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19 Nov 2003 : Column 896W—continued

Housing

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the rural proofing of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's new regional housing policies. [137827]

Alun Michael: I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Planning on 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 259W. I shall also be meeting with my noble Friend Lord Rooker next month to discuss this issue.

Livestock Industry

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the average (a) disposal sale price and (b) market price for (i) commercial dairy cattle and (ii) pedigree dairy cattle in (A) England and (B) Wales for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [136409]

Mr. Bradshaw: The average (a) disposal sale price of (i) commercial dairy cattle (ii) pedigree dairy cattle and the (b) market price of (ii) pedigree dairy cattle is not recorded by either Defra or the MLC and is therefore unavailable.

The average (b) market price for (i) commercial dairy cattle for the last five years is available, as an aggregate of (A) England and (B) Wales due to the few Welsh markets from which data is available. Six years data of the yearly average market price for Friesian Holstein dairy cows sold at auction markets in England and Wales shows the trend of livestock prices prior to the foot and mouth outbreak.

Average price of dairy cows sold at livestock auctions(England and Wales)

	Average price £ per head
1998	555
1999	489
2000	479
2001	616
2002	593
2003	744

Notes:

1. 2001: The yearly average price was calculated from data collected during January and February 2001, until foot and mouth forced the closure of the livestock auctions.

2. 2002: The yearly average price was calculated from data collected from the auction markets which began to re-open from February 2002 onwards, the numbers steadily increased as more markets opened after the restrictions were lifted due to the end of foot and mouth.

3. 2003: The yearly average price was calculated from data collected during the period January until October 2003.

19 Nov 2003 : Column 897W

Milk Chocolate

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on consumption of milk chocolate in the EU of its re-designation as family milk chocolate. [139133]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

Directive 2000/36/EC harmonising labelling and composition rules on cocoa and chocolate products only took effect on 3 August 2003. It is therefore too early to make an assessment on whether there has been any effect on the consumption of milk chocolate in the European Union.

Ministerial Speeches

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the speeches made by each Minister in her Department since 1 January. [135468]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 30 October 2003]: Copies of most of keynote ministerial speeches can be found on the Defra website. Speeches made by Defra Ministers since January 2003 are as follows:

Secretary of State: Margaret Beckett

Oxford Farming Conference (7 January)

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA (3 February)

Guardian and Observer Business and Society Conference (6 February)

Local Government Association Launch of the Rural Revival Report Conference (11 February)

National Farmers Union Annual Conference (18 February)

Launch of the Government's Annual Report 2002 (24 February)

Royal Institute of International Affairs—UK Objectives for the Kiev Conference (27 February)

Launch of the Supply Chain Partnership Forum Dinner (27 February)

Food and Drink's Federation New President's Dinner (6 March)

Industry Forum (Energy) (19 March)

Agra Europe Outlook Conference (31 March)

G8 Environment Ministers Meeting (26 April)

Joint launch with the UNFCCC Secretariat on the IDR (8 May)

Royal Society for the Green Alliance "The GM Debate: Precaution in Practice" Workshop (5 June)

Vaillant Service Centre—Speech on the Energy White Paper (23 June)

Environment Industries Commission Conference (Benefits to the UK of High Environmental Standards) (25 June)

Green-Works (3 July)

Fabian Society Waste event (9 July)

Opening of the Plant Sciences Centre at Broomfield College—(24 September)

Better Building Summit (21 October)

REEEP Conference (23 October)

19 Nov 2003 : Column 898W

PUS(L)—Lord Whitty

Oxford farming conference (7 January)

Regional Food Showcase (21 January)

Address CLA Council Meeting (29 January)

Agri-Economics Society Conference (30 January)

Foodaware Meeting (30 January)

100th school milk bar (31 January)

Parliamentary Warm Homes Group Conference (5 February)

Unilever Sustainable Agriculture in Practice Seminar (25 February)

Entry Level Agri-Environment Scheme launch (27 February)

National heart forum launch (12 March)

International Food and Drink Exhibition (25 March)

UK Gas Conference (25 March)

Carbon Trust and BAA plc energy efficiency partnership launch (31 March)

Launch of the Crop Protection Management Plans (3 April)

CCAs event (7 April)

Briefing MEPs and Assistants on CAP Reform (30 April)

Young Farmers Annual Forum (3 May)

Coal UK 2003 conference (12 May)

Royal Institute of International Affairs conference on Food and Trade (19 May)

UK BCSE National Conference (20 May)

Building Research Establishment conference on sustainable development and off site construction (21 May)

Pimlico District Heating Scheme (Community Energy Programme) (21 May)

Go Wild At Kew Gardens (22 May)

Johannesburg renewable energy conference, Brussels (4 June)

Royal Cornwall Show (6 June)

Launch of agricultural export promotion unit (10 June)

Address General Assembly of Confederation of European Spirit Producers (16 June)

Institute of Public Policy Research Energy Conference (17 June)

Sustainable Energy Awards (18 June)

British Water annual lunch (25 June)

Kew Gardens SSSI launch (4 July)

MLC barbecue (7 July)

Queen Mary and Westfield Seminar (16 July)

Launch Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (26 August)

5th Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (10 Sept)

Strategy on Sustainable Consumption and Production Launch , two speeches (25 September)

Better building Summit (21 October)

Renewable Power Conference (23 October)

British Meat Processor's Association launch (28 October)

David Black Awards (29 October)

Noise abatement society's John Connell Awards (29 October)

19 Nov 2003 : Column 899W

MoS (Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality)—Alun Michael

National Association of Farms for Schools (15 January 2003)

West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum (15 January 2003)

CPRE—opening new office (23 January 2003)

Making it Happen—Reality on the Ground Conference (29 January 2003)

LGA Rural Housing Conference (4 March 2003)

Food for thought: 1 day Conference (14 March 2003)

Quality Parish Conference (18 March 2003)

CHaRT RICS meeting (18 March 2003)

Speak at RPA Inspectorate Conference (24 March 2003)

Corporate Responsibility Group meeting (10 April 2003)

Rural Business Support Conference (9 June 2003)

Conference of the International Rural Network (26 June 2003)

Living Sea Conference (23 July 2003)

Living Lakes Conference (10 September 2003)

ANPA Conference (2 October 2003)

NALC Annual Conference (3 October 2003)

Co-operatives and Social Enterprise Conference (4 October 2003)

Society Local Council Clerks Conference (20 October 03)

Civil Service/MP attachment scheme (21 October 2003)

Connexions Event: Delivery of Connexions in rural areas (28 October 2003)

MoS (Environment) (Michael Meacher)

SW scoping study into impacts of climate change (22 January)

Parliamentary Sustainable Waste Group (28 January)

HCIMA—hospitable climates (28 January)

Adam Smith Institute (29 January)

Women's Environmental Network seminar on real nappies (10 February)

Gene Futures conference (11 February)

Fabian Society (11 February)

Newcastle University Chaplaincy Lecture (14 February)

LGA conference on waste (18 February)

UNED-UK conference on sustainable development (19 February)

Foundation for Science and Technology seminar on Arctic regions (25 February)

Environment Agency Chairmen's National Conference (26 February)

UKCIP/EPSRC conference on climate change (3 March)

Packaging Federation conference (13 March)

Wilton Park conference on the Arctic (17 March)

Eve Balfour Lecture (Soil Association) (19 March)

QMW energy seminar (20 March)

ACCA awards (20 March)

London First Sustainable Business Network launch (1 April)

Organic Products seminar (7 April)

UK Business and Environment Chief Executives seminar (9 April)

Fabian Society Environmental Forum (8 May)

NW Regional Assembly State of the Region conference (9 May)

Euromoney emissions trading conference (12 May)

All Party Group on Conservation and Wildlife (19 May)

CIRIA climate change conference (4 June)

Trucost/IRS conference (4 June)

Parliamentary Sustainable Waste Group (4 June)

Game Conservancy Trust conference (10 June)

19 Nov 2003 : Column 900W

MoS (Environment and Agri-Environment)—Elliot Morley

CHPA President's Reception (18 June)

Address to National Glass Week Conference (19 June)

Launch of the LGA/EA joint document.(23 June)

ADA Annual demonstration event, Lincolnshire (3 July)

New Bristol Zoo Waste Minimisation display (7 July)

Government's environmental priorities to the All Party Parliamentary Environment Group (8 July)

'Listening to Business' Breakfast, Stevenage (10 July)

the All Party group on Sewers and Sewerage (10 July)

UKCIP Launch on climate change (15 July)

Speech on Energy and Environment at Informal Environment Council, Montecatini (20 July)

Launch of the Greenwich Council new recycling facility (29 July)

Opening of the Gowy Flood Defences (31 July)

Launch of the Number Regional Waste Strategy, Doncaster (1 August)

Regional Visit, Cumbria—Speech on Agri-Environment (14 August)

Launch of Recycle for London (2 September)

Opening the new Waste Resources Action Programme Building, Banbury (11 September)

Speech to School Children about being responsible for the Environment during presentation of the Franco-British council Environmental Exchange( 17 September)

Thames Water Regulation seminar (22 September)

British Water Seminar on UK-China Co-operation, Beijing (23 September)

British Water Seminar UK-China Co-operation, Guangzhov (24 September)

British Water Seminar UK-China Co-operation, Shanghai (26 September)

Launch of the WCMC World Atlas of Seagrasses (15 October)

Economist 14th Annual Water Industry conference (16 October)

Institute of Chartered Accountants Corporate Social Responsibility Debate (21 October)

Environment Agency Annual Conference Dinner (28 October)

Speech to present Biffawards (30 October)

Speech to present prizes to School children at the Shout About Waste event (3 November)

ADA annual conference (5 November)

Royal Institute International Affairs conference (5 November)

WATER UK Source 2003 Conference (5 November)

Launch of the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme for Water Technologies (6 November)

Speech on Business and the Environment to local business groups in Burnley (6 November)

Opening of the IWEX Water Exhibition (11 November)

19 Nov 2003 : Column 901W

PUS(C)—Elliot Morley

Launch of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (8 January)

Opening of the Lower Tone Flood Defence scheme (14 January)

Opening Water UK's 3rd Annual City Conference (15 January)

Business Breakfast of the South Yorkshire Green Business Club (20 January)

Launch of the RSPB Twite report (20 January)

Coastal Futures Conference (23 January)

North Sea Flood Conference—'1953 Floods and beyond' (30 January)

Opening a Vulture rehabilitation Centre, part funded by the Darwin Initiative.(8 February )

Tehri Institute, Delhi (7 February)

Marsh Award for Bird Conservation, Indian High Commission (26 February)

British Water UK—Poland Water Co-operation seminar (4 March)

Launch of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration Rome (11 March)

Address to the UK Association of Frozen Food Producers Annual Lunch (19 March)

Deer Initiative Conference Buxton (28 March)

National Sea Fish awards (2 April)

UFAW Animal Welfare Conference (3 April)

45th Ministerial conference on Protection of Forests in Europe (28 April)

AINA reception (6 May)

IEA's 4 Annual Conference, Water 2003 (4 June)

National Water Efficiency Awards (5 June)

Water Bill and the Sustainabie Management and use of Water, SERA dinner(10 June)

PUS(C)—Ben Bradshaw

All Party Group on Wildlife and Conservation (17 September)

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