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Labelling

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to ensure that labelling of potatoes in shops and supermarkets indicates the type of potato. [136357]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (as amended) require potatoes sold in shops and supermarkets to be labelled with the potato variety. Enforcement of these labelling requirements is the responsibility of local authorities. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has funded the development of a robust DNA method to check whether potato variety information is accurate. In a United Kingdom-wide survey published in October, the FSA found that 96 out of 294 (33 per cent.) samples were not labelled correctly. These results have been passed to the relevant local authorities, which are taking appropriate action.

Livestock Support Payments

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risks of market distortion if Scotland or Wales were to apply a different policy from England in respect of the decoupling of livestock support payments. [132632]

Margaret Beckett: Full decoupling of livestock subsidies frees producers to farm in response to market demands. It ensures that resources may be released to undertake more profitable activities rather than being constrained to activities which generate low value added, in order to be eligible for subsidy. The removal of the constraint on producers' choice allows them to alter their activities in order to generate increased incomes or, if they wish, to continue with their current production patterns.

These benefits to producers are independent of any action in other parts of the UK because full decoupling removes the constraints on their business decisions but does not force them to change their activities. It is in producers' best interests in one part of the UK to benefit from full decoupling irrespective of the choices made in other parts. However, if the whole of the UK does not opt for full decoupling then the overall benefits to the economy will be diminished.

Ministerial Statements

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she has applied when deciding whether to seek to make a statement in the House on the environment since the creation of her Department. [135471]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 October 2003]: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has made Oral Statements on a variety of subjects since the creation of Defra in June 2001, including a statement on the environmental issue of climate change (Kyoto protocol) in June 2002. In addition the House is kept informed of Departmental policy by means of Written Ministerial Statements.

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Public Bodies (Haskins Review)

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to publish Lord Haskins' review of her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement. [137837]

Alun Michael: Lord Haskins was asked to review the way the Government deliver their rural policy. The report has been published today, and a written statement has been made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State this morning.

Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office.

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the review of rural delivery policies being undertaken by Lord Haskins. [135076]

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish Lord Haskins' report into rural delivery. [135367]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 30 October 2003]: I asked Lord Haskins to review the way the Government deliver their rural policy. I have recently received his report and am considering his recommendations carefully.

The report has been published today.

Waste Management

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to place anaerobic digestion on an equal level with composting in the Government's waste hierarchy. [132663]

Margaret Beckett: The Government have agreed that anaerobic digestion should be treated as a contributor to both composting and energy recovery within the Municipal Waste Best Value Indicators. A consultation document seeking views on the options for bringing anaerobic digestion into the composting category of best value and for determining the method for allocating the proportions of treated waste that count towards composting and energy recovery was issued on 15 October. It can be viewed on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ consult /anaerobic-digestion.

DEFENCE

Employment (Lancashire and the North-West)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new jobs have been created in (a) the north west and (b) Lancashire through the Defence Diversification Agency. [136910]

Mr. Caplin: The Defence Diversification Agency has been operating in the north west of England since 1999 and has so far assisted over 200 technology transfer proposals from the Ministry of Defence to a value in excess of £1 million. A further 350 potential projects have been identified and it is estimated that up to ten times that number of companies in the region could benefit from DDA assistance.

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There are currently no reliable techniques for translating the impact of technology transfer into new jobs created. However, the DDA is exploring methods of measuring value with a view to implementing appropriate measurement tools into future projects. Estimates for audit work for the Northwest Development Agency on a contract it has with the DDA suggests the DDA adds value through its activities of around three times that of its costs.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed by his Department in (a) Lancashire and (b) the north-west. [136911]

Mr. Caplin: The number of people employed by the Department (headcount figure for permanent, non-industrial and industrial staff, excluding Trading Funds, Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and those on career breaks, long-term sick leave, secondments etc.) as at 1 October 2003, in the north-west, is 2,800. Reliable data are not currently available at county level.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel work in Lancashire. [136912]

Mr. Caplin: In July 2002, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 490 1 armed forces personnel working in Lancashire, 60 in Fylde local authority area and 420 in Preston local authority area.


Iraq

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the deployment of reservist forces to Iraq; what the longest period served by a reservist in Iraq has been; and what range of specialisms has been covered by reservists in Iraq. [137547]

Mr. Caplin: The range of specialisms provided by reservists to support Operation Telic broadly reflects those possessed by the Regular Forces plus a number of specialist areas unique to the Reserves. The range includes: RN amphibious warfare advisers, logisticians, intelligence analysts, linguists, RN mine warfare specialists, media operations, combat engineers, amphibious bridging specialists, signallers, port operating specialists, NBC warfare specialists, movements personnel, medical personnel, meteorologists, aircrew, ground crew, railway specialists, POL operators, HGV drivers, cooks, ambulance crews, administrative staff and the Army and Royal Marine combat arms.

The individual reservist who has served longest in Iraq is an Army military intelligence specialist who was called-out for service on 2 February 2003 and who has volunteered to extend his period of service to 2 August 2004. Obviously, this does not represent the normal experience and most reservists will serve no more than six months in Iraq.

Military Equipment Gifts

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military equipment including (a) a description of the equipment, (b) the quantity and (c) the intended recipient gifted by the Government to

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other countries since September 2002; and which of those gifts were funded from the Global Conflict Prevention Fund. [136284]

Mr. Ingram: The following items have been gifted to other countries since September 2002:

Bosnia






The items listed were funded from the separate Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, which covers sub-Saharan Africa.





















In addition, the following gifts have been approved but transfer has not yet been completed. Transfer is expected to complete during the current financial year.

Oman


Nepal

These items were funded from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool


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