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Timber Procurement

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the United Kingdom Government are taking to encourage other EU Governments to adopt timber procurement policies similar to those in place in the United Kingdom in respect of timber sourced legally and sustainably; and if she will make a statement. [68032]

Mr. Morley: The Government have promoted their timber procurement policy to EU member states and other countries on a number of occasions. The Minister for the Environment gave a speech on implementation of the UK procurement policy, experiences gained and lessons learned on 23 May to an international audience including some EU member states, G8 countries and China. He encouraged them to adopt similar policies. The European Commission was sent a consultation paper on implementation of the policy in the UK to help the Commission prepare for the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade workshop held in Brussels over 22–24 April. The Government's consultation exercise itself was widely publicised and the discussion held on 25 March was attended by stakeholders from across Europe. The policy has been notified to the OECD Steering Group on Green Public Purchasing and in April a Government official gave a presentation on the policy at an international conference on illegal logging held in the USA.

It is the Government's intention to continue to work closely with other EU member states and the Commission both to further promote the UK timber policy and to share experience gained and lessons learned through implementation. When the next UK consultation exercise is complete and the report we have commissioned from ERM consultants finished we will ensure that the recommendations and actions that follow are widely publicised.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she expects the European Commission to provide modulation payments to the United Kingdom for the foot and mouth outbreak; [67620]

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(2) how much money she expects the European Commission to pay the United Kingdom as a modulation payment for the foot and mouth outbreak. [67621]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 8 July 2002]: Modulation is a mechanism which enables member states of the European Union to redirect a proportion of their CAP direct payments to rural development measures, should they choose to do so. It is not a mechanism through which EU funding is directed for FMD purposes.

Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Lessons Learned inquiry will publish its report; and if she will make a statement. [70079]

Margaret Beckett: I understand that the report of Dr. Iain Anderson's foot and mouth disease Lessons Learned inquiry is now expected to be published on Monday 22 July.

Committee Mandates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Management Committee for the fisheries and aquaculture sector is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [68606]

Mr. Morley: The Committee usually meets at monthly intervals. The next meeting is scheduled for 23 July. The composition of the UK delegation is decided according to the agenda. Representatives of the Scottish Executive attend whenever the business of the Committee requires it.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Management Committee for Fisheries Products is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [68570]

Mr. Morley: The next meeting of the Committee is provisionally scheduled for 4 October. Outside the summer period it usually meets at monthly intervals. The composition of the UK delegation is decided according to the agenda. Representatives of the Scottish Executive attend whenever the business of the Committee requires it.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Committee for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [68571]

Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture was set up to enable the Commission to consult representatives of the EU fishery products and aquaculture industry, and of related interests such as consumers and environmentalists, and to take their views on the drafting and implementation of relevant EU measures. It is not attended by officials.

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Farming Statistics

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the statistics that are collected by her Department by English parliamentary constituency; and if she will make a statement. [67096]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 8 July 2002]: DEFRA produces statistics from the June Agricultural and Horticultural Census by parliamentary constituency in England for the following data sets:

Land use and crops


Livestock numbers


Labour force


Breakdown by total area size bands


Breakdown by farm type.

These statistics have been produced for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001. Copies of the 1999 and 2000 data sets are available in the Library. Statistics for 2001 are available on request and will shortly be deposited in the Library.

Sheepmeat

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what exports of sheepmeat there were to each EU country in each of the last five years. [68270]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2002]: The table shows the volume of sheepmeat exported to the EU in each of the last five years.

UK exports of sheepmeat to the EU 1997–2001⁽²⁾Tonnes

Country	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
France	76,843	77,532	78,085	70,355	23,832
Belgium-Luxembourg	8,091	8,193	8,288	8,397	1,681
Germany	8,241	7,522	6,812	6,940	1,241
Italy	2,102	3,866	4,865	4,264	1,153
Portugal	3,943	3,727	2,965	2,070	543
Spain	2,238	2,044	2,841	1,378	232
Greece	1,676	767	1,277	978	1
Netherlands	922	882	1,006	1,068	324
Irish Republic	467	1,302	597	566	883
Austria	1,217	1,078	755	659	27
Sweden	68	165	350	236	38
Denmark	131	255	278	93	40
Finland	41	45	59	70	14
Total	105,978	107,376	108,178	97,074	30,009

⁽²⁾ Product weight. Excludes exports of live sheep.

Source:

HM Customs and Excise

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sheepmeat has been exported to (a) North America, (b) Europe outside the EU and (c) other areas of the world in each of the last five years. [68087]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2002]: The table shows the volume of sheepmeat exported to North America, Europe outside the EU and other areas of the world.

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UK exports of sheepmeat 1997–2001⁽³⁾Tonnes

Region	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
North America	—	1	0	1	3
Europe outside the EU	1,427	1,176	969	1,170	241
European Union	105,978	107,376	108,178	97,074	30,009
Other countries	109	74	82	91	122
Total exports	107,514	108,627	109,230	98,336	30,374

⁽³⁾ Product weight. Excludes exports of live sheep.

Source:

HM Customs and Excise.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sheepmeat was imported into the United Kingdom from (a) countries in Europe outside of the European Union, (b) Australia, (c) New Zealand and (d) other parts of the world in each of the last five years. [68094]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2002]: The following table provides imports of sheepmeat into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

UK imports of sheepmeat 1997–2001⁽⁴⁾Tonnes

Region/Country	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Europe outside the EU	150	57	25	166	281
European Union	15,182	12,398	11,882	11,061	13,426
New Zealand	106,357	99,197	97,958	96,012	83,245
Australia	12,779	12,386	13,959	13,039	10,282
Other countries	2,427	3,746	1,496	1,500	1,082
Total imports	136,895	127,784	125,320	121,777	108,316

⁽⁴⁾ Product weight. Excludes exports of live sheep.

Source:

HM Customs and Excise.

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