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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Countryside and Rights of Way Act
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2002, Official Report, column 641–2W,
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what progress has been made on regional introduction of the freedom to roam under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [63508]
Alun Michael: As my noble Friend the Lord Whitty answered in another place on 10 April, (HL Deb. column WA 92), we are persuaded of the potential advantages to walkers of bringing the right of access into force on a regional basis. We need to think further about the practical considerations in respect of, for example, managing access and ensuring that members of the public are properly informed of their rights and responsibilities.
We are looking very carefully at this, and we will make an announcement when we have reached a decision.
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Animal Welfare
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors have spent on animal welfare in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by category. [63648]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 24 June 2002]: These figures represent the outturn for the Animal Health and Veterinary Group (AHVG) and the amount spent on animal welfare R&D for the last five years. The reduction in expenditure in 2001–02 reflects the diversion of effort on to foot and mouth disease. The total figure for that year actually continued the upward trend of previous years.
| Year | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | (32)2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHVG Outturn | 107 | 126 | 152 | 183 | 159 |
| Animal Welfare R&D | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
(32) Provisional—subject to audit
Private Veterinary Surgeons
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has paid private veterinary surgeons for contract work with her Department (a) in total and (b) per hour in each of the last ten years for which figures are available. [63647]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 24 June 2002]: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Forestry and Cork is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61715]
Mr. Morley: The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Forestry and Cork is to improve communication throughout the EU forestry sector. It comprises representatives from private sector forestry and forest industries and enables primarily non-governmental practitioners from member states to present their views on forestry and the forestry industry, policy and developments directly to the European Commission.
The committee has met twice in the last 12 months. The UK is represented by the Forestry Commission and the private forestry sector. The approximate annual cost of the committee's work to public funds is £400.
The committee is currently considering the role of forestry in the context of EU rural development policy, implementation of the EU forestry strategy and the availability of wood.
Together with member states, the commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the commission".
As an obligation to this decision, the commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Library of the House on 26 February (Commission Document 5685/02).
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61704]
Mr. Morley: The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries is a permanent committee set up within the European Commission as a source of highly qualified scientific assistance (particularly in the application of marine and fisheries biology, fishing technology, fishing economics or similar disciplines) in relation to the implementation of the Community system for fisheries and aquaculture. The committee holds two plenary meetings per year, plus ad hoc expert groups. The UK is currently represented by scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the FRS Marine Laboratory. The commission pays travel and subsistence costs: only the cost of the experts' time, as part of their broad duty to provide scientific advice, falls to national Governments. The committee draws up annual reports on the biological, technical and economic
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aspects of the fisheries resource situation and on work and requirements in relation to the co-ordination of research for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It also provides advice to the commission on prospective proposals for action.
As the committee's role is to provide scientific, technical and economic advice to the commission, there are no issues over accountability and transparency to Parliament.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Community Policy Regarding Forestry and Forest-based Industries is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61727]
Mr. Morley: The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Community Policy regarding Forestry and Forest- based Industries is to encourage the forest-based industry to become a model sector in the field of sustainable development.
The Committee has met once in the last 12 months. The UK is represented by members of the forestry industry. The cost to public funds for the last 12 months was £200.
The key issues currently under consideration are securing sufficient supplies of sustainable produced raw material and the enhanced use of wood.
Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Library of the House on 26 February (Commission Document 5685–02).
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Non-Food and Textile Crops is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61719]
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Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Non-Food and Textile Crops is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with industry representatives with an interest in the EU regime for natural fibres but we understand it has not met for some time. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56818]
Mr. Meacher: The mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos is to make changes to the technical annex on methods of sampling and analysis of asbestos concentrations in air or water. This Committee has not met in the last 12 months, so has had no costs to public funds and has not considered any items.
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