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7 May 2003 : Column 704W—continued
Bovine TB
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many herds under movement restrictions to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis have been subject to such controls for (a) more than two years, (b) between one and two years, (c) between six months and one year and (d) less than six months. [110755]
Mr. Morley: Information on the number of herds under movement restrictions in categories (a) to (d) is not available. However, preliminary information, in the form of herds in each category as a percentage of unconfirmed and confirmed incidents resolved in Great Britain in 2002, is given in the following table.
| Duration of movement restrictions | (8)As percentage of all unconfirmed TB incidents | (8)As percentage of all confirmed TB incidents |
|---|---|---|
| (a) more than two years | Data not available | Data not available |
| (b) between one and two years | 11 | 48 |
| (c) between six months and one year | 8 | 20 |
| (d) less than six months | 81 | 32 |
(8) Preliminary figures produced by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency from the Vetnet database
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many of those herds suffering a breakdown following testing for bovine tuberculosis were (a) lesions found at the post mortem of any animal from the herd and (b) tissue samples taken which proved positive for Mycobacterium bovis in each of the last five years. [110756]
Mr. Morley: The number of confirmed new TB breakdowns is given in the following table.
A confirmed TB incident is one in which (i) visible lesions are found in at least one of the slaughtered animals at post-mortem examination, and/or (ii) Mycobacterium bovis is cultured from the tissue samples of at least one reactor animal. Separate data on the two categories can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Year | Number of confirmed new herd incidents |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 503 |
| 1998 | 720 |
| 1999 | 875 |
| 2000 | 1,044 |
| 2001 | 511 |
| 2002 | (9)1,837–1,962 |
(9) Provisional figures.
Note:
Data will remain provisional until all culture results are available and data validation has been carried out.
Source:
Vetnet
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the results of the present research into the impact of TB in badgers on cattle. [111016]
Mr. Morley: Defra has a wide-ranging bovine TB research programme, comprised of many individual research projects. Once individual projects are complete
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final reports are published on the Defra website. Some of the projects currently underway are not scheduled to end until 2006.
The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB is reviewing the effect of the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak on the badger culling trial and is expected to provide advice to Ministers on the likely completion date shortly. In addition, an independent audit panel has just been set up to look at the progress of the trial and the likely timescale to which it will produce results.
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea
Mr. Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of those herds with a breakdown confirmed by a positive laboratory test for Mycrobacterium bovis, how many are vaccinated against bovine viral diarrhoea. [110754]
Mr. Morley: These data are not available.
Cement Kilns
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total annual dioxin emissions produced by cement kilns were in each year for 1997 to 2002. [110222]
Alun Michael: The estimated total annual emissions of dioxins produced by cement kilns were as follows: 1997, 2.829 grams; 1998, 2.883 grams; 1999, 8.511 grams; 2000, 4.715 grams; and 2001, 5.684 grams. Data are not yet available for 2002.
Civil Service (People with Disabilities)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in her Department. [110517]
Alun Michael: In common with other Government Departments, Defra has a target for increasing the number of disabled civil servants to 3 per cent. by 2005. Currently, 1 per cent. of Defra's Senior Civil Servants have declared a disability. At grades below SCS the figure is 6 per cent.
Defra is taking steps to address the low number of disabled Senior Civil Servants. In addition to running the 'Two Ticks' guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants, the Department participates in central schemes targeted at disabled staff including the civil service bursary scheme and fast stream summer placements for disabled graduates.
We encourage members of staff to declare their disability but this is voluntary and there may be a degree of under-reporting. The Department is considering what we can do to improve the response rate. We are also represented on the Cabinet Office's Disability Working Group which is looking at this issue for Government Department's in general.
Dolphins
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will publish the critical findings of the use of dolphin friendly fishing gear; [108190]
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- (2) if she will publish the results of her Department's surveys on board UK pair trawlers to establish how many dolphins were killed per 100 net hauls; and if she will make a statement. [108170]
Mr. Morley: Research by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) carried out in 2002 on behalf of the Department into the use of exclusion devices to reduce the by-catch of cetaceans in the offshore bass fishery has been published on my Department's website at: www://defraweb/science/project data/DocumentLibrary/MF0733 A report on further research carried out during the 2003 spring bass fishery will be published later this year and I will ensure the hon. Member receives a copy.
Since 2000, SMRU, under contract to Defra, has carried out a number of surveys to estimate the level of by-catch in UK pelagic fisheries. Surveys of the bass fishery in 2001 and 2002 recorded 62 common dolphins caught in 182 hauls observed. This information has been published in the UK by-catch response strategy, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to prevent the death of dolphins caused by bass fishing in the English Channel. [111212]
Mr. Morley: Action to address the issue of dolphin and porpoise by-catch needs to be taken internationally, as fishing vessels from many countries are involved. We have been pressing for such action within the EU and have commissioned a programme of research and development to reinforce our arguments. Urgent action is needed in the pair trawl fishery for bass off south west England, which involves a substantial number of vessels from other member states. Our research programme identified a by-catch problem in this fishery and is now trialling a possible gear solution. This looks promising, and I am determined to achieve a solution by this or other means. The second urgent need is to deploy EU observers to identify and assess other problem fisheries. I have followed up action in the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, by writing to Commissioner Fischler and the French Fisheries Minister in support of effective measures. In addition, with the devolved administrations, I have issued a consultation document outlining a UK by-catch response strategy, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress is being made by the Secretary of State in discussion with European Commissioners to introduce an EU-wide observer programme to broaden information on by-catch of dolphins in EU fisheries; [108199]
- (2) what progress the Government have made in their discussions with the French Government to carry observers on French trawlers to ascertain the numbers of dolphins being caught in French nets; [108191]
(3) what proposals she has to ask the European Commission for a seasonal closure of fisheries to protect dolphins; [108189]
(4) what estimates her Department has made of the numbers of French trawlers involved in pair-trawling for sea bass in the English Channel; and if she will make a statement; [108200]
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(5) what the Government's policy is on the banning of pair-trawling to protect dolphins in the English Channel; [108192]
(6) what plans the Government have to introduce legislation on dolphin-friendly fishing nets in time for the 2003–04 winter bass migration. [108194]
Mr. Morley: We highlighted the need for urgent action on the issue of cetacean by-catch at the January meeting of the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers. I have also pursued this issue with Commissioner Fischler on a number of occasions, both in writing and in personal contacts.
I have recently written to the Commission to press for urgent action to widen observer coverage off the south-west coast where a number of other member states' vessels fish. I was pleased that the Commission included a commitment to take action in this area in papers produced as part of the recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Commissioner Fischler has sent an encouraging reply sharing the UK's concern and agreeing a need to act at Community level, but I will follow up our recent approaches and continue to press for concrete proposals for positive action.
I have also recently written to Hervé Gaymard, the French Fisheries Minister, stressing the need for effective action, and requesting his support for measures to widen observer coverage with a view to the reduction of cetacean by-catch. Action by France is particularly important as French pair trawlers play a substantial part in the offshore bass fishery; estimates are that some 30 to 40 French pairs are involved in this fishery.
Defra has committed some £140,000 for trialling the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) to reduce the by-catch of cetaceans in the offshore bass fishery. If SMRU's trials do not identify the use of the separator grids as a viable solution, we will look at other measures. I do not rule out any approach at this stage including arguing for restrictions on fishing, the gear that can be used or seasonal closures.
In the meantime, I, along with the Devolved Administrations, have issued a consultation document outlining a UK by-catch response strategy. This sets out the extent of our knowledge of by-catch in UK waters and makes proposals for action to address the by-catch problem. The document has been placed in the Library of the House.
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