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5 Mar 2004 : Column 1162W—continued

Local Government Finance (Dorset)

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by her Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant. [156208]

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Raynsford) on 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 750W.

Milk

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set up a meeting with milk producers, representatives of supermarkets, dairy farmers and members of her Department to discuss farmgate prices of milk. [156507]

Alun Michael: Price negotiation between producers and processors, or processors and supermarkets, are a private commercial matter in which the Government cannot and should not get involved, as competition rules have to be respected. It would be inappropriate for me to discuss private price negotiations and I have no plans to do so. However, Ministers frequently meet representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain and are therefore aware of the issues. The Dairy Supply Chain Forum, chaired by my noble Friend Lord Whitty, has been looking at collaborative solutions to improve supply chain efficiency, and address some of the other underlying causes of low farmgate prices.

Persistent and Bioaccumulative Chemicals

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the controls contained in the proposed EU chemicals regulation on the use of persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals. [158953]

Alun Michael: The European Commission proposes that substances of very high concern shall not be used unless an authorisation for that use has been granted to the user or supplier. Substances of very high concern are defined as carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic to the reproductive system (CMRs) categories 1 or 2; substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and

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toxic (PBT); very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); or substances, such as those having endocrine disrupting properties or those having PBT and vPvB properties which do not meet the above criteria and which are identified as causing serious and irreversible effects to humans or the environment on a case by case basis.

The Government support the aims of the authorisation process to ensure that the risks from substances of high concern are properly controlled and that these substances may be eventually replaced by suitable substances or technologies with the aim of reducing risks to human health and the environment. The Government welcome the inclusion of substances meeting the PBT criteria as being subject to the authorisation procedure.

Pesticides

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mode of action of (a) aluminium phosphide and (b) hydrogen cyanide is in terms of its effects on small mammals when used as a pesticide. [157930]

Alun Michael: The following modes of action apply to all mammals, not just small ones.

(a) Phosphine:

The primary mode of toxic action of phosphine is considered to be inhibition of cytochrome oxidase in the respiratory metabolism pathway, with additional direct cytotoxicity. Exposure to high concentrations of phosphine leads in vertebrates to a profound fall in blood pressure, followed by death. Lower concentrations cause pulmonary oedema and respiratory failure which may be fatal.

(b) Hydrogen Cyanide:

Cyanide combines with the ferric iron atom in haem proteins (eg cytochromes) in vertebrate tissues, impairing their capacity to undergo oxidation and reduction in the normal electron transport process. It can cause death extremely rapidly, primarily by inactivating cytochrome oxidase in tissues.

Poultry

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances the Little Red Tractor mark could be awarded to chicken produced in Thailand. [156651]

Alun Michael: The Red Tractor is a privately-owned logo which is administered by an independent company, Assured Food Standards. The logo can be used only under licence from that company and only on food that is produced in accordance with standards laid down in an assurance scheme approved by the company, by a member of such a scheme. We understand that no chicken produced in Thailand meets these eligibility requirements.

Seriously Disadvantaged Areas

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which constituencies are in severely disadvantaged areas. [156112]

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Alun Michael: The severely disadvantaged areas are those areas of land within less favourable areas of the UK, which are handicapped, principally by reason of high altitude, harsh climate, short growing season, low fertility, difficult topography or remoteness. They are defined in statutory maps and in England lie within the following constituencies:





















































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Sheep Quota

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many units of United Kingdom sheep quota were leased-out but remained unused by the recipient farmers in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [158431]

Alun Michael: The number of sheep quota units leased out in England is set out in the following table. These figures relate to the 2003 and 2004 sheep quota trading periods respectively. The figure for 2004 is an interim figure because the trading period closed on 4 February 2004 and a proportion of notifications remain to be processed.

YearUnits leased
2002–03822.057
2003–04428,424

It is not possible to confirm the number of leased quota units that recipient farmers did not use to support sheep premium payments. This is not monitored as there is no requirement in European legislation for farmers to use quota they have leased in.

The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their respective Devolved Assemblies.

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