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Animal Transportation Directive

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposed EU directive on animal transportation to the UK livestock industry; [59670]

(2) what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the (a) Scottish Executive, (b) National Assembly for Wales and (c) Northern Ireland Assembly on the implications for the UK livestock industry of the proposed EU directive on animal transportation; [59679]

(3) what representations she has received from farming organisations in Scotland on the impact of the proposed EU directive on animal transport to the livestock industry in Scotland. [59666]

Mr. Morley: There are as yet no proposals from the Commission to amend the EU transport directive.

Agriculture Industry

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next intends to meet representatives of (a) the Royal Agricultural Society and (b) the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society to discuss the future viability of the agriculture industry. [51446]

Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has no plans to meet the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society to discuss the future viability of the agriculture industry. The Royal Agriculture Society will be my right hon. Friend's hosts at the Royal Show on 1 July.

EU Agriculture Council

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last represented the United Kingdom at the European Union Agriculture Council; and what was discussed. [57818]

Mr. Morley: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 April 2002 to the hon. Member for Clydesdale (Jimmy Hood), Official Report, column 510W.

Seed Regulations

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to amend the Seed (National List of Varieties) Regulations 2001; and if she will make a statement. [58738]

Margaret Beckett: Changes to the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 2001 will be needed in the near future to amend references to EC seeds marketing directives which are currently being codified by the Council of the European Union, and other minor matters.

In addition, the Government said on 28 November 2000, in reply to a Parliamentary Question about changes to the arrangements for requesting a hearing on proposed National List decisions, that it would wish to consider, in the light of the proposed addition of a genetically modified plant variety, Chardon LL, to the National List, whether the current arrangements are satisfactory for all parties. The Chardon LL Hearing will finish around mid June this year and it remains the Government's intention

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to review how those arrangements have worked. If changes are proposed, all interested parties will be consulted.

BSE

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to tighten controls on imports of beef and beef products from the EU relating to the risks posed by BSE. [57811]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 20 May 2002]: Controls in relation to BSE, on trade in beef and beef products from other member states and imports from non-EU countries, are in force on an EU wide basis. In addition the UK applies national measures to prohibit the sale of meat from cattle aged over thirty months, whether home produced or imported, subject to certain specified exceptions. There are no current plans to change these rules but we and the European Commission keep the situation under regular review.

Agricultural Shows

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the veterinary assessment of the risk to bio- security posed by cow-pats at agricultural shows; and if she will make a statement. [54340]

Margaret Beckett: Veterinary and scientific advice is that livestock shows pose a risk of the transmission of Foot and Mouth or other notifiable diseases because large numbers of animals, vehicles and people are brought together from a number of different farms. Hence strict biosecurity is needed. Animal faeces may contain Foot and Mouth virus and other animal pathogens, which may survive in faeces for a period of time. Show organisers are required to draw up a biosecurity operating plan and appoint a biosecurity officer to ensure that the show licence conditions are followed. These conditions include that if animals cross a public area, any faeces is removed as far as possible and the spot covered, for example with sawdust, as is normal hygienic practice.

Animal Gatherings

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason no regulatory impact assessments were carried out by her Department before publication of the (a) Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) Order 2002 and (b) Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) (Amendment) Order 2002; and if she will make a statement. [59237]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 24 May 2002]: The Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) 2002 and the Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) (Amendment ) Order 2002 are part of the legislation implementing the interim rules on animal movements put in place after last year's outbreak. These Orders were developed in a short timescale in consultation with the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations and other industry representatives. They represent a gradual and proportionate easing of restrictions that applied in last

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year's outbreak, and are based on veterinary advice. They will be reviewed in the light of the findings of the independent inquiries into the foot and mouth outbreak.

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to provide financial support for biosecurity measures under the Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) Amendment Order 2002; and if she will make a statement. [59238]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 24 May 2002]: I have no such plans. It is the responsibility of market operators and show organisers to take the required biosecurity precautions.

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with interested individuals and organisations regarding the Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) (Amendment) Order 2002; and if she will make a statement. [59236]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 23 May 2002]: The Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations and other show organisers made representations to the Department that the 28 days restriction on the use of land both before and after shows for FMD susceptible livestock would cause many small livestock shows to be cancelled or only go ahead without livestock.

Following further veterinary advice, we introduced the Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) (England) Amendment Order 2002 so as to lift the 28 day restriction after shows. The measure therefore eases the rules on livestock shows.

Carcase Disposal

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will apply for a derogation from the EU Animal By-Products Regulations (off-farm carcase disposal) in respect of remote areas. [57563]

Mr. Morley: We propose to derogate from the regulation to permit the burial or burning of fallen stock in defined remote areas. These will be the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the cost to the farming industry of complying with the EU Animal By-Products Regulations for off-farm carcase disposal. [57562]

Mr. Morley: Regulatory impact assessments on the Animal By-Products Regulation were placed in the Library of the House on 27 November 2000, 26 February 2001 and 4 February 2002, along with explanatory memoranda on the regulation (reference 12646/00 and 12648/00, 15438/01 and 15541/01).

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the proportion of farm businesses which have no facilities for arranging off-farm carcase disposal. [57565]

Mr. Morley: No such estimate has been made. However, we are in discussion with the livestock and disposal industries over future arrangements for the disposal of fallen stock. We hope that those arrangements

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will enable all farm businesses, with the possible exception of those in the defined remote areas, to have access to facilities for the off-farm disposal of fallen stock.

Recycling and Waste Recovery

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets she has set her Department for (a) business packaging waste recovery and (b) business packaging recycling; and if she will make a statement. [58664]

Mr. Meacher: The Department has been working towards cross-Government targets for general waste management. These are:

To recover a minimum of 40 per cent. total office waste, with at least 25 per cent. of that recovery coming from recycling or composting by March 2001.

To have paper recycling schemes in place in all offices with more than 50 staff by April 2002.

New targets for waste management are due to be set later this year as part of the new Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

No separate targets are set in respect of business packaging waste.

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