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Fish Stocks (Irish Box)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many square miles of water off the Irish coast have been opened up to European fishing fleets as a result of removal of restrictions relating to the Irish box; and what steps are being taken to protect fish stocks in this area. [134836]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Irish Box, part of Western Waters, was established by Council Regulation (EC) No 685/95. It comprises the area to the west of Great Britain south of latitude 56 30o North, east of longitude 12 West and north of latitude 50 30o North and includes some some sixty to sixty five thousand square miles of water in parts of ICES Sub Areas VI and VII. Effort ceilings for Community vessels over 18 metres operating in specified fisheries within Western Waters, including the constituent parts of the Irish Box, were subsequently set by Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/95. Under new measures agreed by the Council of Ministers on 13 October 2003, to take effect no later than 1 August 2004, separate effort ceilings will no longer operate for the Irish Box other than for a smaller management area off the south west coast of Ireland designed to protect juvenile hake stocks. Future fishing effort by vessels over 15 metres in the Irish Box will fall to be contained within new effort ceilings to be established for the totality of Areas VI and VII on the basis of actual fishing effort in those areas between 1998 and 2002. In addition a statement added to the minutes of the 13 October Council states that in this and other areas where vessels have previously been excluded the Commission and Member States concerned shall carefully monitor fishing activities in order to ensure that such activities are consistent with the measures already in place for the conservation of fisheries resources.

Live Sheep Exports

Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live sheep were exported from Dover to Europe on 18 September; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (a) during inspection for health certification purposes and (b) at Dover docks, and to where those sheep were taken; and what the address was of the final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments. [135179]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information is requested is as follows:

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Date	18 September 1993
Total animals	2,615
Where consignments were certified	England and Scotland
Animals rejected at certification	0
Animals rejected at Dover docks	0
Destination	France

The sheep for the consignment above were certified within 24 hours prior to export. There were no rejected animals either during health certification or at Dover docks. The consignment was of sheep for further fattening which were transported to holdings in France.

Livestock Markets

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives from (a) the Meat and Livestock Commission, (b) local authorities and (c) the livestock industry about the (i) extent and (ii) impact of livestock market closures. [136192]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 3 November 2003]: In consultation with its stakeholders the Department keeps the network of livestock auction markets throughout the country under review. This includes the extent and impact of closures in view of the importance of these enterprises in the rural economy.

Meat Inspections

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) EU representatives, (b) the Food Standards Agency and (c) the Scottish Executive on the impact of proposals on animal welfare from the European Commission to replace independent meat inspection with inspection by the meat industry. [133120]

Mr. Bradshaw: Defra officials continue to liaise with the European Commission, other Government Departments and the Devolved Administrations on issues relating to primary production and animal welfare and the proposed Food Hygiene Regulations.

Radioactive Waste

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the detailed proposals for better controls on intermediate level radioactive waste conditioning and storage as reported in the Government's First Progress Report to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Managing Radioactive Waste Safely. [134075]

Mr. Morley: Advice from the regulators is expected shortly.

Restaurants (Local Produce)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage restaurants to use local produce. [133895]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 27 October 2003]: As part of the Department's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, we have agreed a programme of

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measures aimed at helping find new outlets (including restaurants) for locally produced food and drink. Implementation of the programme is being led by Food from Britain in England with the help of additional funding from this Department and includes:

regional food exhibitions and meet the buyer events with the specific objective of targeting caterers and chefs;


organising a series of seminars this year aimed at raising the profile of locally produced food and drink with catering college students;


producing, with "Visit Britain", an in-depth trade guide aimed at helping producers understand the opportunities presented by the public's growing enthusiasm for locally produced food and drink when eating out; and


supporting a new guide, to be launched later this year, which highlights those restaurants and hotels providing the best locally produced food and drink.

US Ships (Disposal)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her US counterpart about importation for dismantling purposes of the ships from the US Reserve Fleet which have set sail for the United Kingdom. [133290]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 20 October 2003]: None. However, there is on-going contact between officials in the relevant regulatory authorities, both here and in the US, and they are working to ensure that potential risks to the environment, during the transport and recycling phases, are thoroughly assessed.

Wild Birds

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in increasing the number of (a) finches, (b) tits and (c) buntings in the wild. [132207]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Marsh tit, Willow tit, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Cirl bunting, Reed bunting and Corn bunting are red-listed in the 2002 birds of conservation concern listings. The Lesser redpoll is amber listed. The Long tailed tit, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch are green listed. The colour listing relates to their conservation status, with red representing the steepest decline in numbers. (Gregory et al. 2002: British Birds 1995).

The National Woodland Bird Survey gathers information about the probable causes of change in woodland bird populations and is the first step in identifying possible new approaches to management of woodlands for songbirds; it was initiated in spring 2003 and is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB and funded by Governmental and non governmental bodies. To date, no general national management scheme has been initiated to recover woodland bird populations, although some local management changes brought about through managing both national forests and designated sites may have benefited woodland species. Recent increases in some woodland species are likely to be due to largely natural factors.

As part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, species action plans for the conservation and enhancement of the cirl bunting, corn bunting, reed bunting and

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bullfinch were published in 1998. Implementation of the plans is being taken forward through partnerships including government, the agencies and NGOs. The plans identify a wide variety of measures that are being pursued to help improve the status of the species.

Some of the work has been very specific, for example for the cirl bunting there have been special management options made available to farmers. For some of the other species, in addition to some specific measures, general changes to agri-environment schemes to benefit farmland birds have been put in place.

The yellowhammer is a new addition to the birds of conservation concern red-list and as such does not have a formal Species Action Plan. It is, however, one of the core 20 farmland bird species that are included in the government's Farmland Bird Indicator and as such will benefit from actions being taken to improve general farmland habitat management. Defra has recently piloted a new Entry Level agri-environment scheme in England which relies on much simpler management options to benefit widespread farmland habitats—the advantage with this, if it is implemented, will be that it could cover a much greater area of farmland than under current schemes and so ultimately have much greater benefits for farmland birds.

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