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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 4 March 2004

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agricultural Subsidies

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost of UK agricultural subsidies and price support in areas which are not dependent on the Common Agricultural Policy in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [156602]

Alun Michael: Commodities not subject to a Common Organisation of the Market include potatoes, horsemeat, honey, coffee, alcohol, cork and vinegars derived from alcohol. UK subsidies or price support for these areas are negligible or non-existent.

Calf Passports

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what happens to male calves which are refused passports because the owner failed to register them within 27 days. [156044]

Alun Michael: In the first instance the animal's keeper has the right to appeal against the decision to refuse a passport if he thinks there are special or extenuating circumstances.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, the animal may live out its life on the farm it is on. It may not be moved to other premises and it may not enter the food chain at the end of its life.

If the keeper does not wish to keep the calf it may be moved under licence to a knacker's yard or other facility for destruction.

Milk Pricing

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading's recent re-examination of the supermarkets' code, with specific reference to milk pricing. [156442]

Alun Michael: The report of the review by the Office of Fair Trading of the operation of the Supermarket Code of Practice was published on 20 February 2004. It made no reference to milk pricing which falls outside the scope of the Code.

We welcome the publication of the report and the OFTs decision to undertake a focused compliance audit of the supermarkets' dealings with suppliers. We hope that this will provide a firm evidence base for future action.

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European Landscape Convention

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the Government are making with the European Landscape Convention; and when it will be (a) signed and (b) ratified. [157480]

Alun Michael: Defra has been considering with other interested Government Departments and agencies the possible costs and benefits to the UK of signing and ratifying the Council of Europe European Landscape Convention. No decision has yet been taken as to whether the UK will sign and ratify but I expect a decision to be made later this year.

Fisheries

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the accuracy of assessments made by the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission on the attributes of fish discarded by fishing vessels operating in UK waters. [152369]

Mr. Bradshaw: These data are obtained by discard officers employed by the UK fisheries research agencies . They are collected in accordance with EC Regulation 1639/, which applies to all member states, and the precision levels of data relating to discards are set out in Chapter III E(1)c, H(1)e of that regulation. The European Commission makes use of the estimates made by member states, and may aggregate them when required.

Large Combustion Plants Directive

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how trading of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides within the national emission reduction plan proposed by her Department for implementation of the Large Combustion Plants Directive would operate, with particular reference to the Commission's decision that trading of pollutant emissions will only be allowed where emissions fall below best available techniques. [155897]

Alun Michael: The general principles of an emissions trading scheme were set out in the National Emissions Reduction Plan submitted to the European Commission in November 2003. The plan is available on the Defra website. The details of any such scheme would be defined in close consultation with the potential participants depending on the Government's final decision on the UK's approach to implementing the Large Combustion Plants Directive.

Plants within such a scheme would be able to trade allowances freely but would still have to comply, at all times, with all other relevant legislation, including the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive which requires the application of best available techniques.

Minor Highways and Byways (Vehicle Use)

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions she has had with groups representing users

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of mechanically propelled vehicles in connection with plans to restrict their use of minor highways and byways; and if she will make a statement; [157306]

(3) if she will make a statement on plans to restrict the use of byways and minor highways by mechanically propelled vehicles. [157308]

Alun Michael: During the course of last year I met the Trail Riders Fellowship, the Land Access and Recreation Association, the Royal Automobile Club, the Byways and Bridleways Trust Council, and the Auto-Cycle Union last year to discuss the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on rights of way.

The Government have subsequently published a consultation paper setting out its proposals for tackling the problems which can arise. So far 10 groups representing users of mechanically propelled vehicles have responded.

The consultation period ends on 19 March. When I have had an opportunity to consider all the responses, I will invite representative groups to meet me to discuss the issues. We will announce the Government's intentions on the way ahead in due course.

Scotland/UK Concordats

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amendments have been made to the Concordats between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government on co-ordination of European policy issues concerning agriculture; and what representations she has received from the Scottish Executive to amend the Concordats. [157869]

Alun Michael: There have been no amendments concerning agriculture made to any Concordats on co-ordination of European policy issues. Defra has not received any representations from the Scottish Executive to amend the Concordats.

Beekeeping

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of highly resistant varroa mites have been reported in the last 12 months in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales. [157782]

Mr. Bradshaw: The number of new cases of pyrethroid-resistant varroa mites reported in apiaries in England and Wales in the last 12 months is 59 and nine respectively. There have been no such cases reported in Scotland.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Commonwealth Games

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations were made by her Department to the Commonwealth Games Federation

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General Assembly concerning the selection of disabled sports for the 2006 Commonwealth Games; and whether she will make further representations on behalf of (a) bowls and (b) other excluded sports. [158832]

Mr. Caborn: None. The programme for elite athletes with disabilities at the 2006 Games was decided by the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly following representations made by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Melbourne 2006 games committee. The General Assembly agreed to increase the number of disability events from 8 to 12 from a list of 17 submitted by the IPC.

This Government are committed to promoting disability sport and appreciates the popularity of bowls in this country. However, the selection process was the sole responsibility of the General Assembly and it would be inappropriate for Ministers from this Department to attempt to intervene.

The Federation believe that the selection by the General Assembly offers the widest range of opportunities—within a limited programme—for the majority of athletes with disabilities from across the Commonwealth.

Regional Museums

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to increase the funding of regional museums. [158144]

Estelle Morris: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's allocation of resources from Spending Review 2002 already includes a very significant increase in funding for regional museums, from £10 million in 2003–04 to £30 million in 2005–06. One of our aims is to use that funding, which underpins the Renaissance in the Regions programme, to lever in funding from other sources.

Recently we have doubled our contribution to the joint DCMS/Wolfson museums and galleries improvement fund, to provide a total annual fund of £4 million, and have extended its coverage to regional museums with designated collections and to museums participating in Renaissance in the Regions. DCMS and the Department for Education and Skills are also investing £2.6 million in the current financial year in education and community projects carried out by partnerships of national and regional museums.

In preparing the Departmental submission to the 2004 Spending Review, we will consider the needs of regional museums alongside other priorities and pressures during the 2005–08 period.

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