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Livestock Movements

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria the Government have set for the removal of the 20 day standstill rule on livestock movement. [72006]

Mr. Morley: There is firm veterinary and scientific advice in support of the present 20 day standstill, as a means of helping protect against the rapid spread of any new incursion of disease. Such a standstill both improves the prospect of identifying disease on infected premises before animals move off and slows the rate of spread of any undetected disease.

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Before making a decision on the future of the 20 day rule, we wish to consider—and discuss with stakeholders—the relevant recommendations of the Royal Society and Lessons Learned Inquiries into the FMD outbreak. In reaching a view, we will seek to strike a balance between disease control considerations and the economic impact of movement standstills on livestock farmers and markets.

Rural Farms

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help she plans to give (a) rural farms to help with modulation and (b) environmental schemes (i) in national parks and (ii) elsewhere. [71297]

Mr. Morley: Because of the requirement for match-funding, modulation means an increase in the national funds available to farmers. Depending upon their ability to deliver the objectives of agri-environment or other rural development schemes, farmers may have access to additional funding streams. In England, the Government plan to roll-out a new "broad and shallow", entry-level agri-environment scheme during 2005–06, following a successful pilot. This scheme will be widely drawn so that most farmers will be eligible to enter.

The scheme will be introduced as an addition to the existing agri-environment schemes, Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and the Organic Farming Scheme. Under the England Rural Development Programme the Government planned to spend a total of £1 billion on these schemes in the period 2000–06.

There are currently no plans to give English rural farms within national parks additional help with national modulation or environmental schemes over and above that which they receive at present or may be eligible to apply

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for. However, individual national park authorities are able to negotiate their own management agreements with individual farmers and landowners within their boundary.

Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committees

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appointments have been made to Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committees since 1997; and how many have a (a) canoeing background and (b) fishing background. [71587]

Alun Michael: Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committees were established under the Environment Act of 1995 to replace the previous Regional Fisheries Advisory Committees. Their principal remit is to deal with issues of relevance to fishing. Representation of fishing interests therefore form the majority of their members. There is no statutory requirement to have recreation and navigation interests represented on these committees but the Environment Agency with the approval of Ministers, has agreed that these interests should be represented. The committees comprise no more that 21 members and each has at least two members representing recreation interests.

Public Consultations

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public consultations have been commenced by her Department since 1 April; and what the (a) closing date and (b) website address of each were. [72073]

Mr. Morley: The Department has commenced 28 consultations since 1 April 2002. The following table is a list of the consultations indicating the date it was issued, the deadline for responses and the website address for each consultation.

Current public consultations since 1 April 2002	Date issued	Deadline date	Website address
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: a Practical Guide, 2 edition—published for comment	28 June 2002	1 November 2002	http://defraweb/environment/ppc/ippcguide/index.htm
Consultation on the proposed Animal Health Rules Regulation	17 July 2002	18 October 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/ahealth/index.htm
New draft Environmental Information Regulations	15 July 2002	4 October 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/envinfo/index.htm
Consultation on CAP reform: mid-term review of Agenda 2000	11 July 2002	4 October 2002)	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/capreform/index.htm
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications (COM (2002) 119 final)	5 July 2002	30 September 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/profqual/index.htm
Review of Access in Agri-Environment Schemes	8 July 2002	27 September 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/erdpaccess/index.htm
Consultation exercise on the bio-energy infrastructure scheme	25 June 2002	16 September 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/bio-energy/index.htm
Crime prevention on rights of way: public consultation paper on the designation of areas and other procedural matters	19 June 2002	20 September 2002	http://defraweb/wildlife-countryside/consult/rowcrime/index.htm
Enforcement of highway authorities' duty to prevent obstructions on rights of way: consultation paper on the implementation of section 63 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000	19 June 2002	20 September 2002	http://defraweb/wildlife-countryside/consult/rowcrime/obstruct/index.htm
Implementation of Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste	21 June 2002	9 September 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/wasteincin/index.htm
Consultation on shrimp trawls: separator trawls (sieve/veil nets) and sorting grids	18 June 2002	6 September 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/shrimps/index.htm
Draft guidance on control of Johne's disease in dairy herds	31 May 2002	31 August 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/johnes/index.htm
Energy labelling of household air conditioners and electric ovens: Consultation on New Regulations for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland	11 June 2002	30 August 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/energylabel/index.htm
Implementation of Directive 2001/18/EC on the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Organisms into the Environment: second consultation on new regulations for England	31 May 2002	26 August 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/ec-gmo/index.htm
Consultation on Water Grid PPP: Removal of Restrictions on British Waterways' Statutory Powers	15 June 2002	16 August 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/bwpowers/index.htm
Statistical methodology review of the monitoring sites used in the air quality headline indicator	15 May 2002	8 August 2002	http://defraweb/environment/statistics/des/airqual/research/index.htm
Consultation on the Government's Strategy for Combined Heat and Power to 2010	15 May 2002	7 August 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/chpstrat/index.htm
Policy Review of Woodland Creation in England under the Woodland Grant Scheme and the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme	13 May 2002	7 August 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/woodlandcreation/index.htm
LAPC Consultation on risk-Based Regulation and Inspection Frequency	3 May 2002	2 August 2002	http:///defraweb/environment/consult/lapcrisk/index.htm
Consultation on Stage II Petrol Vapour Recovery	16 April 2002	9 July 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/pvrstage2/index.htm
Review of seed certification in England: draft seeds regulations and registration, licensing and enforcement regulation (third consultation)	12 April 2002	8 July 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/seedcert-three/index.htm

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Closed public consultations since 1 April 2002	Date issued	Deadline date	Website address
Economic evaluation of the Apple and Pear Research Council	5 April 2002	27 June 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/aprc/index.htm
Consultation on Sustainable Food and Farming: Working Together	2 April 2002	18 June 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/sustainworking/index.htm
Consultation on possible changes to the Landfill Credit Tax Scheme	17 April 2002	17 June 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/landfillcredit/index.htm
Mid-term evaluation of the England Rural Development Programme: consultation on proposed strategy	1 May 2002	12 June 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/erdpstrategy/index.htm
Consultation on proposed Agricultural Development Scheme	10 April 2002	31 May 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/adscheme/index.htm
Consultation on proposals for an EU Directive on environmental liability	12 April 2002	24 May 2002	http://defraweb/environment/consult/liability2/index.htm
Consultation on detailed rules for determining the mesh size of fishing nets	2 April 2002	6 May 2002	http://defraweb/corporate/consult/mesh/index.htm

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