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26 Nov 2002 : Column 230W—continued

Animal Welfare Bill

Mr. Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the organizations which (a) departmental officials and (b) ministers are meeting to discuss details of the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, and what matters will be discussed. [83017]

Mr. Morley: The consultation on the proposed Animal Welfare Bill commenced in January 2002. Since that time I have met a wide range of individuals and animal welfare organisations. These meetings are continuing.

We have also organised a series of stakeholder meetings on the Bill. The following organisations have already attended stakeholder meetings:-






























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The following have been invited to future meetings:
































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CAP Subsidies

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations her Department has received concerning the average payment per hectare from the common agricultural policy's production subsidies for (a) organic farmers and (b) non-organic farmers within the UK. [81830]

Mr. Meacher: We have received no such representations recently.

Cod

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library the figures which demonstrated that landings of cod did not increase in line with landings of nephrops. [80637]

Mr. Morley: I have placed in the Library a graph which summarises the data which we submitted to the Commission last year on the relationship (or lack of it) between landings of cod and landings of nephrops.

Community Supported Agriculture

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the benefit of community supported agriculture to local communities. [82788]

Mr. Morley: In response to the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food's report, a local food working group, made up of officials from the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency, the Countryside Agency, the Regional Development Agencies and Defra has been set up. This group is considering the evidence relating to the impacts of local food initiatives, including community supported agriculture, and the wider issues relating to local food so that Government policy in this area can be developed as appropriate. The working group expect to report their findings in spring 2003.

Dairy Farmers (Lancashire)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial impact of the 20 day movement standstill on Lancashire dairy farmers. [82201]

Mr. Morley: We have commissioned independent researchers to carry out a detailed cost-benefit analysis into the 20 day standstill in order to gain a better understanding of the economic impact of the current rules. We expect the researchers to examine the impact of the rules both on the livestock industry in aggregate and on individual sectors and sub-groups, including those facing special difficulty. This may include regional impacts, but will not necessarily be broken down by county.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size was of the average dairy herd in Lancashire in each of the last five years. [82202]

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Mr. Morley: Number of holdings, number of cows in dairy herd and average number of these dairy cattle on holdings in Lancashire 1997–2001.

YearHoldingsCattleAverage
19971,38689,68764.7
19981,35888,57165.2
19991,29289,01568.9
20001,18684,60071.3
20011,11685,09276.3

Notes:

1. Years 2000 and 2001 refer to main and minor holdings. 1997–99 refer to main holdings only.

2. A dairy cow is defined as a cow or heifer in the dairy herd that has calved.

Source:

June Agriculture and Horticultural Census

Dangerous Wild Animal Licences

Mr. David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when the Government intends to publish the results of its review of Dangerous Wild Animal Licences; [80458]

Margaret Beckett: We expect to publish proposals early in the New Year on making the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 more effective. These proposals will draw on the findings and recommendations of independent consultants who were commissioned to examine the Act's effectiveness, and the views of the public who were invited to comment on the consultant's report.

The results of the New Year public consultation exercise will help us to decide which animals should be subject to control.

Departmental Responsibilities

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees work on matters formerly within the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. [82896]

Alun Michael: There are approximately 5,170 employees (excluding casuals) that work in policy areas formerly within the responsibility of MAFF. This figure excludes staff that work in central service areas that support the entire Department.

In addition, there are approximately 5,760 employees in the Department's executive agencies which were sponsored by the former MAFF.

Diet and Lifestyle

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent efforts have been made to educate the public about promoting (a) a balanced diet and (b) a healthy lifestyle. [81061]

Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.

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The Food Standards Agency is engaged in a wide range of activities to promote the uptake of a healthy, balanced diet. Details of these are available from the agency's nutrition action plan on the agency's website (www.food.gov.uk). This encompasses work in schools, information and advice to consumers, including through the agency website and funding research and surveys on barriers to uptake of a balanced diet and how these can be overcome.

The Department's initiatives, as highlighted in the XNHS Plan" (2000), address both access and information. Actions on the latter include generating awareness on breastfeeding, a Five a Day programme to promote fruit and vegetable consumption, support for healthy weight maintenance and initiatives in schools and elsewhere to promote a balanced diet and physical activity.

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