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12 Jan 2004 : Column 492W—continued
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal By-products
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission regarding further derogation from the Animal By-products Regulation 2003. [147001]
Mr. Bradshaw: The United Kingdom, along with all member states, has recently submitted information on the application of the EU Animal By-products Regulation (1774/2002) to the European Commission, including difficulties faced by operators.
In the light of these comments, the Commission may decide that certain provisions will need to be amended if it is clear that similar issues are occurring in several member states.
We are also in discussion with the Commission regarding a number of supplementary proposals relating to the Animal By-products Regulation.
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 1173, whether the database of animal by-product premises will be available on her Department's website early this year. [147091]
Mr. Bradshaw: We are currently in the process of compiling the database of animal by-product premises with the intention of placing a list of approved premises
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on the Defra website. In the interim period this information can be obtained from local Defra animal health offices (who issue the approvals).
Animal Protection
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned by her Department on (i) illegal animal movements, (ii) illegal culling of wildlife and (iii) illegal hunting of protected species. [146567]
Mr. Bradshaw: It is not apparent from the question whether my colleague's interest relates to research into wild native species, exotic non-native species or agricultural animals. The answer below therefore reflects the wide range of activities that Defra undertakes.
The Animal Movement Licensing System (AMLS) highlights any reports of potentially illegal movements of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs so that local authority Trading Standards Officers can investigate them and take any necessary enforcement action.
(ii) Illegal culling of wildlife
The Department has not specifically undertaken or commissioned research into the illegal culling of wildlife. However, an assessment was made of the potential impact of this activity on certain birds of prey raptors as part of the UK Raptor Working Group, chaired by Defra (then DETR) and the JNCC, which reported in 2000.
The Department's responsibilities include protection of wildlife through regulation of trade in those endangered species listed on the Appendices to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Research has been commissioned to contribute to an assessment of the impact of exploitation, especially by poaching and illegal trade, on the conservation status of the CITES listed musk deer in the far east of the Russian Federation and to inform future conservation management.
Through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) the Department supports the network of Police Wildlife Crime Officers, which investigate reports of illegal culling and other breaches of wildlife law.
In addition to our support of the Police, the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIiS) investigates suspicious wildlife deaths in relation to the misuse, abuse and approved use of pesticides. The scheme is run by the Pesticides Safety Directorate and funded by government and through a levy on the pesticides industry.
Animal Welfare
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce measures to make stunning compulsory before animals are ritually slaughtered; and what assessment she has made of the case for such measures. [147175]
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Mr. Bradshaw: We are in the process of assessing all the recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter, including the recommendation that all animals should be stunned prior to slaughter. We are planning to issue our draft response to the report for public consultation shortly.
Bio-Yoghurt
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for bio yoghurt of the EU directive on yoghurt classification; and what representations she has received on the new arrangements. [145731]
Mr. Bradshaw: I assume that the hon. Member refers to the provision in Commission proposal COM(2003)14 which would amend Article 2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 relating to standards for organic production. The proposal is intended to restrict the labelling of food with the term 'bio' to food which complies with the organic standards. The Explanatory Memoranda submitted on this proposal explain our view that the proposal to amend Article 2 is unnecessarily restrictive but note that it commands widespread support among other member states. Representations on the proposal have been received from a number of interests, most recently from the Dairy Industry Association Ltd., the British Retail Consortium and the Provision Trade Federation.
I refer the hon. Member also to the reply given by the Secretary of State for Health on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 916W, in relation to the separate discussions on possible EU legislation on the composition and labelling of yogurt.
Chewing Gum
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome of her Department's discussions with manufacturers and other interested parties about discarded chewing gum was; what changes to her policy on discarded chewing gum she has made and plans to make; and if she will make a statement. [146361]
Alun Michael: The group is considering a range of options for tackling the problem and intend to make recommendations to me shortly. I will then decide what steps should be taken and an announcement made. We are working closely with all interested parties through an action group which includes representatives of, Defra, the Department for Education and Skills, ENCAMS (formerly the Tidy Britain Group), chewing gum manufacturers, the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, to progress effective and sustainable ways of tackling it.
Environment Agency
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Environment Agency's total expenditure has been since its formation; and how much has been spent on collecting and refining statistics on waste. [142594]
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Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency's total expenditure since its formation has been £4,484.3 million.
The Environment Agency has spent a estimated £5 million on collecting and refining waste statistics from its surveys on the production and management of waste from industry and commerce. This figure does not include waste statistics collected by the Agency as part of its regulatory duties.
Fallen Stock
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of farmers have signed up to the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147000]
Mr. Bradshaw: Good progress is being made in setting up the Scheme and farmers will be invited to subscribe to it shortly.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the cost of the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147002]
Mr. Bradshaw: Initial estimates of costs for the collection and disposal of all fallen stock in the UK, excluding those disposed of under TSE testing arrangements are likely to be around £28 million per year. However, the proposed National Fallen Stock Scheme will be voluntary, and as not all farmers will choose to subscribe, costs may be lower. Exact costs will depend on the rates of payments to collection and disposal operators which are currently being determined, and the volume of fallen stock which comes forward which is unknown.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made on the national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147003]
Mr. Bradshaw: Defra, in co-operation with devolved administrations, the individuals nominated as Directors of the National Fallen Stock Company and other key stakeholders are making good progress in setting up the Scheme. We hope to be able to make an announcement on the start date shortly.
Fish Farming
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much food, by weight, is required to produce one kilo of marketable farmed salmon; how much raw marine resource, by weight, is required to make one kilo of fish food; where that food is sourced from; and what the content of that food is. [146712]
Mr. Bradshaw: Defra does not collect data on feed usage and composition from enterprises engaged in fish farming in the UK. However, industry estimates range from 1.0 to 1.3 kg of feed needed to produce 1 kg of farmed salmon of a marketable size.
We do not have information on the weight of the raw marine material used in feed for farmed fish. The quantity involved will vary depending on the proportion
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of fishmeal used in the different grades of dry fish feed produced for fish at various stages of growth. Salmon, like other farmed piscivorous species, are unlikely to consume, through feed, more natural marine resources than would their wild counterparts in the natural environment.
The fish used for aquaculture feed are generally small, bony pelagic species sourced from non food grade fisheries, usually off the coasts of Peru and Chile, and in the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea.
We understand that feed for farmed salmon includes protein and oils derived from marine sources, limited amounts of vegetable proteins, small amounts of carbohydrates to aid pellet formation, minerals and vitamins.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much farmed salmon has been produced from the United Kingdom salmon farms over the last 10 years. [146713]
Mr. Bradshaw: Production figures of UK Atlantic Salmon (tonnes) for the 10-year period up to 2002 (the latest year for which complete data are available) are as follows:
| Tonnes | |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 48,691 |
| 1994 | 64,066 |
| 1995 | 70,060 |
| 1996 | 83,121 |
| 1997 | 99,197 |
| 1998 | 110,784 |
| 1999 | 126,686 |
| 2000 | 128,959 |
| 2001 | 138,519 |
| 2002 | 145,609 |
The figures include production primarily for human consumption, with some production for restocking.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many salmon farms operate in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region. [146970]
Mr. Bradshaw: There are 530 salmon farms operating in the UK as follows:
- Scotland: 504
England: 18
Wales: 7
Northern Ireland: 1
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