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Fallen Stock

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the percentage of fallen (a) calves, (b) adult bovines and (c) sheep that are buried on farms in (i) England and (ii) Wales. [61493]

Mr. Morley: The central burial or burning of fallen stock is not permitted except in emergency situations such as the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001. We do not collect information on the routine disposal of fallen stock, but the state veterinary service carried out small-scale surveys in the years 1998–2000. The results, which may not be representative, suggest that the following proportions of fallen cattle and sheep were burned or buried on farm in Great Britain over those years; adult bovines ranged from 15–20 per cent.; calves 20–25 per cent. and sheep 65–75 per cent.

EC Animal By-Products Regulation 2000/0259

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is towards the possible introduction of a national fallen stock service following the implementation of the EC Animal By-Products Regulation 2000/0259. [61492]

Mr. Morley: DEFRA officials are in discussion with the livestock and disposal industries over future arrangements for the disposal of fallen stock and methods of funding. We hope that a national collection service can be established which will enable all farm businesses to have access to facilities for the off-farm disposal of fallen stock, other than those in the proposed remote areas, where burial on farm will continue to be permitted.

Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional data is being collected by her Department and its agencies to inform the risk assessment of meat imports being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. [61546]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 June 2002]: The progress report on the DEFRA website at http:// www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde describes the data being collected to support the risk assessment.

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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will place in the Library a report on the results so far of the risk assessment of meat imports being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency; [61548]

(2) if she will publish a list of the external stakeholder groups which she has established or plans to establish to help inform and guide the risk assessment of meat imports; and if she will state in the case of each group, the names and qualifications of its members and its terms of reference; [61545]

(3) when the risk assessment of meat imports being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, will be completed; and if she will publish the Agency's report. [61547]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 June 2002]: The risk assessment currently being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) is due to be completed in autumn 2002. A progress report was placed on the illegal imports page of the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde on 23 May. It is intended to post further progress reports on this site when appropriate and publish the final report.

A Steering Group has been established to guide the work of the risk assessment which includes representatives of external stakeholder groups. The terms of reference of the Risk Assessment Steering Group and its full membership is published on the risk assessment link on the Illegal Imports page of the DEFRA website—address as above. The VLA team is also consulting a wide range of stakeholders as the work progresses.

Landing Cards

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will conclude her review of possible changes to landing cards. [61588]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 June 2002]: Discussions continue with the Home Office and we hope to reach conclusions late summer.

England Rural Development Programme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the total cost for the three years from 2003–04 of implementing the proposals of the Policy Commission on the future of farming and food for the England Rural Development Programme. [61563]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 June 2002]: The Policy Commission estimated that implementing its recommendations would cost approximately £500 million over three years. However, the cost of many of the recommendations, including those relating to the England Rural Development Programme, will depend upon the precise way in which they are implemented. The Government intend to produce a Strategy for Sustainable Food and Farming in England in the autumn, following a wide-ranging process of stakeholder engagement. This strategy will incorporate a definitive response to each of the Policy Commission's recommendations.

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Rural Payments Agency

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the salary is of the chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency. [61572]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 June 2002]: The chief executive's salary will be published in October in the Rural Payments Agency's annual report and accounts. This will be consistent with the advertised remuneration package of circa £100,000.

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the maximum time scale permitted between the laying of a statutory instrument and its publication (a) on her Department's website and (b) by HM Stationery Office. [61592]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 17 June 2002]: Departmental statutory instruments are published in accordance with guidelines laid out in the Cabinet Office publication "Statutory Instrument Practice" (second edition, 1987). Departments arrange physical publication of statutory instruments with Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and The Stationery Office (TSO).

HMSO aim to publish statutory instruments on their website (which can be found at www.hmso.gov.uk) within 24 hours of the date of formal publication.

DEFRA continually aims to publish statutory instruments as early as possible, and publishes most statutory instruments to coincide with the date of laying before Parliament. On some occasions—for example, in implementing emergency measures—it is not always possible to achieve this, as HMSO needs time to typeset the instrument.

Although all published statutory instruments are published on the HMSO website, the Department also publishes many instruments on its own website at www.defra.gov.uk. In many cases this occurs at the stage of public consultation.

Vessel Monitoring By Satellite

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if it is her policy to support the European Commission's proposal to extend vessel monitoring by satellite to include all fishing vessels down to 10 metres; [61610]

(2) if she plans to offer financial support to the owners of fishing vessels to cover the costs of complying with the European Commission's proposal to extend vessel monitoring by satellite to all vessels over 10 metres. [61611]

Mr. Morley: As yet there are no firm proposals to extend satellite monitoring to all vessels over 10 metres although this is suggested in the Commission's road map to the reform of the CFP. Satellite monitoring has applied to vessels over 24 metres since 1 January 2000 and has made a significant contribution to the effectiveness of enforcement operations across the Community. There are obvious advantages in extending satellite monitoring and we shall need to consider carefully its impact on smaller vessels. It is too early to say whether funding will be available.

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Common Fisheries Policy

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish a compliance cost assessment of the impact on the United Kingdom's fishing industries of the European Commission's proposals to reform the Common Fisheries Policy. [61612]

Mr. Morley: Regulatory impact assessments will be conducted for all legislative proposals that are likely to have an impact on the United Kingdom's fishing industries.

Serological Testing

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish a record of serological testing carried out by her Department since 1 January 2001, on a regional basis, indicating (a) what animals were tested on each farm, (b) the percentage sample which were taken, (c) the results of the tests taken and (d) what consequential actions were taken. [62538]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 17 June 2002]: It is not possible to provide this information as it would involve the disclosure of personal data which are protected by the Data Protection Act 1998. Over 3 million serological tests were carried out, the vast majority for serological surveillance in declaring the Protection Zones (0–3 km) and Surveillance Zones (3–10 km) around each infected premises free from foot and mouth disease. In response to the four specific questions raised:

(a) erological testing was primarily carried out on sheep and goats.

(b) The serological surveillance was designed to detect a 5 per cent. prevalence of seropositive sheep with 95 per cent. confidence in each management group on a holding.

(c) The results of tests are not readily available on a regional basis.

(d) The consequential action taken depended on the reasons for the serological sampling ie epidemiology, lifting Infected Areas, etc. and the epidemiological assessment of the results.

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