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Devolution

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the Richard Commission to discuss the future devolution settlement in Wales. [128472]

Mr. Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 257–58.

Ministerial Visits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; who he met; and what gifts were received. [126985]

Mr. Hain: The Government publish the overall costs of all ministerial travel and a list of overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.

I have undertaken a number of official visits in Wales since April 2003. These have included attendance at the Wales TUC Annual Conference; attending three Eisteddfods, meeting with executive members of farming unions, meeting representatives of industry and commerce and visiting Welsh manufacturing facilities.

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The total cost of these visits, including my officials was approximately £4,500.

In respect of gifts received, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 March 2003, Official Report, column 482W.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biodiversity and Bushmeat

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the terms of reference have been agreed for the inter-departmental ministerial group on biodiversity and bushmeat. [128366]

Mr. Morley: Officials are working on the arrangements for the Biodiversity working group. I hope the arrangements, which will include the terms of reference, will be concluded shortly and that the group can then meet.

Convention on the Future of Europe

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the European Constitution on her Department's responsibilities; [128176]

(2) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the establishment of an EU Foreign Minister on the representation of her Department in international fora. [128177]

Mr. Bradshaw: The new European Constitution is not expected to have any direct effect on this Department's responsibilities nor on its role representing the UK Government in international fora. The draft of the new Treaty prepared by the Convention on the Future of Europe for discussion at the Inter Governmental Conference this autumn retains the key provisions of the current treaties relating to the environment, agriculture and fisheries.

The UK is however opposed to the proposal to establish a Single Legislative Council. This would weaken the direct involvement of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers in policy formation as well as in negotiating legislation.

GM Crops

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the approvals procedure for genetically modified crops; whether she plans to amend the regulations; and if she will make a statement. [128330]

Mr. Morley: From 1998 to 2001, the UK and our EU partners conducted a thorough review of the EU procedure for assessment and approval of genetically modified organisms, including GM crops. This culminated in the revised EU Directive 2001/18, which entered into force in October 2002, replacing previous EU legislation in this area.

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The Government strongly support decision making under the updated and improved Directive. It provides a robust framework by which the UK authorities and our EU partners can make effective, evidence-based decisions on whether or not to allow the release or placing on the market of particular GM crops according to the merits of each case. The Directive has been fully transposed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Notwithstanding our support for Directive 2001/18, the Government have a voluntary agreement with the UK biotech industry that GM crops will not be grown commercially in this country until we have assessed the results of our Farm Scale Evaluations (FSE) crop trials. We will review our policy on GM crops in light of the FSE results and other relevant information, including the report of the GM public debate.

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether GM crops that reduce acrylamide formation have been produced. [128693]

Mr. Morley: No GM crops that show reduced acrylamide formation have been trialled in the UK, and there are no current applications to market such crops in the EU. Acrylamide is formed during the cooking of some foods, and is believed to be produced as a result of a chemical reaction between the sugars and amino acids that naturally occur in foodstuffs. Recent research has indicated that acrylamide may be harmful to consumers. It might be feasible to reduce the formation of acrylamide during cooking by altering the composition of crops. This could be achieved either using conventional plant breeding or genetic modification.

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) by how much (a) diesel fuel consumption by farmers and (b) soil erosion would be reduced if 50 per cent. of UK sugar beet, maize and oilseed rape farmers switched to GM herbicide-tolerant varieties and conservation tillage; [128694]

(2) how many kilos of soil-acting herbicide would be saved if 25 per cent. of the UK forage maize crop were to be sown as GM herbicide-tolerant varieties. [128700]

Mr. Morley: It is not possible to give precise estimates of the impact of growing GM herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops in the UK on fuel consumption, soil erosion or herbicide usage. These issues are analysed in the report published by the Government's Strategy Unit in July on the costs and benefits of GM crops www.strategy.gov.uk. This notes the potential for GMHT crops to deliver various benefits through improved crop management practices, but does not offer firm conclusions because of the complexity of the issues and the limitations of the available evidence.

Nuclear Storage

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on discussions at European Community level on a common nuclear storage facility. [128172]

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Mr. Morley: I am not aware of any such discussions. However, the European Commission has presented a proposal to the Council for a Euratom Directive on the management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. The draft Directive would require each member state to establish a clearly defined programme for radioactive waste management that includes all radioactive waste under its jurisdiction and covers all stages of management. The Commission's draft favours disposal in a deep repository, without the intention of retrieval, as the most suitable method for long-term management of the most hazardous forms of solid and solidified radioactive waste.

The draft directive also provides that a member state's programme may include shipments of radioactive waste or spent fuel to another member state or third country if such shipments are:

(i) fully in compliance with existing EU legislation, principally Directive 92/3/Euratom, and international commitments;


(ii) covered by firm contracts;


(iii) made only to states with appropriate facilities that meet accepted norms and standards of the member state of origin; and


(iv) are conducted under adequate safeguards, where they involve ores, source materials and "special fissile materials" (uranium and plutonium).

The Government are actively engaged in discussion of the Commission's proposal in the Council working group. However, my Department is also currently carrying out a programme of consultation and public participation to develop a long term radioactive waste management policy. That process will examine all the management options available, with no presumption in favour of deep disposal.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Semitism

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what liaison there has been between his Department and the Department for Education and Skills on dealing with anti-semitism in schools, with particular reference to teaching controversial issues. [126942]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 8 September 2003]: The Home Office and Department for Education and Skills work closely together on a number of issues some of which may be regarded as controversial. They do so in close discussion but within the confines of their own individual remits. Both Departments have worked particularly closely over the last three years in the preparation of Holocaust Memorial Day, which in addition to commemorating the victims of the Holocaust also seeks to address and confront the dangers of prejudice and discrimination today. The Department for Education and Skills produces free resources for schools for Holocaust Memorial Day, which amongst other issues addresses anti-semitism. The resources are promoted with the support and co-operation of both Departments.

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