---

5 Nov 2003 : Column 637W—continued

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what spray density in litres per hectare was used in the GM maize farmscale evaluation programme; and what spray density she expects will be used if commercial cultivation of GM maize goes ahead. [136609]

Mr. Morley: The recommended individual and maximum permitted application rates of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium used on GM maize in the farm-scale evaluations were defined by the conditions of the simulated product licence that formed part of the experimental pesticide approval. This specified a maximum permitted rate of eight litres per hectare and a recommended individual rate of four litres per hectare, depending on the weeds present and their growth stage. Application was permitted until the nine-leaf stage of maize. For further details, and for details of other non-herbicide sprays used, see Champion et al. 2003; "Crop Management and Agronomic Context of the Farm Scale Evaluations of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant Crops"; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1801–18. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.

Before glufosinate-ammonium could be used on a commercial scale on GM-maize, it would need full pesticide approval. In seeking approval, the necessary data package would have to be supplied by the applicant and be subjected to the considerations of human and environmental safety which have been established for all pesticide uses. Any approval given would specify recommended and maximum application rates in the same way as the experimental permit. These conditions would be determined by the Pesticide Safety Directorate taking due account of advice from their expert advisory committee the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.

National Fruit Show

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Ministers have visited the National Fruit Show (Marden Fruit Show) since 1997. [134137]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 27 October 2003]: No Minister has been able to attend the National Fruit Show in recent years.

Radioactive Waste

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish (a) guidance to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the interim conditioning, packaging and storage of radioactive waste and (b) the study on the case for extending waste substitution, referred to in the Government's First Progress Report to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Managing Radioactive Waste Safely. [134076]

5 Nov 2003 : Column 638W

Mr. Morley: The interim conditioning, packaging and storage of radioactive waste will be among the matters to be included in the plans that sites will prepare for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The appropriate regulators will be consulted on the plans. The waste substitution study is expected to be issued for consultation shortly.

St. Helena

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much wild honey has been imported from St. Helena over the last five years; and if she will take steps to ensure that St. Helena continues to be able to export honey to EU countries. [135660]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 3 November 2003]: No wild honey has been imported from St. Helena over the last five years. EU rules do not allow the export of wild honey from St. Helena to the European Union.

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantities of Arabica coffee were imported in each of the last five years from St. Helena. [135661]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 3 November 2003]: The table shows UK imports of coffee from St. Helena in each of the last five years. Arabica coffee is not specifically identified in official overseas trade statistics.

	Tonnes
1998	1.8
1999	1.7
2000	1.1
2001	0.4
2002	0.7

Source:

H M Customs and Excise

Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities & Food) Consultancy Trade & IT, ESD, DEFRA

Waste Management

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the tonnage of tyres (a) sent to waste and (b) dealt with by each method of waste disposal was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [132672]

Margaret Beckett: The latest available figures for used tyres are for 2001. These show that 481,496 tonnes of tyres went for disposal; of these, 290,496 tonnes (60.3 per cent.) were recovered, broken down as follows:

Recovery option	Tonnes	Percentage of waste tyres
Reuse	78,217	16.0
Retreading	49,179	9.9
Recycling	107,000	22.2
Landfill engineering	16,100	3.3
Energy recovery	40,000	8.3
Total	290,496	60.3

Sources:

Various.

5 Nov 2003 : Column 639W

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

War Crimes

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions since the coming into force of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 the Attorney-General's consent has been sought to bring a prosecution for war crimes; and if she will make a statement. [134400]

The Solicitor-General: Owing to the way records are kept in the Attorney-General's department answer to this question cannot be provided without disproportionate cost. Applications for consent are not recorded by reference to the offence for which the application is made. Also, a request unaccompanied by evidence may not be recorded as an application.

DEFENCE

Alcohol Limits

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the legal alcohol limit is for (a) operating equipment and (b) driving on military bases in Scotland; when the adequacy of this limit was last reviewed; and if he will make a statement. [135800]

Mr. Caplin: There is no statutory alcohol limit laid down for operating equipment on military bases in Scotland or elsewhere. Where military bases are served by public roads in the UK, the statutory alcohol limits imposed by the Road Traffic Act 1988 apply. If the military bases are not served by public roads, service personnel are subject to standing and local orders which regulate alcohol consumption. Personnel may be prosecuted under the Service Discipline Acts for being unfit for duty as a result of consuming excess alcohol or contravening orders. Commanding officers and the chain of command are very aware of the requirement to provide a safe working environment.

Breathalyser Tests

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) minimum and (b) maximum alcohol levels recorded by breathalyser tests in alcohol related cases investigated by military police on each military base in Scotland in 2003; what the comparable readings were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [135798]

Mr. Caplin: No such tests have been conducted.

Disused Army Barracks

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the disused army barracks that his Department is selling, (b) the size of each plot and (c) the selling price of each site. [135863]

Mr. Caplin: The table of army barracks that the Ministry of Defence is currently selling is as follows.

5 Nov 2003 : Column 640W

Site name and address	Area in Hectares
McGrigor Barracks, Hospital Road, Aldershot, Hampshire	7.1
Montgomery Lines—South Alisons Road, Aldershot, Hampshire	19.1
Montgomery Lines—North Part, Alisons Road, Aldershot, Hampshire	12.6
Wainscott Camp, Hoo Road, Wainscott, Kent	4.61
Stonebridge Camp, Mundford, Thetford, Norfolk	1.39
Oakington Barracks, Rampton Drift, Longstanton, Cambs	289.7
RE Depot, Long Marston, Warwickshire	185
Saighton Camp, Huntingdon, Chester, Cheshire	48.58

I am withholding the internal valuation of surplus sites in accordance with Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Drink Driving (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many occurrences of drink driving recorded by military police there were in each of the military bases in Scotland each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [135202]

Mr. Caplin: The service police have no powers in Great Britain to stop and breathalyse persons suspected of committing an offence under the 1988 Road Traffic Act.

Suez Medal

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the procedures to be followed by veterans in order to claim the Suez medal. [135465]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 23 October 2003, Official Report, columns 45–46WS, and Command Paper 5999.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Suez Canal Zone medal applications have been received from (a) Chorley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West; and how many have been granted. [135809]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence is very keen to issue medals to eligible veterans as quickly as possible. There is already a sizeable backlog of applications which has accumulated in recent weeks. I would not, therefore, wish to divert staff at the medal offices to undertake an exercise of the sort that has been requested, at the expense of issuing the medal to Suez veterans.

---