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Rural Payments/Policy

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of Suckler Cow Premium Scheme payments had been made by the Rural Payments Agency for 2001–02 claims. [115312]

Alun Michael: As of 20 May 2003, balance payments under the 2001 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme have been made on over 97 per cent. of claims. Remaining claims have either been rejected or are being considered

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under Category 5 of the 2001 Bovine penalty review. Under the 2002 scheme, advance payments have been issued on over 80 per cent. of claims.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the Countryside Agency's rural policy report to be published. [115183]

Alun Michael: I understand that the Countryside Agency will publish its annual rural proofing report on 3 June.

Salmon

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason salmon in the Hampshire Avon are being tagged by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; what the anticipated mortality rate is among tagged salmon; what prior consultation was undertaken with (a) riparian owners and (b) angling interests; and if she will make a statement. [114670]

Mr. Morley: One cause of the decline in salmon stocks may be increases in river temperatures resulting from natural factors or human activities. This could reduce the survival or reproductive success of the fish. The tags used in the study record temperature and transmit the fish's position, allowing scientists to investigate whether or not adult salmon show temperature preferences during upstream migration. This is of particular relevance to the spring-running multi-sea winter salmon in the Avon, which are resident in freshwater for many months prior to spawning. The results of this work will be used to provide advice to Government and other organisations dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of salmon stocks, on the potential impacts of habitat management practices and climate change on salmonid populations.

Between 1985 and 1990 more than 400 salmon were tagged with radio transmitting tags in the Avon estuary. The great majority of these fish entered the Avon and were tracked migrating upstream to their spawning areas. 45 were reported caught by anglers, which is consistent with recapture rates elsewhere of conventionally tagged fish. No radio-tagged fish were found dead in the river. This suggests that tagging salmon with radio tags has a negligible influence upon their natural behaviour or survival.

Both riparian owners and angling interests were consulted through the Environment Agency, who discussed the work with the Chairman of the Avon and Stour Fishery Association; riparian interests were sent a copy of a letter from CEFAS explaining the purpose of the work and the methods to be used. The Chairman of the Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust, and English Nature, were also consulted.

Skips

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the local authorities which have levied charges for licences to place skips on the highway; what changes have been made; and if she will make a statement. [115775]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

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My Department does not hold information as to which local authorities levy charges for placing skips on the highway.

Sponsorship

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship in the last financial year; who the sponsor was in each case; what the nature of each project was; what time period was covered by each project; what the total cost of each project was; how much money was involved in each sponsorship deal; and if she will make a statement. [112401]

Alun Michael: Details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 would be published in the Defra Departmental Report and the Department's annual, audited Resource Accounts.

The Department's projects received no such sponsorship in 2002–03.

Veterinary Medicines

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts in relation to the supply of veterinary medicines. [114009]

Mr. Morley: There are a number of European fora attended by my officials and those of the other Member States at which issues relating to veterinary medicines are discussed and at which issues relating to their supply may be raised. In particular, European Commission proposals to amend medicines legislation, including one to require a prescription for all medicines for use in food-producing animals, are currently being discussed in a series of Council Working Groups. This year the Working Group has met twice each month except February when there was one meeting. My officials are seeking to modify the Commission's proposal to enable a flexible approach to the distribution of veterinary medicinal products that takes advantage of existing national practices, so long as consumer protection and animal welfare can be demonstrably assured.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Agency Workers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many agency workers have been employed by the Department in each of the last two years; and at what cost to public funds. [115196]

Dr. Howells: From May 1 2001 to April 30 2002, DCMS employed 92 agency workers at a cost of £409,742.

From May 1 2002 to April 30 2003, DCMS employed 86 agency workers at a cost of £485,518.

English Heritage

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what finance was allocated to English

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Heritage in each year since 1997; and how many sites and buildings have been listed in this time. [115170]

Dr. Howells: The Government grant-in-aid allocation to English Heritage was £105.2 million in 1997–98, £102.4 million in 1998–99, £114.9 million in 1999–2000, £116.8 million in 2000–01, £110.4 million in 2001–02, and £116.4 million in 2002–03; and 7,898 items were included by the Department in the statutory list of buildings of architectural or historic interest during that period, following the receipt of advice from English Heritage.

Film Industry

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her Answer, of 7 May 2003, Official Report, columns 729–30W, on film certificates, what the estimated tax cost of relief provided under section 48 of the Finance (No.2) Act 1997 was in each year since 1997 for (a) theatrical films,

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(b) all (c) television fiction and documentaries; (d) televison other, (e) certified copy and counts in no category and (f) co-productions. [114946]

Dr. Howells: HM Treasury maintains the confidentiality of individual tax returns. Information in the categories listed as (a) to (f) is only available in terms of the production costs of films certified by DCMS. The categories for which production costs of film and television productions certified by DCMS are available are (a) "theatrical films certified"; (b) "all television productions certified", and (f) "all co-productions certified". These figures are set out in the table.

A separate record has not been maintained of the costs of "television fiction & documentary" and "television other" productions. DCMS expects the tax cost of certified copy certificates to be zero. DCMS records the productions costs as zero when copy certificates are issued, only recording the real production cost when the film is originally certified.

Annual expenditure on certified British films

Categories	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
(a) Total value of Schedule 1 & co-production films (with some theatrical potential Certified	179	254	449	407	820	973
(b) Total value of domestic & co-production small screen productions Certified	n/k	n/k	n/k	n/a	816	1,018
Aggregate of everything certified
Total value of Co-Production films with some theatrical potential Certified	n/k	n/k	n/k	n/k	1,628	1,991
Co-productions Certified
Total value of co-production films with some theatrical potential certified	43	60	79	91	245	408
Total value of small screen Co-productions certified	n/k	n/k	n/k	n/k	92	130
(f) Total value of all co-productions certified	n/k	n/k	n/k	n/k	337	538

Notes:

1. "Certified films" include films certified as British under Schedule 1 of the 1985 Films Act and official UK co-productions which received final approval.

2. Value figures are in £ million.

3. Years are calendar years.

4. For some films certified before 28 August 2000, a production cost figure is unavailable. However this is not believed to cause significant distortion overall.

n/k = not known.

The new definition of a British film came into force on 27/8/1999, since when some TV production costs are also known.

Only from 28 August 2000 are production costs known for all certified TV & film productions.

Updated 19 May 2003.

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