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Genetically Modified Foods

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research (a) her Department and (b) its predecessors have undertaken in the last five years to assess and measure the commercial impact of genetically modified foodstuffs; and if she will place copies in the Library. [54589]

Mr. Morley: Neither DEFRA nor its predecessors have undertaken any research on the commercial impact of GM foods.

22 May 2002 : Column 329W

Consultation Documents

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many consultation documents and consultative drafts of legislation have been issued by her Department since January 2001; and what proportion of these have observed Criterion 5 of the Code of Practice on Written Consultation. [57006]

Mr. Morley: The following table shows up-to-date information regarding consultation documents issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 1 January 2001.

	Number of consultations issued	% of consultations observing Criterion 5
1 January to 31 December 2001	50	50
1 January 2002 to date	29	69
Total	79	57

Correspondence

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Eastleigh dated 18 March, regarding the funding for supply chain companies constructing the A380. [57521]

Mr. Morley: I am sorry, but we are unable to trace the correspondence referred to by the hon. Member.

As the correspondence would appear to be on constructing the A380, a new wide body twin jet, perhaps this is a matter for the Department for Trade and Industry.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer on 19 April 2002, Official Report, columns 1192–93W, if she will investigate the whereabouts of the Bale Us Out correspondence. [56186]

Mr. Morley: As I have stated in my earlier reply to the hon. Member, we are unable to trace the correspondence referred to.

I am sorry, but diverting resources in our correspondence section to investigating the whereabouts of this correspondence would not be cost-effective, as we have no record of having received your correspondence. If you send us another copy of your correspondence we will reply.

Over-30-months Scheme

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of cattle presented to the over-30-months scheme were rejected for lack of proper document in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [57557]

Mr. Morley: 1 per cent. of all animals entering the scheme during the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 were rejected because of either documentation or animal ineligibility. Figures relating solely to the number of animals rejected because of documentation are not available.

22 May 2002 : Column 330W

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much over-30-months scheme compensation has been paid in each year since its inception. [57531]

Mr. Morley: The information requested is as follows:

	£ million
1996–97	670
1997–98	288
1998–99	264
1999–2000	265
2000–01	240
2001–02	185

Colorado Beetle

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on steps being taken to prevent the spread of the Colorado beetle. [57558]

Mr. Morley: The United Kingdom has protected zone status for Colorado beetle, making it an offence for the beetle to be moved into the country. To support this the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate in England and Wales and the similar inspectorates in Scotland and Northern Ireland inspect imports of plants and plant produce to ensure that the beetle, as well as many other pests and diseases, are not present. Added to this is the long-running campaign to promote and maintain a high level of public awareness of the beetle. This is instrumental in ensuring that members of the public, as well as importers and port operators, report findings of the beetle. These measures have all helped to prevent the Colorado beetle entering and establishing in the UK. Should an outbreak be detected, the Department has contingency plans to contain and eradicate the pest.

Fraud

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) her Department's vote 1 budget and (b) her Department's vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [54701]

Mr. Morley: The estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption are:

£

Departmental vote	1999–2000	2000–01
Former MAFF	27,409	18,616
Former IBEA	0	0

The machinery of Government changes in 2001–02 saw the creation of two votes, one for Rural Payments Agency and the other for the remainder of DEFRA. Prior to that period both former MAFF and IBEA had separate votes.

Agrimonetary Compensation

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to claim agrimonetary compensation in the next six months. [53451]

22 May 2002 : Column 331W

Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 935W.

Dairy Farmers

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the price of milk that dairy farmers receive in Lancashire; [57451]

(2) if she will make a statement on the change in milk prices in the last two months for dairy farmers in Lancashire; [57453]

(3) what support and assistance she will provide to dairy farmers in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK, to assist them in relation to falling prices; [57452]

(4) what discussions her Department had on the application for agrimoney aid to support dairy farmers; what recent discussions her officials have had with supermarkets in order to ensure that farmers receive a fair price for milk produced; and what action she is taking to ensure that the price of milk in supermarkets reflects the price paid to dairy farmers. [57454]

Mr. Morley: In Lancashire, in common with the rest of the country, the farmgate price of milk has been falling for the last two months. The most recent official figures show that for milk delivered in March the average farmgate price of milk in the UK had fallen to 18.04 pence per litre. However, we expect the average milk price paid to farmers (in May) for milk delivered in April to fall substantially, reflecting the price cuts announced by many purchasers and reported widely in the trade press.

The reasons for this fall are complex, but it is principally due to unusually high production in the UK so far this year, which has lead to severe competition between milk purchasers to find customers, at a time of weak world and Community markets for dairy commodities. The Government cannot, of course, prevent such overproduction and negotiations between farmers and purchasers, purchasers and their customers, or indeed, processors and supermarkets, are a commercial matter in which the Government cannot get involved. The Government can, however, influence the environment in which price negotiations take place through the Milk and Milk Products Management Committee and we have supported measures taken in Brussels to support EU markets and encourage exports.

The Department received representations from the industry on the payment of agrimoney aid to the dairy sector. While we acknowledge the difficulties that the sector is facing and are working with them on the recommendations of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food, and the Milk Task Force, we decided not to make a claim for these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present.

London Markets

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Review of the London Markets. [56253]

Mr. Morley: Preparations are in hand for a review and I expect to make a further statement as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.

22 May 2002 : Column 332W

Tidal Flows

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what planning legislation exists to protect tidal flows in rivers from the construction of barrages and weirs. [54033]

Mr. Morley: Tidal barrages and other structures to control river flows, as for other development projects, will generally require planning permission in addition to consent from the relevant flood defence operating authority.

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