You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1238W—continued

Poultry Meat

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume in tonnes of poultry meat was imported into the UK in

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1239W

each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and from which countries it was imported. [138033]

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1240W

Mr. Bradshaw: The table attached shows UK imports of poultry meat between 1993 and 2002.

UK imports of poultry meat 1993–2002

Country1993199419951996199719981999200020012002
Netherlands42,32741,53944,46263,18174,33891,629110,165133,027126,652144,006
FranceIrish Republic63,7838,62388,98614,069118,42317,93298,76222,46893,08020,94494,72819,71582,71521,07864,84216,21750,71014,93353,82013,817
Germany6,09715,00311,66611,2898,56712,16214,88917,25522,96823,847
Denmark16,60411,3578,40512,80115,12514,34613,43515,33113,12516,670
Belgium-Lux 9,68613,08714,76312,96611,7109,54115,00613,52810,93516,267
Brazil5437,55210,2398,38811,26719,95519,95715,530
Italy4,3816,1756,6837,2936,0477,2789,9375,9306,03310,770
Spain1,9033,3864,3876,7494,3365,5497,7507,2637,7997,809
Thailand1354,7693,7847,21610,5607,2018,2147,149
Hungary5412022672831724511881,0702,418
Chile1133411843142,0701,044
Poland9545613255963
Austria29398504148074
Argentina831613169513
Other9725973662742418072119261840
Total154,043194,063228,430249,136249,382271,444297,530298,315284,949315,540

Sea Salinity Levels

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of (a) the effect on the Gulf Stream Conveyer Belt of a fall in water salinity in the northern Arctic Ocean and (b) the likelihood of such conditions arising; [140405]

Mr. Morley: I will write to my hon. Friend with this information shortly.

Secondments

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people from science and technology backgrounds have been seconded into the Civil Service in her Department in each of the last five years for which data are available. [138624]

Alun Michael: Since the creation of Defra in June 2001, the Department has seconded personnel from both the public and private sectors as follows:


The majority have been seconded from organisations from science and technology sectors. In addition, the Department has provided for opportunity and experience postings from its Laboratory Agencies and the Research Councils, of varying durations, to work on science and technology matters, such as the development of science policy and strategies. Data is not held centrally. Finally, the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Howard Dalton, FRS, was appointed on secondment from Warwick university in 2001 and is working on a range of continuing professional development issues, including secondments into and out of the Department.

Defra is committed to playing its part in developing a modern, flexible, outward focused Civil Service that works in partnership with all sectors of society. Interchange is seen as a key tool in meeting this commitment. Defra continues to promote and encourage the interchange of personnel between the Department and a range of organisations to help fulfil its business objectives.

Sellafield

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual emissions were of radioactive liquid discharges from Sellafield of (a) tritium, (b) carbon 14, (c) zinc-65, (d) strontium 89, (e) strontium 90, (f) technetium 99, (g) iodine 129, (h) europium 152, (i) europium 154, (j) total Beta and (k) uranium in each of the past 30 years. [140404]

Mr. Morley: I will write to my hon. friend with this information shortly.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what condition each site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area; and what the total land area of SSSIs was in each category (a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority area. [139202]

Mr. Bradshaw: There are 4,112 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, covering over one million hectares. English Nature has been assessing the condition of SSSIs against rigorous and consistent standards, since 1997. It takes six years to complete fully the assessment programme across the whole of England, and although individual sites may be assessed more than once over this period, it is impossible to assess each site each year. The first full assessment programme was completed in March 2003, and showed that 598,000 hectares of SSSI land (56.9 per cent. of the total) was either in favourable condition or clearly on course to achieve it, on the basis of the latest information available at that time. English Nature will publish a report giving the full results of this programme next month. Full details of all the individual SSSIs, and their condition, will be available on English Nature's website early in the new year.

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1241W

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new areas of sites of special scientific interest she plans to designate in the next (a) two and (b) five years; where they are; whether each is (i) a new site and (ii) an extension of an existing site; what the size is of each new site and extension; and what the characteristics of each site are. [139203]

Mr. Bradshaw: Sites of Special Scientific Interest are notified not by the Secretary of State but by English Nature. This is done on a site by site basis and there is no forward programme of notifications over 2 or 5 years.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sites of special scientific interest are under threat from (a) damage to their ecological status, (b) a reduction in size and (c) disappearance over the next (i) two and (ii) five years, what the source of the threat is in each case; what percentage of SSSIs are under threat; and if she will make a statement. [139204]

Mr. Bradshaw: Information on potential threats to Sites of Special Scientific Interest is not recorded. However, the actual causes of adverse condition are recorded by English Nature. This information will be presented in the report on SSSI condition which will be published in December, and will be made available for individual SSSIs on the English Nature website early in 2004.

Synthetic Oestrogen

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to (a) reduce levels of synthetic oestrogen in river water and (b) prevent the metamorphosis of male fish arising from high levels of synthetic oestrogen. [140241]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency published research findings in 2002 on the effects of oestrogens on aquatic life. A summary of the research findings is available in the Library of the House. My officials are currently discussing, with the water industry, the Office of Water Services (Ofwat) and the Environment Agency, a proposal for a collaborative demonstration programme aimed at assessing the cost-effectiveness of sewage treatment processes for the removal of synthetic oestrogens from sewage.

US Warships (Disposal)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the possible risk to wildlife in the special protection areas of Teesmouth and the Cleveland coast as a consequence of plans by Able UK to scrap United States vessels at Hartlepool. [133165]

Mr. Morley: I will write to the hon. Member with this information in due course.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibilities lie with (a) the Environment Agency, (b) the Port Authority, (c) the US Administration and

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1242W

(d) Able UK in the event of environmental damage caused by the ships from the US Naval Reserve while they are in storage at Hartlepool. [139207]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 17 November 2003]: I will write to the hon. Member with this information in due course.

Next Section Index Home Page