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10 Dec 2003 : Column 528Wcontinued
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy cows there were in England in each of the past five years; and what the average size of dairy herds was in each year in (a) Cornwall and (b) Devon. [140715]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information is in the table.
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Dairy Cows | Holdings | AverageHerd Size | |
---|---|---|---|
Devon CC | |||
1998 | 160,039 | 2,396 | 67 |
1999 | 163,242 | 2,278 | 72 |
2000 | 154,707 | 2,151 | 73 |
2001 | 138,789 | 1,843 | 75 |
2002 | 144,148 | 1,798 | 80 |
Plymouth | |||
1998 | 659 | 6 | 110 |
1999 | 664 | 6 | 111 |
2000 | (20) | (20) | (20) |
2001 | (20) | (20) | (20) |
2002 | (20) | (20) | (20) |
Torbay | |||
1998 | 351 | ||
1999 | 368 | ||
2000 | 262 | ||
2001 | 268 | ||
2002 | (20) | (20) | (20) |
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | |||
1998 | 87,936 | 1,381 | 64 |
1999 | 89,747 | 1,310 | 69 |
2000 | 85,882 | 1,281 | 67 |
2001 | 87,513 | 1,222 | 72 |
2002 | 82,549 | 1,101 | 75 |
(20) Denotes that the data have been treated to avoid disclosure of information relating to individual holdings.
Note:
Figures for 1998 and 1999 show main holdings only, from 2000 onwards minor holdings are also included.
Source:
June Agricultural Census
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department has offered tenant farmers in respect of the extent to which the forthcoming single farm payments will be attributed to (a) the land and (b) the farming activity where decoupled payments will be made under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. [140813]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 1 December 2003]: Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme will be allocated to farmers, whether owner-occupiers or tenants, rather than to the land or particular farming activities. Farmers may then use any eligible land at their disposal in support of an annual claim for payment against their entitlements. Eligibility for the payment will not be dependent on any farming activity other than keeping all agricultural land on the claimant's holding in good agricultural and environmental condition.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will reconsider the payment of slaughter premium on adult bovines slaughtered on farm through the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme during the foot and mouth outbreak because the farming businesses were subject to Form D movement restrictions. [142441]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 8 December 2003]: No. In deciding to make ex gratia payments equivalent to the Slaughter Premium entitlement, plus interest, on all adult cattle killed in abattoirs under the Livestock
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Welfare (Disposal) Scheme we have taken account of the eligibility conditions applicable to the payment of Slaughter Premium.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the basis was of her decision to recommend to the European Commission on 27 November a national plan rather than an emissions limit value approach on the Large Combustion Plant Directive. [141322]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 4 December 2003]: The Government's decision to submit a national plan to the Commission was in order to keep the option open. The Directive requires that any national plan is submitted to the European Commission by 27 November 2003. The Government considers that further analysis is required before taking a decision which implementation approach it is in the UK's interest to adopt. The UK can withdraw the plan if further analysis suggests that the emission limits approach is in the UK's best interest. A decision on whether to withdraw the national plan would be taken before spring 2004.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the two options under the Large Combustion Plant Directive other European countries have opted for; what discussions she has had with the Department of Trade and Industry on the option that fits most constructively with their energy policy; and what inquiries she has undertaken to determine the effects of implementing a national plan approach on UK energy jobs during the period in which further analysis on the two approaches is completed. [141324]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 4 December 2003]: In addition to the UK, Ireland have submitted a national plan to the European Commission, and that several other Member States are likely to submit national plans.
Government decisions on implementing the Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC) were reached following extensive contacts with all Departments having an interest in the issue. Both approaches are compatible with the Government's energy policy, but this is an area where we expect to undertake more analysis; for example, on issues surrounding security of supply.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the sensitivities associated with each option under the Large Combustion Plant Directive referred to in the press statement her Department issued on 27 November are; and if she will make a statement. [141325]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government have decided to look further into whether there is a different impact on the coal industry resulting from the emission limits approach to that from the national plan approach method of implementing the revised Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC) for plants first licensed before July 1987. In addition there is a possible direct sensitivity to other policies, for example in connection with the UK's implementation of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, and the effect of the decision on the security of energy supplies.
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Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work her Department is doing to establish the size and distribution of offshore bird populations; and if she will make a statement. [141943]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Seabirds at Sea survey is a part Government funded national survey under the JNCC management. The survey does not cover all our seas on an annual basis, but areas of our seas have been selected each year since 1979. In the main our knowledge of the distribution of bird populations in the offshore environment comes from species surveys, many of which have been done in response to development pressures and some of which have been part funded by the country conservation agencies.
In addition to this work some information is gathered on both numbers and distribution around our coasts from the BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey, which is the part-government funded national scheme for counting waterbirds in the UK. This scheme relies on observers on land and therefore does not provide full coverage of birds that use the open sea.
The JNCC and WWT are, within their partnership, currently developing a strategy for monitoring sea ducks, divers and grebes, and JNCC will present this to government as formal advice in 2004.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work her Department is doing to establish the size and distribution of offshore populations of the common scoter; and if she will make a statement. [141944]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Seabirds at Sea survey is a part Government funded national survey under the JNCC management. The survey does not cover all our seas on an annual basis, but areas of our seas have been selected each year since 1979. In the main our knowledge of the distribution of bird populations in the offshore environment comes from species surveys, many of which have been done in response to development pressures and some of which have been part funded by the country conservation agencies.
In addition to this work some information is gathered on both numbers and distribution around our coasts from the BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey, which is the part-government funded national scheme for counting waterbirds in the UK. This scheme relies on observers on land and therefore does not provide full coverage of birds that use the open sea.
The JNCC and WWT are, within their partnership, currently developing a strategy for monitoring sea ducks, divers and grebes, and JNCC will present this to government as formal advice in 2004.
While there is no national scheme we do know that that the UK wintering population of common scoter is estimated to be 50,000 individuals (Kershaw and Cranswick. 2003. Biological Conservation 111: 91104) and those of other species can be found on the WWTs website at: http://www.wwt.org.uk/publications/default. asp?PubID=14
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The distributions of these birds can be found in the JNCC publication "An Atlas of seabird distribution in north-west European waters" (Stone et al. 1995).
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department is making in designating Shell Flat, Liverpool Bay as a special protection area; and if she will make a statement. [141942]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Statutory Nature Conservation Agencies are currently verifying survey data for the common scoter population in the Liverpool Bay area, including Shell Flat. Once the data has been scientifically verified a site proposal will be submitted to this Department. English Nature would then undertake a full public consultation exercise before any Special Protection Area is classified.
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