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17 Nov 2003 : Column 630W—continued
Fishing Fleet
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what targets she has set for the decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet; and if she will take steps to ensure that the oldest boats and lines constitute the same proportion of boats decommissioned as they do of the entire fleet; [138089]
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- (2) whether the UK's decommissioning plans are supported by binary decommissioning of fishing vessels within EU member states; [138090]
(3) what estimate she has made of the likely number of vessels in the UK fishing fleet in each of the next 10 years; [138091]
(4) what assessment she has made of the effects on fishing communities of the decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet; [138092]
(5) what estimate she has made of the cost of a benefits package in relation to decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet; [138093]
(6) what estimate she has made of the cost of the process of decommissioning the UK fishing fleet; [138094]
(7) what plans there are for decommissioning fishing fleets in other EU member states; [138096]
(8) what branches of the Civil Service are covered by paragraph 14(7) of Statutory Instrument 2669. [138097]
Mr. Bradshaw: The objective of the 2003 decommissioning schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is to remove 15–20 per cent. of the 2001 effort on cod in the North Sea and west of Scotland fisheries (Northern Ireland have also targeted vessels catching cod in the Irish Sea). We are therefore focusing the schemes on those vessels which spend most time fishing for cod. The age of the vessels is not relevant in that context.
Other member states will decide for themselves whether a decommissioning scheme is appropriate to their particular circumstances. However the effort control measures that are in place under the Community's 2003 Days at Sea scheme apply to the fleets of all European Union countries fishing in the North Sea and west of Scotland—not simply the UK.
While the Government are keen to reduce overcapacity within the European fleet, we have set no targets for the future size of the UK fleet.
We are working with the Regional Development Agencies to ensure that the full range of Government support and regional funding is made available as appropriate to individuals and businesses in fishing communities in order to enable them to deal with the consequences of decommissioning.
More than £60 million has been made available within the UK for decommissioning and associated financial support in 2003.
It is for applicants to the schemes to decide the basis for their decommissioning bids, but these may include any anticipated costs of decommissioning e.g scrapyard fees.
The provisions of the decommissioning scheme in England (as defined in Statutory Instrument 2669) are enforced by the staff of the Department's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate.
Food Standards
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that consumer interests are represented on food advisory groups. [137257]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The expert committees and working parties that advise the Food Standards Agency (FSA), including those committees which also advise the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and/or the Department of Health, all have at least one consumer representative member. The FSA regularly holds meetings with consumer groups to discuss and explain food policy issues and consumer groups are always included in FSA consultations.
Animal By-products
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has a database of registered animal by-products approved premises available to enforcement agencies, with particular reference to the Meat Hygiene Service. [137589]
Mr. Bradshaw: As required by Regulation (EC) 1774/2002 (which lays down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption), Defra maintains information on various premises that require approval to be able to operate e.g. pet food plants. This information is available to the Meat Hygiene Service for enforcement purposes and can be obtained from local Defra animal health offices (who issue the approvals).
Import Bans
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on powers to ban importation of foods whose production standards are illegal in this country. [137282]
Mr. Bradshaw: All consignments of animal products (including meat and fish) imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the rules laid down in Community legislation. Imports from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the legislation. Among other things, the legislation sets out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in production plants and each consignment must be accompanied by appropriate health certification.
If there is an outbreak of disease or if any other phenomenon occurs which is likely to present a risk to human or animal health, Community legislation allows us to take appropriate safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of products from all, or parts, of the country concerned.
Any consignment of animal products imported from third countries are subject to veterinary inspection on entering the EU to ensure that conditions of import have been complied with and to ensure that they have remained in a satisfactory condition during transport. Food not of animal origin imported from countries outside the EU is also subject to routine food safety controls at the point of entry to the UK under imported food legislation. Any products that do not meet appropriate requirements may be rejected and either re-exported or destroyed.
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Food from other EU member states is in free circulation within the EU and is not subject to routine checks at UK ports. Such food can be subject to import checks where there is information to support such action. All imported food, including food from other EU member states, may be inspected at the point of destination in the UK and is subject to the same controls and checks at retail level.
Food Labelling
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the labelling by country of origin of meat sold in the United Kingdom. [137281]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
European Union rules require country of origin labelling for fresh or frozen veal and beef cuts and veal and beef mince sold prepacked or non-prepacked. For other meats, and for processed veal and beef, country of origin need not be given unless failure to do so might mislead a purchaser as to its true origin. Where origin information is given voluntarily it must not be false or misleading.
The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance notes for industry and enforcement authorities, which emphasise the need to ensure that origin labels are clearly worded to avoid misleading consumers, for example by applying 'British' labelling to products like ham or bacon prepared from imported meat.
The Government are pressing at EU level for compulsory origin labelling on all meats and some meat products, and for tighter controls on misleading origin declarations. It welcomes the European Commission's identification of rules on origin labelling as one of the key issues to be considered in its current review of EU labelling rules.
Waste Management
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is being done to assess the impact of the different waste management practices required as a consequence of the (a) Landfill Directive and (b) the Waste Management Strategy. [137530]
Mr. Morley: A number of studies looking at the health impacts of different waste management options are being carried out by the Environment Agency. Following recommendations in the Strategy Unit report Waste not, Want not, and the 2002 Pre-Budget Report, the Government commissioned a review of existing literature and evidence of the health and environmental effects of different waste management: options. The first phase of the report has looked at facilities which handle municipal solid waste and waste of a similar nature. This is now being peer reviewed by the Royal Society and is due to be published around the time of the Pre-Budget Report.
The Government will consider whether there are further research requirements in the light of the conclusions of the Review.
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Mobile Telephone Costs
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she spent on official mobile phone calls in 2002. [132119]
Margaret Beckett: Records of itemised phone bills are not kept beyond six months. Usage is fully in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code.
Market Towns
Dr. Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments she has made of the effect of the Government's policy on market towns in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland since the proposals were published; and if she will make a statement. [138470]
Alun Michael: In Summer 2002, 76 out of the 120 towns that were then involved in the Market Towns Initiative (MTI) responded to a questionnaire survey. The findings provided a snapshot of what had been achieved in the first year of the MTI, particularly in four key areas: establishing partnerships; community involvement; getting the best out of the health check, vision and action plan; and project successes. This research note can be found at: http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Publications/articles/crn 60.asp. No specific analysis of any town, district or county was undertaken. However, this year the Countryside Agency is working in partnership with Defra to carry out a more intensive analysis of the problems and achievements arising in the 200+ towns of the Market Towns Initiative. This report is due to be published in May 2004.
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