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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Welfare of Animals (Circuses)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent

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representations she has made to owners of circuses on the welfare of animals. [82732]

Mr. Morley: The welfare of animals in circuses is an issue that is currently being reviewed in the light of the recent consultation on the proposed Animal Welfare Bill. A number of suggestions have been made concerning the better regulation of performing animals and as part of the series of stakeholder meetings on the Bill, my officials have met representatives of the performing animals industry and organisations concerned with the welfare of performing animals. In the light of these discussions I shall give further thought to what changes need to be made the existing legislation on circus animals.

Quite separately, the Association of Circus Proprietors has drawn up a code of practice to help circus operators and those responsible for animal welfare enforcement

Agricultural Wages Board

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the Chairman of the Agricultural Wages Board has resigned. [84236]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 December 2002]: The Chairman of the Agricultural Wages Board, Professor John Andrews, has indicated his wish not to serve a further term for personal reasons. The Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales have reluctantly accepted Professor Andrew's decision and thanked him for his valuable work during the last three years.

Professor Andrews has agreed to continue in post until a successor has been appointed. The post has been advertised and it is hoped that an appointment can be made before Easter.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the relevant qualifications are of the two new independent board members of the Agricultural Wages Board. [84237]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 December 2002]: Independent members of the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales are not required to hold any specific qualifications. However when new members are appointed we do try to ensure that collectively, the independent members have experience of as many areas of expertise relevant to the Board's work as possible. These include EU and UK employment legislation, EU and UK social policy, arbitration and conciliation, human resource management, tribunal work, accountancy and economic issues.

Gillian Morris is a Professor of Law at Brunel University and since 2000 has been Deputy Chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee. Derek Evans served with ACAS from 1974, becoming acting chief executive in May 2000 until his retirement last year.

Beef Industry

Miss McIntosh : To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the decision by the European Commission not to fine France for imposing an illegal ban on British beef and beef products. [81829]

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Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efforts she has made to recover the costs to the British beef industry of the refusal of the French Government to lift its British beef import ban. [81944]

Mr. Morley: The UK Government are gratified that France has at last complied with EU law and lifted its ban on British beef. Working through EU institutions was the best way to resolve this difficult issue although I regret the decision by the European Commission not to pursue the case seeking financial penalties against France. Compensation for losses must be sought by those directly affected. The UK Government intervened to support the NFU's current case to rule the ban illegal in the French courts and will support those who wish subsequently to pursue any claims.

Miss McIntosh : To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received concerning the decision of the European Commission not to fine the French Government for the illegal imposition of a ban on the sale of British beef in France; what measures she proposes to take to seek compensation from the French Government for the losses incurred by British farmers for the period of the illegal ban; and what other redress she proposes to make to British farmers for the damage suffered by their business for the period of the illegal ban. [82915]

Mr. Morley: The Government has received a number of representations on this matter.

The UK Government is gratified that France has at last complied with EU law and lifted its ban on British beef. Working through EU institutions was the best way to resolve this difficult issue although the UK Government regrets the decision by the European Commission not to pursue the case seeking penalties against France. The UK has supported the Commission throughout and believes that pressing this case would have sent a firm message to member states that no one country can avoid its obligations and responsibilities.

Compensation for losses must be sought by those directly affected. The UK Government intervened in the European Court of Justice to support the NFU's current case to rule the ban illegal in the French Courts and will support those who wish subsequently to pursue any claims.

Biomass

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets she has set in relation to the creation of energy by the use of biomass. [84197]

Mr. Meacher: Targets in respect of the Government's support for biomass are generally linked to the potential to contribute to climate change savings and the implications for the rural economy. In the energy crops scheme, part of the England Rural Development Programme, we have funding of £29 million which could see around 20,000 hectares of crops planted. Each hectare of biomass crops yielding the equivalent of 8 tonnes per annum will save 2 tonnes of carbon per annum. Purpose grown energy crops and other biomass will provide feedstocks for the projects developed under

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the bio-energy capital grants scheme from which we expect electricity generation of up to 120MW in addition to the development of combined heat and power and heat only projects.

Bovine TB

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what vaccines exist for inoculating cattle against TB; what use is made of such vaccines; what advice she gives to farmers about the use of these vaccines; and if she will make a statement. [84858]

Mr. Morley [holdilng answer 2 December 20002]: Developing a bovine TB vaccine is a long-term aim. The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO) has cautioned that such a vaccine is a potential policy option only in the longer term and has set up, this year, a Vaccine Scoping Study. A report is expected to be submitted to Ministers early in 2003 on the feasibility of pursuing a vaccination strategy.

A test which is able to distinguish vaccinated from infected cattle would be a great asset in the development of a vaccination strategy. Development of such a test is part of our wide-ranging research programme. Once a test has been developed we would need to approach the European Union to seek its acceptance of the new test as showing cattle to be free from the disease. This would require a change to European law.

Any new vaccine would need to meet the EU criteria of safety, quality and efficacy for the authorisation of veterinary medicinal products.

The BCG vaccine is being used a starting point for much of the current research. We are looking at how BCG protects animals and what environmental factors affect this. Some of the possible new vaccines under development are mutated or altered forms of BCG.

Combined Heat and Power

Mr. Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) direct and (b) indirect Government financial support was given to the combined heat and power industry in each year since 1990. [82798]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 27 November 2002]: Estimated direct financial support to the CHP industry, in the form of spend on research, demonstration and development, since 1990 is:

	£ million
1990–91	0.3
1991–92	0.3
1992–93	0.3
1993–94	0.4
1994–95	0.5
1995–96	0.5
1996–97	0.7
1997–98	1.0
1998–99	1.3
1999–2000	1.9
2000–01	2.5
2001–02	2.8

The 2001–02 figure includes around £0.4 million in development grants from the new Community Energy programme, most of which benefits CHP. In the current financial year, £3.3 million of capital grants from the programme have been approved to date.

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In addition, the Carbon Trust receives around £50 million per annum in total from which it provides direct support for CHP through its ActionEnergy Scheme and for research, development and demonstration of CHP through the Low Carbon Innovation Programme.

Several indirect measures of support for the CHP industry were also introduced in 2001–02. Of those that can be enumerated, climate change levy exemption on fuel inputs to Good Quality CHP and Good Quality CHP electricity outputs were valued at up to £90 million, while eligibility for Enhanced Capital Allowances is worth in the region of £10 million per annum to the industry. In addition, CHP is one of the measures that operators who are participants in Climate Change Agreements are encouraged to use to meet their targets and therefore qualify for the 80 per cent. reduction in Climate Change Levy.

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