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28 Jan 2003 : Column 726W—continued
Tolls
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of reimbursing VAT to private operators of tolls on the basis being consulted upon at present. [93350]
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Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 27 January 2003]: Current estimates are that the annual reimbursement will range from about £250,000 to £350,000.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements will be in place on 1 February to ensure that privately operated tolls do not increase by reason of the incidence of a VAT liability. [93351]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 27 January 2003]: My Department is currently consulting with owners of privately operated statutory tolled undertakings on a reimbursement scheme, which will allow qualifying operators to recover VAT included in tolls. The scheme will be in place before any payment under it will need to be made.
The concession agreement at the Severn crossings has been renegotiated to eliminate the need to increase tolls because of the introduction of VAT.
Traffic Accidents (Driver Liability)
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce legislation on driver liability in road traffic accidents; and if he will make a statement. [93733]
Mr. Jamieson: Road traffic law in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland provides for penalties for bad driving behaviour whether or not the driver is involved in an accident.
The culpability of a motorist charged with a road traffic offence, such as dangerous or careless driving, is a matter for a court to decide.
Traffic Safety Cameras
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the terms of reference for the "Cost Recovery System for Traffic Safety Cameras" study; on what dates (a) the study and (b) its associated pilots were completed; and if he will publish the information gathered by the study. [94092]
Mr. Jamieson: A trial was set up to test the new funding mechanism for safety cameras. The key tests were to reduce speeding and casualties, to encourage general public acceptance of the road safety benefits, and to ensure satisfactory working of the funding and partnership arrangements. The trial ran from 1 April 2000 until 31 March 2002 in eight pilot areas. These have been monitored and an independently produced research report of the findings is expected to be published shortly.
Wales-England Rugby Match (Rail Services)
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has requested a copy of the independent safety report commissioned by Wales and the West Trains on the provision of rail services after the Wales v. England Six Nations rugby match at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [93255]
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Mr. Jamieson: The SRA has undertaken detailed discussions with the train operator about transport arrangements for this match. However, the safety report owned by Wales and Borders Trains is an internal document. Neither my Department nor the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has seen it.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to manage amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops; and what recent discussions she has had and what representations she has received on management of amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops. [89689]
Ms Blears [holding answer 20 January 2003]: I have been asked to reply.
European Union legislation lays down the health conditions for harvesting and placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs and requires monitoring for biotoxins, including amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). If statutory monitoring reveals that the maximum permissible ASP toxin level in the whole animal has been exceeded, the production or relaying area concerned must be closed until the situation has returned to normal. The Food Standards Agency, the United Kingdom competent authority responsible for shellfish issues, has received a number of representations on the management of ASP in scallops. They are currently considering the adoption of an optional derogation in EU law that would provide for a tiered approach to the testing of ASP toxins.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many live sheep were exported from Dover to continental Europe on 10 January 2003 on the Alda K; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (a) during inspection for health certification purposes and (b) at Dover docks, and to where those sheep were taken; and what the address was of the final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments; [92977]
- (2) how many live sheep were exported from Dover to continental Europe on (a) 10 January and (b) 14 January on the Omega Livestock; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (i) during inspection for health certification purposes and (ii) at Dover docks, and to where those sheep were taken; and what the address was of the final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments. [92978]
Mr. Morley: The information requested is as follows:
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| Sailing date | Total animals certified | Where consignments were certified | Animals rejected at certification | Animals rejected at Dover docks | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 January (Alda K) | 849 | England | 0 | 0 | Germany |
| 10 January (Omega Express) | 2,174 | England | 15 | 0 | France |
| 14 January (Omega Express) | 2,766 | England and Wales | 13 | 0 | France |
The sheep for the consignments listed were certified within 48 hours prior to export. These consignments were fattening animals transported to holdings, except for the Alda K sailing on 10 January 2003 where they were slaughter animals which went to an approved slaughterhouse. The animals which were rejected at certification remained in Great Britain.
These figures relate to the numbers of sheep certified for export and are subject to revision and change.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to reply to the letter to her Department dated 29 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Jean Kellock. [92281]
Alun Michael: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Whitty, responded on 27 January.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes concerning Mr. E. Baker of Kingsbridge, South Devon dated 7 December 2002, concerning his IACS claim. [93882]
Alun Michael: I replied on 26 January.
Departmental Budget
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her total departmental budget was for each year of its existence; what the projected budget is for 2002–03; and how much within each year has been allocated to (a) Rural Affairs, (b) Agriculture, (c) Environmental Protection and (d) International Environmental Matters. [89096]
Alun Michael: The budget figures for each year are as follows:
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Defra | 2,959 | 2,459 |
| Rural affairs | 509 | 516 |
| Agriculture | 1,424 | 828 |
| Environmental Protection | 756 | 841 |
| International Environmental Matters | 30 | 29 |
The amounts in the table are budgets scored within departmental expenditure limits. The figures for Rural Affairs, Agriculture, Environmental Protection and International Environmental Matters are an estimated split of direct resources, excluding overheads for central services.
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Equine Passports
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations she has licensed to issue equine passports; and if she will make a statement. [93362]
Alun Michael: There are presently 56 equine organisations and associations that have been authorised to issue horse passports in Great Britain.
These passport issuing organisations are either:
- Equine studbook societies who deal with a particular breed. These have been recognised under Commission Decision 92/353/EC. This legislation lays down the criteria for the approval or recognition of organisations and associations which maintain or establish studbooks for registered equidae.
International equine organisations that manage horses for competition or racing who have been registered under article 4 of the Horse Passports Order 1997.
- American Quarter Horse Association UK
Anglo-European Studbook Ltd.
Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHc) UK Ltd.
Arab Horse Society
British Hanoverian Horse Society
British Horse Foundation/British Horse Database
British Miniature Horse Society
British Palomino Society
British Percheron Horse Society
British Skewbald & Piebald Association
British Spotted Pony Society
British Warm-Blood Society and British Sports Horse Registry
The Caspian Horse Society
The Caspian Horse Breed Society (UK)
Cleveland Bay Horse
Coloured Horse and Pony Society (UK)
Dales Pony Society
Dartmoor Pony Society
Donkey Breed Society
English Connemara Pony Society
Eriskay Pony Society
Eriskay Pony (Mother Society)—Comann Each nan Eilean Ltd.
Exmoor Pony Society
Fell Pony Society
Fjord Horse National Study-book Association of Great Britain
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Fjord Horse Registry of Scotland and Fjord Horse UK
Friesian Horse Association of Great Britain and Ireland Ltd.
Hackney Horse Society
Highland Pony Society
Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain
International Miniature Horse and Pony Society
The Irish Draught Horse Society (GB)
The Lusitano Breed Society (Great Britain)
Lippizaner National Studbook Association of Great Britain
National Pony Society
New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society
Scottish Icelandic Horse Association
Shetland Policy Stud-Book Society
Shire Horse Society
The Scottish Sports Horse
Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain
The Sports Pony Studbook Society
The Spotted Horse and Pony Society
The Standard and Trotting Horse Association of Great Britain and Ireland
Suffolk Horse Society
Trakehner Breeders Fraternity
Weatherbys
Welsh Pony & Cob Society
- The British Driving Society
British Harness Racing Club
British Equestrian Federation
Hurlingham Polo Association
The Spotted Pony Breed Society (Great Britain)
British Appaloosa Society
British Horse Society
Alun Michael: Horses are the only animals that currently require a record to be made of medicines administered as required by Commission Decision 2000/68/EC, which requires all horses to be accompanied by a passport.
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