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Marine Resources

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what ways the exclusive competence allocated to the EU by the draft constitution over marine resources differs from the CFP's competence; and how it affects the (a) six and (b) 12 mile limit. [117724]

Mr. Bradshaw: The draft EU Constitutional Treaty is in our view a clarification of existing EU competence with regards to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). There is no extension of competence, and the six and twelve mile limits are unaffected.

Non-native Fauna

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list Non-native fauna identified by her Department as needing to be (a) controlled and (b) eradicated; what estimate she has made of the numbers in each case;

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and what estimates she has made of the annual cost of (i) control and (ii) eradication in the next three years. [119146]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is aware of a number of Non-native species which can impact on native biodiversity but has not compiled a comprehensive list of Non-native fauna proposed to be controlled or eradicated. Issues in relation to individual species are considered on their merits, and control programmes may also be taken forward by the conservation agencies, other government departments, non-governmental organisations and others to address specific impacts. The devolved administrations can also take action in other parts of the UK. Environmental and economic effects of the presence of the species, the relative cost and likely success of control, are all important considerations.

I recognise that the problems caused by invasive Non-native species can be serious. The recent Review of Non-native Species Policy recommended that Government develop a comprehensive system to assess risks from Non-native species, and also policies with respect to management and control of Non-native species present or newly arrived in the wild, and operational capacity to implement these. The Review's report, available in the House Library, also gives indicative control costs for some invasive Non-native species. This is a complex and wide-ranging issue and we will be considering the review's report carefully in developing, in liaison with the Devolved Administrations, the Government's strategy to take this forward. There will be public consultation later this year.

In respect of species and organisms currently identified to be eradicated, action is being taken by Defra's plant health service to eradicate some introduced plant pests, including the potato brown rot bacterium from watercourses in eastern England, Phytophthora ramorum (the pathogen causing sudden death of oak trees in California) from nursery stock, and the insect pests Bemisia tabaci and Liriomyza huidobrensis from outbreaks in glasshouses. Contingency plans for possible outbreaks of Karnal bunt of wheat, potato ring rot and Colorado beetle are currently being drawn up or revised. Also, on the 3 March 2003 I made a written statement to the House stating that the Government agreed in principle to the eradication of the North American ruddy duck, 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 71WS. However, before a decision is made on whether to move to eradication the Department has commissioned further research to refine control methods over the next 15 months at a cost of approximately £250,000.

Pesticides

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the regulations governing use of pesticides. [120538]

Alun Michael: The Government's primary aim when it comes to pesticides is the protection of people and the environment. Pesticides are therefore strictly regulated in this country under national and EU rules and we have effective controls on pesticide residues on imported and home-grown produce. Moreover a gradual transition is already underway to an EC system of regulation which,

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in addition to safeguarding people and the environment like the UK's national regulations, is aimed at achieving consistent standards between Member States. However, I am advised that our national regime is quite robust enough to protect people and the environment until the EU system is fully up and running.

Ritually Slaughtered Meat

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much ritually slaughtered meat was exported from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [120281]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 19 June 2003]: Official overseas trade statistics do not separately identify ritually slaughtered meat and therefore the information requested is not available.

Sustainable Development (TUC Committee)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who she has appointed to co-chair the Trades Union Committee on Sustainable Development. [120791]

Mr. Morley: The Trade Union Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development has been jointly chaired by a Defra Minister and John Edmonds, until recently General Secretary of the GMB Union. Mr. Edmonds will be stepping down as co-chair at the next meeting of TUSDAC and arrangements for a successor are being considered by the TUC.

Tourism

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of (a) the Brecon Beacons, (b) the Norfolk Broads, (c) Dartmoor, (d) Snowdonia, (e) Exmoor, (f) the Lake District, (g) Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, (h) the North York Moors, (i) Northumberland, (j) the Peak District, (k) the Pembrokeshire Coast and (l) the Yorkshire Dales is given over to agriculture; and what the agricultural products was in each case in the last year for which figures are available. [119145]

Alun Michael: The total agricultural area (as at June 2002) and the total area of each specified National Park in England is shown in the following table. National Parks in Scotland and Wales fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities concerned.

National Park	Total area of National Park (Sq km)	Total area of agriculture (Sq km)	Agricultural area as percentage of total area
(b) The Broads	303	175.6	57.9
(c) Dartmoor	954	481.4	50.5
(e) Exmoor	693	510.1	73.6
(f) The Lake District	2,292	1,268.6	55.3
(h) The North York Moors	1,432	781.2	54.5
(i) Northumberland	1,049	734.4	70.0
(j) The Peak District	1,438	1,139.9	79.3
(l) The Yorkshire Dales	1,773	1,210.8	68.3

Sources:

1. The Association of National Park Authorities, www.anpa.gov.uk

2. Yorkshire Dales National Park, www.yorkshiredales.org.uk

3. The June 2002 Census of Agriculture and Horticulture.

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Agricultural output for each National Park in England can be found at the internet link: http://farmstats.defra.gov.uk/cs/farmstats data/MAPS/interactive maps/natpark map.asp

Voluntary Organisations

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding programmes are operated by her Department to support voluntary organisations working with young people; and what the level of support has been in each of the last three years. [120534]

Alun Michael: Defra funds a wide variety of voluntary organisation which work with young people but it is difficult to separate out specific expenditure within funding across all the department's programmes. Much of the work done with young people is carried out as part of broader programmes of work that also target other groups. Because of this it is not possible to rapidly provide a precise breakdown of support to voluntary organisations working with young people. Other

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work—particularly mainstream work with young people in rural communities—is funded by other Government departments.

There are three specific strands of finance which are targeted particularly at young people. They are:

(1) The Environmental Action Fund which helps voluntary groups in England working to promote sustainable development. The majority of projects involve young people to some extent and in 2003–03 the involvement of young people is a major component of projects totalling £1,023,664.


(2) ENCAMS. Defra funds the environmental charity ENCAMS which is the parent organisation of the Tidy Britain Group, for work on litter, waste and local community initiatives in England. ENCAMS funding for youth related programmes and campaigns in 2002–03 was £252,000.


(3) The Sustainable Development Fund which particularly targets the engagement of young people from rural and urban backgrounds on projects in the National Parks and the Broads which has £1 million for 2002–03 (increasing to £1.6 million for 2003–04).

In addition, Table 1 gives details of the funding made available to voluntary organisation across Defra's areas of responsibility, comparing 2000–01 and 2002–02. The total figure was nearly £39 million in 2002–03 compared with £20 million in 2001–02.

Table 1

Funding programme 2001/02	Total funding 2002 (£)	Number of grants 2002	Average grant (£) 2002	Total funding 2001 (£)	Number of grants 2001	Average grant (£) 2001
The Rural Stress—Action Plan	300,000	3	100,000	597,288	4	149,322
Nat Federation of Young Farmers	66,000	1	—	68,000	2	34,000
National Energy Action	943,335	1	—	850,000	1	—
ENCAMS	3,876,000	1	—	3,542,000	1	—
Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group	448,357	4	112,089	284,000	1	—
Wildlife and Countryside Research Programme	219,027	6	36,505	92,242	3	30,747
Environmental Action Fund	4,115,600	92	44,735	4,187,525	142	29,489
Programme Development Fund	10,572	10	1,057	11,318	4	2,830
Countryside agency schemes	8,677,614	501	370,009	8,935,035	418	129,510
Charity Match Funding (FMD)	16,642,363	55	302,588	(4)—	(4)—	—
English Nature schemes	3,613,961	48	476,671	1,701,689	70	22,290
Totals	38,912,829	722	—	20,269,097	646	—

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