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25 Jun 2003 : Column 767W—continued
Dairy Farmers
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her
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policy that direct payments made to dairy farmers under the single farm payment scheme will be allocated only to active producers. [120266]
Mr. Bradshaw: We agree that, at the outset, dairy compensation payments should be directed to dairy farmers rather than to those who have already left the sector. But with decoupling proposals, single farm payments would not require recipients to remain in dairy thereafter, providing that their land remained in cross compliance. This is all subject to the continuing negotiations on the CAP reform package.
Euro Roadshow
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the events she plans to attend as part of the Government's euro roadshow. [121387]
Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 458W, by my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (Mr. Healey).
Farming Subsidies
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 875W, on farming subsidies, if she will break down the figure for subsidy in 2001–02 indicating (a) what was subsidised, and by how much and (b) how much of the subsidy was supplied from each funding source; and if she will make a statement. [120014]
Mr. Bradshaw: In 2001–02 public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies was £4,664 million. The amount is broken down in table 9.1 of the Defra publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2002", which is available in the Library of the House. This indicates the amounts falling either to the EU or the UK budget. Payments for market support and certain payments for rural development will not all have been received directly by the farming industry.
In addition, UK farmers benefited from the effect of the market regimes and import tariffs, which kept the price of many commodities in the EU higher than elsewhere. The cost of this will have fallen to consumers. In 2000, the latest year for which UK figures are available, we estimate that the CAP cost UK consumers around £3.5 billion through higher prices.
GM Crops
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the antibiotics to which marker genes used in the production of genetically modified crops convey resistance and the medical uses of those antibiotics. [121657]
Mr. Morley: The following table lists antibiotics to which marker genes used in the development of genetically modified crops convey resistance and their medical uses in the UK.
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| Antibiotic | Medical uses |
|---|---|
| Kanamycin | Very little therapeutic use, no licensed products in the UK |
| Neomycin | Various eye drops, dermatology preparations for topical treatment, bowel sterilisation before surgery |
| Ampicillin | A broad spectrum antibiotic, urinary and respiratory tract infections |
| AmoxyciUin | A broad spectrum antibiotic, urinary and respiratory tract infections, prevention of endocarditis |
| Hygromycin | Not licensed in the UK |
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which antibiotic marker genes are no longer in use in the genetic modification of plant crops; [121658]
- (2) what progress has been made in phasing out the use of antibiotic marker genes in the genetic modification of plant crops. [121660]
Mr. Morley: There is no current list of antibiotic resistance markers that cannot be used in the genetic modification of plant crops. Article 4(2) of Directive 2001/18/EC refers to the phasing out of genes expressing resistance to antibiotics which may have adverse effects on human health and the environment or are of use in medical or veterinary treatment. This phasing out must take place by 31 December 2004 in the case of GM crop plants for marketing and by 31 December 2008 in the case of the release of GM crop plants for research and development purposes. In accordance with this requirement the Commission has established an expert working group to address the use of antibiotic resistance marker (ARMs) genes that GMOs may contain and will aim to produce a list of ARMs which must be phased out.
The Advisory Committee on Release to the Environment (ACRE) encourages the avoidance and minimisation of the use and expression of superfluous transgenes or sequences in the development of GM crops, including reduced use of marker genes such as ARMs 1 . Antibiotic maker genes which are considered to have adverse effects on human health or the environment have not been approved for either research and development or commercial releases of GM crop plants.
- 1 Guidance on Principles of Best Practice in the Design of Genetically Modified Plants; available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/bestprac/guidance/index.htm
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the antibiotic marker genes, and the antibiotics to which they convey resistance, that are in use in the genetic modification of plant crops. [121659]
Mr. Morley: The table lists the antibiotic resistance marker genes and the antibiotics to which they convey resistance, which have been used in the genetic modification of crop plants for research releases in the United Kingdom.
| Gene | Antibiotic |
|---|---|
| nptll or neo | Kanamycin and Neomycin |
| bla | Ampicillin and Amoxycillin |
| hptll | Hygromycin |
The intact nptll gene is present in some of the GM crop plants which have received marketing authorisation. The bla gene has been used in the development of some commercial GM crop plants however a fully functional coding gene is not present in any GM plants which have received marketing authorisation in the EU.
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Marine Stewardship Council
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those fisheries which have been awarded grants towards attaining Marine Stewardship Council certification; and what plans she has to publicise them. [117811]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 9 June 2003]: Defra has awarded grants under the European Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance towards four fisheries seeking or renewing Marine Stewardship Council fisheries accreditation: the South West handline mackerel fishery; and Dover sole, mackerel and herring caught by the Hastings fishing fleet. South West PESCA Ltd, the Objective 1 grant facilitator in Cornwall, has issued a news release in connection with the former, and Hastings Borough Council is planning to issue a news release shortly in connection with the latter three.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to publicise the work of the Marine Stewardship Council on her Department's website. [117813]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 9 June 2003]: The Government welcome the fact that the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) encourages and rewards environmentally responsible fisheries management and practices. However, responsibility for publicising the work of the MSC—an independent organisation—lies with the MSC itself.
OSPAR
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times OSPAR Radioactive Substances Committee met between the OSPAR Conference in Sintra in July 1998 and 31 May 2003; how many reports the Committee published; what the subject matters addressed by the Committee were; and if he will make a statement. [120113]
Mr. Morley: The Radioactive Substances Committee (formally the Working Group on Radioactive Substances) has met on six occasions since the OSPAR Conference in Sintra in July 1998 to discuss matters relating to the implementation of the OSPAR Strategy for Radioactive Substances. Copies of the Summary Records of the RSC meetings are available on the OSPAR website at: www.ospar.org The Committee has published eight reports since 1998, as follows:
- Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1996. ISBN 0 946955 85 9, published 1998;
Summary of the Report on Sources, Inputs and Temporal Trends on Radioactive Discharges from Nuclear Installations for the years 1989 to 1995. ISBN number as above, published 1998;
Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1997. ISBN 0 946955 91 3, published 1999;
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Summary of the Reports Submitted in the Second Round of Implementation Reporting in Accordance with PARCOM Recommendation 91/4. ISBN number as above, published 1999;
Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1998. ISBN 0 946955 97 2, published 2001;
Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1999. ISBN 0 946956 63 4, published 2001;
Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 2000. ISBN 0 946956 91 X, published 2002; and
Discharges of Radioactive Substances into the Maritime Area by Non-nuclear Industry. ISBN 0 946956 90 1, published 2002.
Mr. Morley: The establishment of a baseline in relation to the OSPAR Strategy for radioactive substances covers radioactive discharges from all nuclear and non-nuclear sources into the marine environment, concentrations in the marine environment and resulting doses to members of the public. Broad agreement has already been reached by the Radioactive Substances Committee on the methodology for establishing a baseline, including the principle that it should use annual values averaged over a period of several years. I am confident that agreement can be reached at the forthcoming OSPAR meeting in Bremen on the spread of years this period should cover.
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the United Kingdom policies on radioactive discharges that will be put to the OSPAR ministerial meeting in Bremen; and if she will place in the Library copies of documents being submitted by the UK to the OSPAR meeting. [120786]
Mr. Morley: Radioactive substances is one of a number of issues being considered at the OSPAR Commission meeting in Bremen from 23 to 27 June. There will be a Ministerial session on 25 and 26 June.
The meeting will consider the progress made in implementing the commitments agreed at the last ministerial meeting in 1998. All Contracting Parties have submitted national reports to the OSPAR Commission. The United Kingdom's report—the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001–2002—was published in July 2002. Copies were placed in the Library at the time.
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