You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

20 Oct 2003 : Column 400W—continued

Animal Movements

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on EU proposals in respect of improved controls for the welfare of animals during transit. [133101]

Mr. Bradshaw: We welcome publication of the Commission's proposals. They were overdue and now provide the opportunity to seek improvements in many areas, in particular, journey times, vehicle standards and enforcement. We have consulted widely and we are playing a full part in the forthcoming negotiations.

Animal Welfare

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information regarding animal welfare (a) on the journey and (b) at the final destination is requested by the animal exports division before authorisations for exports are granted; and if she will make a statement. [132442]

Mr. Bradshaw: Before livestock are exported, transporters must submit a Route Plan setting out details of the proposed journey. Officials check that the transporter is authorised, that the proposed journey times are within the maximum allowable for the species and that all necessary rest, watering and feeding breaks are included. If assembly centres, staging points or slaughterhouses are included in the planned journey, staff check that these are EU approved premises. The use of Staging Points also requires the transporter to provide a statement to the effect that the necessary health requirements will be met there and that the animals are booked into the premises on the dates specified on the Route Plan.

Once staff are satisfied that the proposed journey appears to meet these conditions, the plan is sent to a Local Veterinary Inspector. The animals are then inspected to ensure they are fit for their intended journey and that they meet the health requirements of transit and destination countries.

Supervised loadings of vehicles may be carried out to ensure only fit and healthy animals are loaded, that the vehicle is suitable and that stocking densities are correct. Animals for slaughter or fattening may be inspected on arrival at the port or transfer onto a vessel.

These checks are carried out scrupulously and only when all have been satisfactorily completed will the animals be allowed to start their journey.

Atrazine

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ban atrazine in the UK. [132493]

Alun Michael: Atrazine is to be withdrawn from use as an agricultural pesticide throughout the European Community, following a full scientific review. Products containing atrazine will be withdrawn over an 18-month period which will begin on formal adoption of the relevant European Commission decision, which we anticipate within the next few months. However, certain 'essential uses' will be permitted until the end of 2007. The essential uses agreed for the United Kingdom are for sweetcorn and forestry.

20 Oct 2003 : Column 401W

Fisheries

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the fishing stop orders made in the last 12 months. [132528]

Mr. Bradshaw: No orders have been made in the last 12 months under the provisions of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 prohibiting fishing for specified quota stocks. However, individual groups of fishermen, including the under10 metre fleet, have been prohibited from fishing for specified stocks through the variation of their fishing vessel licences.

GM Crop Trials

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the chemical weedkillers used in the farm-scale evaluation trials on the (a) GM and (b) non-GM part of the field; and what the extent of use of each herbicide was. [132154]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 14 October 2003]: The results of the farm scale evaluations of three spring-sown GM crops—including details of herbicides used, and the extent to which they were used—were published on 16 October by the Scientific Steering Committee and the research team that has overseen and carried out the evaluations. Copies of the results will be placed in the Library.

Illegal Chemicals (Agricultural Produce)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the role of her Department in preventing the importation of agricultural produce which has been subjected to illegal chemicals during its production. [131903]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The role of the Food Standard Agency (FSA) regarding importation of agricultural produce includes ensuring necessary action is taken to protect public health where the use of illegal pesticides or veterinary medicines is detected. The FSA receives information on these from the European Commission and from surveillance carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The FSA can also carry out its own surveillance where there are concerns for public health. The FSA and local authorities have regulatory powers to prevent food that poses a threat to human health from entering the food chain or to withdraw it from sale.

All food products of animal origin being imported to the United Kingdom from non-European Union countries are subject to documentary and identity checks at designated border inspection posts by an official veterinary surgeon. A percentage of consignments are subjected to a physical check, which may include laboratory tests for residues from illegal chemicals. These controls have been enhanced on certain produce from countries with known chemical residue problems. Products of non-animal origin are subject to routine inspection at ports of entry and may be examined, sampled and detained.

20 Oct 2003 : Column 402W

Products of animal origin from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with harmonised EU rules for hygienic production. Such products are in free circulation in the EU as part of the EU single market, but are subject to inspection inland as part of routine enforcement and surveillance activities.

Given recent concerns over import controls, the FSA is taking forward a range of measures to improve the co-ordination and delivery of local authority inspection of imported foodstuffs and products of animal origin at ports and inland.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [126665]

Margaret Beckett: Between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003, Defra special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity on 12 occasions at an average cost of approximately £2,179 per trip. The countries visited were Belgium, Luxembourg, France, South Africa, Indonesia, USA, Canada and India.

All travel by special advisers is undertaken fully in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Waste Management

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those individuals and organisations who responded to her consultation paper on the Large Combustion Plant Directive; and if she will place a summary of the responses in the Library. [132325]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 16 October 2003]: Some 68 substantive responses have been received so far from individuals, businesses, trade associations representing industry sectors, environmental groups, regulators, and Government agencies. A list of consultation respondents follows. In addition, some 1,550 individual letters have been received so far from employees of the coal mining and associated industries. I will place a summary in the Library once we have completed our analysis of the responses.

Respondents to the LCPD Consultation (as at 10 October 2003):


20 Oct 2003 : Column 403W

20 Oct 2003 : Column 404W

Next Section Index Home Page