---

23 Mar 2004 : Column 703W—continued

Illegal Meat Imports

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the Government's action plan on illegal imports of meat, other animal products, plants and plant products. [161406]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 15 March 2004]: Progress against the Government's Action Plan on illegal imports in the financial year 2002–03 is reported in the Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products. Copies have been placed in the House Libraries.

The 2003–04 Action Plan is appended to the Review, and we are working with HM Customs and other responsible parties to implement it. HM Customs took over responsibility for anti-smuggling controls at the border on 11 April this year. Progress will be reported in the next Annual Review, to be published after the end of this financial year.

Lamb and Beef Farming (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money her Department makes available to promote Lancashire (a) lamb and (b) beef farming. [158583]

Alun Michael: Lancashire beef and lamb producers are eligible to receive subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy Beef and Sheep meat Regimes (there are currently no schemes specifically for lambs). The table below shows the amount under these schemes that

23 Mar 2004 : Column 704W

was paid to farmers in Lancashire in the 2003 European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund Year (15 October 2002 to 16 October 2003).

Any additional direct subsidy intervention by UK Government in favour of specific geographical regions is prohibited by State Aids and competition rules.

£000

	Payments
Sheep(2)	6,494,223.40
Beef(3)	18,110,610.02
Total	24,604,833.42

⁽²⁾ Sheep Annual Premium Scheme.

⁽³⁾ Beef Farming includes the following schemes:

Beef Special Premium

Extensification Payment

Slaughter Premium

Suckler Cow Premium

Over Thirty Month Compensation Payments

Nappies

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Department of Health regarding the (a) environmental and (b) financial effects of using cotton nappies in maternity wards. [159096]

Mr. Morley: I attended a meeting with the Minister for Health, and the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) in July last year to discuss the issues surrounding the use of re-usable nappies in hospitals.

WEN will be publishing a report on 29 March considering the issues raised at the meeting, a copy of which will be sent to me.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the Strategy Unit's report regarding the impact of initiatives to displace disposable nappy use on waste minimisation; and if she will make a statement. [160983]

Mr. Morley: The aim of the measure on re-usable nappies outlined in the Strategy Unit report 'Waste Not Want Not' was to achieve an average diversion of 225kg a year per participating household.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme, which is taking forward this work on the Government's behalf, is aiming to have an additional 155,000 households using re-usable nappies by the end of fiscal year 2006.

This is an ambitious target. If achieved it would create a reduction in household waste of 35,000 tonnes.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what initiatives her Department is taking to reduce landfill waste by encouraging alternatives to disposable nappies. [161167]

Mr. Morley: Following publication of the Strategy Unit Report the Government accepted the recommendation that the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) should take forward a waste minimisation initiative, which includes work on supporting re-usable nappies.

23 Mar 2004 : Column 705W

The details of the programme are still being worked up but include support for new businesses and the provision of information to parents.

Nuclear Materials

Dr. Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of material the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority proposes to transfer from Dounreay to Drigg; what the composition of the material is; what method of transport will be used; and if she will make a statement. [162254]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The application by UKAEA to transfer LLW to Drigg has been made to SEPA, whose responsibility it is to determine the application under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, subject to the powers of Scottish Ministers. As such it is a matter for SEPA and the Scottish Ministers.

I understand that SEPA has published the application and associated documentation on its website for public consultation, which closed on 23 February 2004. These can be viewed at: http://www.sepa.org.uk/consultation/ukaea/index.htm.

Given that Drigg is operated as a United Kingdom facility and that its existing authorisation is sufficient to cover the proposed transfer, it is not necessary for the Secretary of State to be involved in determining UKAEA's current application.

Pesticides

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of people whose health has been affected in the last five years by being exposed in the open air to pesticides; and if she will make a statement. [161102]

Alun Michael: Complaints alleging ill health effects resulting from exposure to pesticides are routinely investigated by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectors. HSE's Pesticides Incidents Appraisal Panel (PIAP) considers the reports of investigations, with the aim of providing an overview of ill health attributed to pesticide exposure so that new issues and trends can be identified, and to inform the pesticides approval process.

HSE publishes an annual Pesticide Incidents Report, which contains information on investigated incidents and enforcement action, looks at statistical trends over a ten year period, and summarises the work of PIAP. Copies of the latest Report for 2002/3 have been placed in the House Library.

Plant Diversity

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her plans to implement the proposals contained in Plant Diversity Challenge: the UK's response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. [161041]

23 Mar 2004 : Column 706W

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 12 March 2004]: There is already a great deal of action going on which will help us to progress many of these proposals. These include activities under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and the specific action plans for the conservation of 45 habitats and 391 species, many of which are plants. In addition, a range of biodiversity and sustainable development measures will assist us in progressing the Plant Conservation Strategy, including our extensive network of protected sites, the development of agri-environment schemes in the UK, and the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew.

Printer Cartridges

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether ink cartridges will be included under the guidelines of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and if she will make a statement. [161783]

Mr. Morley: The controls of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive apply to whole electrical and electronic products, and not consumables such as inkjet printer cartridges.

Sewer Baiting

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue guidance to local authorities on courses of action available to them where sewerage undertakers are unwilling to be involved in joint work on sewer baiting. [161666]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 17 March 2004]: A joint protocol, published in 1999 by the Local Government Association and Water UK, contained arrangements for closer working relationships between water companies and local authorities in respect of rodent infestations in sewers.

I am not aware of any representations from Local Authorities needing further guidance.

Sugar Regime

Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the European (a) Agriculture and (b) Trade Commissioner on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy sugar regime; and if she will make a statement. [160559]

Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear in the Agriculture Council and in other contacts with the Commission that she is anxious for early progress on reforming a regime that has remained substantially unaltered for over 35 years, despite the fundamental changes achieved elsewhere in the Common Agricultural Policy. The Government are still considering which of the specific options put forward by the Commission represents the best way ahead, taking account of the range of interests involved, including the implications for developing countries.

Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the options for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

23 Mar 2004 : Column 707W

sugar regime set out in the European Commission's working paper, Reforming the European Union's Sugar Policy, is preferred by her Department. [160560]

Alun Michael: The Government have already made clear that it shares the European Commission's view that Option 1, involving extension of the present regime beyond 2006, is not sustainable. We have also said that we are looking for a market based approach in line with the major CAP reforms achieved in June 2003 across most other sectors.

Sugar reform raises a complex set of issues, including implications for developing countries, and we are still considering the best way ahead, taking account of the views received in our consultation exercise which closed on 16 January and which we are still assessing.

---