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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 18 May 2004
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal Welfare
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will oppose in the Council of Ministers proposals providing for journey time of longer than eight hours for all animals travelling for slaughter or further fattening; [166931]
(2) if she will make representations for EU regulations on the maximum legally permitted temperature at which animals can be transported to be reduced; and if she will make a statement; [166933]
(3) if she will make representations for EU regulations on the maximum stocking densities for animals in transit to be reduced to allow animals to (a) reposition themselves so as not to fall and (b) lie down comfortably; and if she will make a statement. [166932]
Mr. Bradshaw: These are all important matters that were considered at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 26 April. The talks failed as the Presidency could not secure a qualified majority for its proposals, which in our opinion failed to do enough to improve animal welfare. For this reason the UK was among those member states which could not support the Presidency.
Avian Flu
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with Asian countries in order to ensure that surveillance of the vaccination programme to combat the bird influenza outbreak in chickens is rigorous enough to spot the evolution of new strains of the virus. [165261]
Mr. Bradshaw: We have had no direct contact on this issue. Our key protection against the disease is to control or ban imports. That operates regardless of the strain. We have received reports on the outbreak through the OIE and from EU representatives in south east Asia and have acted immediately to ban imports from wherever the disease has occurred.
Thailand is the only country in the region from which imports of poultry products were permitted prior to the outbreak of avian influenza. Imports of poultry products which could transmit the virus have been stopped and will be allowed to resume only once it is clear that the disease has been eradicated. Thailand has reported that it has not used vaccination in its efforts to eradicate the disease.
Battery Cages
Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many
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inspections have been carried out on battery cage systems in the past 12 months; how many breaches of the law were found; whether there was full compliance with the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (England) 2002 requirement that each hen should be given at least 550 square centimetres space; what action has been taken to address breaches of UK legislation; and if she will make a statement. [173058]
Mr. Bradshaw: From the 1 April 2003–31 March 2004 there were 95 inspections carried out on battery cage systems in England.
There were 19 breaches of welfare law found. Of the 19 breaches, two revealed a failure to comply with the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (England) 2002 requirement that each hen should be given at least 550 square centimetres space.
Action taken to address breaches of UK legislation is as follows:
(a) Advisory letter informing of legislative requirements and outlining corrective action is sent in all cases.
(b) In all cases where failure to comply with legislation is found, a follow up visit is made to ensure no unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress is disclosed. If unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress occurs then further action will be taken.
(c) A Regulation 11 Improvement notice requiring corrective action may be served if an owner appears uncooperative or does not take action to comply with the advisory letter.
(d) Statement from inspector and initiate prosecution procedures where there is failure to comply or unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress occurs.
(e) Further action in addition to the above is dependent pending on additional reports of follow up visits.
(f) No further action may be recommended following a further report e.g. farm depopulated or no longer keeping poultry.
In the two breaches of the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (England) 2002 referred to above concerning space per hen, the farmers were sent an advisory letter. At the follow up visit they were in compliance with the Regulations.
Bovine TB
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the feasibility of recolonising areas cleared of TB infected badgers from areas in the UK colonised by badgers which are known to be free from TB infection. [158606]
Mr. Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made.
Translocating animals is not a straightforward process. There are significant welfare implications for the animals concerned that need to be fully assessed prior to any animal movements. In addition, there do not appear to be any good reasons to translocate badgers from areas of low TB incidence to areas of high incidence.
Animal Disease Compensation
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her proposals for the Compensation Scheme Review. [173876]
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Mr. Bradshaw: The consultation period on proposals for rationalising compensation for notifiable animal diseases ended on 7 January this year.
The results of the consultation have been analysed and a summary of the responses posted on the Defra website.
In light of the responses, officials are considering how best to take the policy forward.
Environmental Protection
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Government funding was available in each of the past three years to the Tidy Britain campaign. [168809]
Alun Michael: Government funding was provided to Encams (formerly Tidy Britain Group) as follows:
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 3,762 |
| 2002–03 | (1)4,597 |
| 2003–04 | 3,574 |
(1) Defra allocated an additional 1 million to local authorities through ENCAMS for the Local Environmental Quality Pathfinder Programme that forged partnerships between local authorities and the local community. Some of the projects developed reduced fast food litter, railway land litter and schools litter.
EU Directives
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which European Union directives for which her Department has responsibility were not transposed into UK law before the passing of the transposition deadlines in each of the last five years. [168368]
Alun Michael: While every effort is made to ensure that transposition deadlines are met, it is inevitable that this will not always be the case. Transposition can be complex, and it is important that timely transposition is balanced against other objectives, such as avoiding over implementation and unnecessary regulation. In most cases these directives require transposition by the devolved Administrations as well as at Westminster and in some cases also in Gibraltar.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs plays a leading role in the United Kingdom's EU policy on the environment, agriculture, fisheries, animal and plant health. Between 8 June 2001 and 31 December 2003, 42 EU directives were not fully transposed across the whole of the UK by the transposition deadline. Of these, 88 per cent. have now been transposed.
A table listing the directives that have not been transposed into UK law before the transposition deadlines had passed has been placed in the Library of the House.
Farm Income
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list which EU member states (a) intend to make single farm payments to fruit growers and (b) do not. [166025]
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Alun Michael: Under EU legislation governing the Single Payment Scheme, land under permanent crops, including top fruit, is not eligible to use in support of a payment claim in any member state. However, land used to grow soft fruit will be eligible in those member states and regions which adopt the flat rate or 'hybrid' payment models. Our current understanding is that Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg, in addition to England, Northern Ireland, are likely to adopt such models. We expect that no payments will be made in respect of land used for fruit production in the remaining member states, nor in Scotland and Wales.
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