House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Jul 2002 (pt 9)

Sheepmeat

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of sheep or lamb intestines were imported into (a) the EU and (b) the United Kingdom in each of the last three years for which figures are available from (i) China, (ii) Turkey, (iii) Iran, (iv) New Zealand, (v) Australia, (vi) USA, (vii) Syria, (viii) Pakistan, (ix) Lebanon, (x) Uruguay, (xi) Chile, (xii) Morocco, (xiii) India and (xiv) all other countries. [68497]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 9 July 2002]: Overseas trade statistics are not collected at a sufficient level of detail to separately identify sheep or lamb intestines, either on an EU or UK basis.

Animal Feed

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to ban the use of waste cooking oil as an additive in animal feed. [68487]

Margaret Beckett: The proposed Commission Regulation on health requirements for animal by-products includes a ban on the feeding of catering waste to livestock. The Commission interprets the definition of "catering waste" to include used cooking oils.

The Government opposed a total ban on cooking oils as a disproportionate method of removing the small risk of contamination, and following negotiation it is likely that we may be granted a transitional period to provide the industry with time (we have asked for a period of two years) to adjust.

Swill Feeding

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it

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her policy to ban the import of pig meat and other products from countries which have not banned swill feeding. [68490]

Margaret Beckett: Imports of pig meat and other products are governed by European Community rules. These do not prohibit swill feeding but do require that products imported from third countries are produced to standards at least equivalent to those applied to Community production. The products must come from approved establishments in approved countries and must be accompanied by agreed veterinary certification confirming that public and animal health requirements for import have been complied with. All imported consignments are subject to veterinary checks at an authorised Border Inspection Post to ensure that import requirements have been complied with. Consignments that do not comply are rejected and will be re-exported or destroyed.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects an EU-wide ban on swill-feeding to come into force. [68491]

Margaret Beckett: The proposed EU Regulation on health requirements for animal by-products includes a ban on the feeding of catering waste to livestock.

To secure adoption of the EU Regulation, expected this year, and to apply in member states six to seven months thereafter, it is likely that Germany and Austria, who opposed the ban, will be granted a transitional period in which to phase out swill feeding. The length of that period and the controls to apply during it will be proposed by the European Commission.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to compensate swill feeders for the financial losses caused by the ban on swill-feeding. [68486]

Margaret Beckett: Farmers have not under previous Governments been compensated for changes in feed material available for their livestock, and the Government do not consider it should alter this position in the light of the ban on feeding swill.

BSE in Sheep

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to implement the recommendations of the Food Standards Agency's report on BSE and Sheep, May 2002 relating to the (a) content and (b) timing of the National Scrapie Plan; and if she will make a statement. [64115]

Margaret Beckett: I assume the hon. Member refers to a report by the Food Standards Agency's Core Stakeholder Group on BSE and Sheep. The report does not recommend any changes to the content of the national scrapie plan. It recommends that the Food Standards Agency should support acceleration of the plan and should encourage sheep farmers to participate. The recommendations were directed at the Food Standards Agency itself, and I understand that the Agency's board adopted them at its meeting on 13 June. The recommendations are in line with existing Government policy.

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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will commission and publish an assessment of the impact on British industry of adding the intestines of all sheep to the list of specified risk material. [64114]

Margaret Beckett: We have no immediate plans to commission such an assessment. The proposal to add the intestines of all sheep to the current list of specified risk material arose in a recent report from a core stakeholder group commissioned by the Food Standards Agency. The group's recommendations have since been endorsed by the Board of the Agency. Before such a measure could apply in the UK, it would need to be agreed on a European Community-wide basis. To that end, the Agency has formally written to the Commission, to register the recommendation. We will keep the situation under review. If the European Commission make a proposal for regulation we would commission a regulatory impact assessment.

Greenhouse Gases

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate the Government have made of the contribution that the devolved Administrations in the United Kingdom will make to the reduction of greenhouse gases required for the United Kingdom to meet its (a) Kyoto targets and (b) domestic goal of a 20 per cent. cut in carbon dioxide emissions. [68322]

Mr. Meacher: Since the Kyoto target and domestic goal apply to the whole of the UK it was agreed between the devolved Administrations and the Government that no specific targets would be allocated. The devolved Administrations have agreed to make an equitable contribution towards achieving both our Kyoto target and domestic goal and are implementing broadly the same policies as in England to achieve this end. These policies are outlined in the UK climate change programme, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Between 1990 and 1999 (the latest year for which figures at devolved Administration level are available), carbon dioxide emissions fell in all countries except Wales, where emissions increased by 1 per cent. The

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increase in Wales largely reflects the growth in the production of iron and steel. This off-sets significant reductions in other manufacturing areas. Over the same period, emissions of the basket of six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto target fell in all countries. The table gives a full breakdown of how emissions of carbon dioxide and the basket of six greenhouse gases collectively have changed for each of the devolved Administrations between 1990 and 1999.

Table 1

Percentage change between 1990 and 1999

Country CO ₂ Greenhouse gases

England -11.5 -17.5

Northern Ireland -7.3 -3.3

Scotland -3.3 -4.8

Wales 1.3 -1

	Percentage change between 1990 and 1999
Country	CO ₂	Greenhouse gases
England	-11.5	-17.5
Northern Ireland	-7.3	-3.3
Scotland	-3.3	-4.8
Wales	1.3	-1

Secondments

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 251W, on secondments, if she will list the dates of those secondments and the Government offices, European Commission Directorates and organisations in which they took place. [68775]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 July 2002]: Details of the secondments referred to in the answer of 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 251W, are set out in the following tables.

To Government offices

Date Government office

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ East

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ East Midlands

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ London

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ North East

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ North West

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ South East

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ South West

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ West Midlands

1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾ Yorkshire and Humberside

Date	Government office
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	East
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	East Midlands
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	London
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	North East
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	North West
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	South East
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	South West
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	West Midlands
1 April 2001⁽⁵⁾	Yorkshire and Humberside

⁽⁵⁾ On-going

Date Organisation

To EC Directorates

15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾ Enlargement

15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾ Health and Consumer Protection

24 September 2001 to 28 February 2002 Health and Consumer Protection

1 March 2002⁽⁶⁾ Health and Consumer Protection

6 May 2002⁽⁶⁾ Health and Consumer Protection

16 September 2001 to 30 April 2002 Health and Consumer Protection

1 September 2001⁽⁶⁾ Agriculture

1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾ Research

18 February 2002 to 5 July 2002 Research

19 February 2001 to 1 August 2001 (2) Environment

17 September 2001 to 18 February 2002 Environment

16 May 2001⁽⁶⁾ Environment

1 January 2000⁽⁶⁾ Environment

16 October 2000⁽⁶⁾ Environment

16 February 2002⁽⁶⁾ (2) Environment

1 January 2002⁽⁶⁾ Competition

18 February 2002⁽⁶⁾ Fisheries

1 September 2000⁽⁶⁾ Fisheries

17 January 2000⁽⁶⁾ Fisheries

1 October 1999⁽⁶⁾ Legal

1 July 1993⁽⁶⁾ Technical Assistance Information Exchange Office

To organisations abroad

September 2001⁽⁶⁾ Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Prague

19 November 2000⁽⁶⁾ UN Nairobi

26 March 2001 to 27 March 2002 MoA France

10 September 2001 to 9 January 2002 MoA Lisbon

16 July 2001⁽⁶⁾ Government of Gibraltar

5 February 2001⁽⁶⁾ UN USA

8 January 2001⁽⁶⁾ National Audit Office Budapest

1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾ MoA Latvia

To other organisations

1 May 1998⁽⁶⁾ Oslo and Paris Commissions

28 February 2001⁽⁶⁾ Oslo and Paris Commissions

20 November 2000⁽⁶⁾ English Partnerships

25 May 2000 to 24 April 2002 South East Environment Development Agency

1 August 2000 to 10 June 2002 Shell

4 December 2000⁽⁶⁾ Rural Stress Information Network

1 November 2001⁽⁶⁾ National Farmers Union

1 November 2001 to 1 February 2002 National Farmers Union

2 April 2001⁽⁶⁾ Carbon Trust

24 April 2001 to 17 December 2001 Carbon Trust

2 April 2001 to 9 July 2001 Carbon Trust

May 2001 to January 2002 Carbon Trust

1 May 2001 to 13 October 2001 Carbon Trust

8 October 2001 to 11 January 2002 English Heritage

1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾ Green Alliance

6 April 1998⁽⁶⁾ Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group

12 March 2001 to 11 June 2001 Carillion Ltd.

26 July 2001⁽⁶⁾ South West Regional Assembly

12 June 2000 to 12 December 2001 Institute of Grocery Distribution

26 June 2000⁽⁶⁾ Institute of Grocery Distribution

27 May 2002⁽⁶⁾ Institute of Grocery Distribution

From other organisations

16 October 2000⁽⁶⁾ Halcrow Ltd.

9 July 2001⁽⁶⁾ Glaxco Smith Kline

14 March 2001⁽⁶⁾ Environmental Resource Management

15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾ English Nature

16 January 2001⁽⁶⁾ English Nature

1 January 2002⁽⁶⁾ English Nature

15 January 2001⁽⁶⁾ English Nature

1 February 2002 to 31 March 2002 Environmental Campaigns

5 February 2001 to 4 February 2002 Environment Agency

2 July 2001 to 1 July 2002 Environment Agency

5 October 2000⁽⁶⁾ Environment Agency

30 May 2001 to 29 May 2002 Environment Agency

10 October 2001 to 10 April 2002 Environment Agency

7 January 2002⁽⁶⁾ Countryside Agency

15 January 2002⁽⁶⁾ Countryside Agency

1 March 2002⁽⁶⁾ World Wildlife Fund

1 October 2001 to 1 April 2002 Natural Environment Research Council

5 November 2001⁽⁶⁾ Forestry Commission

Date	Organisation
To EC Directorates
15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾	Enlargement
15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾	Health and Consumer Protection
24 September 2001 to 28 February 2002	Health and Consumer Protection
1 March 2002⁽⁶⁾	Health and Consumer Protection
6 May 2002⁽⁶⁾	Health and Consumer Protection
16 September 2001 to 30 April 2002	Health and Consumer Protection
1 September 2001⁽⁶⁾	Agriculture
1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾	Research
18 February 2002 to 5 July 2002	Research
19 February 2001 to 1 August 2001 (2)	Environment
17 September 2001 to 18 February 2002	Environment
16 May 2001⁽⁶⁾	Environment
1 January 2000⁽⁶⁾	Environment
16 October 2000⁽⁶⁾	Environment
16 February 2002⁽⁶⁾ (2)	Environment
1 January 2002⁽⁶⁾	Competition
18 February 2002⁽⁶⁾	Fisheries
1 September 2000⁽⁶⁾	Fisheries
17 January 2000⁽⁶⁾	Fisheries
1 October 1999⁽⁶⁾	Legal
1 July 1993⁽⁶⁾	Technical Assistance Information Exchange Office

To organisations abroad
September 2001⁽⁶⁾	Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Prague
19 November 2000⁽⁶⁾	UN Nairobi
26 March 2001 to 27 March 2002	MoA France
10 September 2001 to 9 January 2002	MoA Lisbon
16 July 2001⁽⁶⁾	Government of Gibraltar
5 February 2001⁽⁶⁾	UN USA
8 January 2001⁽⁶⁾	National Audit Office Budapest
1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾	MoA Latvia

To other organisations
1 May 1998⁽⁶⁾	Oslo and Paris Commissions
28 February 2001⁽⁶⁾	Oslo and Paris Commissions
20 November 2000⁽⁶⁾	English Partnerships
25 May 2000 to 24 April 2002	South East Environment Development Agency
1 August 2000 to 10 June 2002	Shell
4 December 2000⁽⁶⁾	Rural Stress Information Network
1 November 2001⁽⁶⁾	National Farmers Union
1 November 2001 to 1 February 2002	National Farmers Union
2 April 2001⁽⁶⁾	Carbon Trust
24 April 2001 to 17 December 2001	Carbon Trust
2 April 2001 to 9 July 2001	Carbon Trust
May 2001 to January 2002	Carbon Trust
1 May 2001 to 13 October 2001	Carbon Trust
8 October 2001 to 11 January 2002	English Heritage
1 October 2001⁽⁶⁾	Green Alliance
6 April 1998⁽⁶⁾	Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group
12 March 2001 to 11 June 2001	Carillion Ltd.
26 July 2001⁽⁶⁾	South West Regional Assembly
12 June 2000 to 12 December 2001	Institute of Grocery Distribution
26 June 2000⁽⁶⁾	Institute of Grocery Distribution
27 May 2002⁽⁶⁾	Institute of Grocery Distribution

From other organisations
16 October 2000⁽⁶⁾	Halcrow Ltd.
9 July 2001⁽⁶⁾	Glaxco Smith Kline
14 March 2001⁽⁶⁾	Environmental Resource Management
15 September 2000⁽⁶⁾	English Nature
16 January 2001⁽⁶⁾	English Nature
1 January 2002⁽⁶⁾	English Nature
15 January 2001⁽⁶⁾	English Nature
1 February 2002 to 31 March 2002	Environmental Campaigns
5 February 2001 to 4 February 2002	Environment Agency
2 July 2001 to 1 July 2002	Environment Agency
5 October 2000⁽⁶⁾	Environment Agency
30 May 2001 to 29 May 2002	Environment Agency
10 October 2001 to 10 April 2002	Environment Agency
7 January 2002⁽⁶⁾	Countryside Agency
15 January 2002⁽⁶⁾	Countryside Agency
1 March 2002⁽⁶⁾	World Wildlife Fund
1 October 2001 to 1 April 2002	Natural Environment Research Council
5 November 2001⁽⁶⁾	Forestry Commission

⁽⁶⁾ On-going

15 Jul 2002 : Column 33W

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