]

Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills), gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. McCabe) on 25 April 2002, Official Report, column 446W.

Farmgate and Supermarket Prices

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2002, Official Report, columns 506–07W, what the value is of 100.0 in sterling for (a) agricultural producer prices and (b) retail prices. [48191]

Mr. Morley: The indices shown in the previous reply were three-month moving averages of the Agricultural Price Index and the Retail Price Index. The estimated prices for the period December 1999 to February 2000 which were used to compile the base value of 100.0 for both indices are given in the following table. Also given are the equivalent prices for the period October 2001 to December 2001 to aid comparison in sterling terms.

Estimated average producer prices for Great Britain and retail prices for the United Kingdom based on the API and RPI series£ per kilogram

	December 1999 to February 2000	October 2001 to December 2001
Producer prices of finished sheep and lambs—GB(3)	1.96	1.82
Retail price of home killed lamb— UK(4)
Loin chops (with bone)	8.14	8.49
Shoulder (with bone)	3.34	3.31

⁽³⁾ Basic source: Meat and Livestock Commission. Estimated deadweight prices of Standard Quality Quotation sheep.

⁽⁴⁾ Basic source: UK RPI, Office for National Statistics. Cut or diced lamb is also included in the RPI information quoted in the previous reply but separate prices are not published due to the variability of the individual items priced.

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