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New Forest

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to announce her decision on the designation of the New Forest as a National Park. [173482]

Alun Michael: I am currently considering the Inspector's report. No announcement can be made until that consideration is complete.

Potato Ring Rot

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for   Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the itinerary was for the transport from the country of origin to the final country of destination of the potatoes which brought potato ring-rot into the UK. [174154]

Mr. Bradshaw: As Defra's Final Report into the 2003 Ring Rot Outbreak in the UK makes clear, it has not been possible to trace the origin of infection which resulted in the ring rot outbreak in Wales. However, Appendix VI of the Report (see http://defra.gov.uk/planth/ring/repfinal/app6.pdf) outlines the itinerary for the Provento seed potatoes which were supplied to the Welsh farm, from which the crop was grown which resulted in the outbreak. This Appendix was prepared
 
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by the Dutch Plant Protection Service who gave permission for it to be published as part of Defra's Report.

In essence, the Dutch report indicates that the seed potatoes were exported from the Netherlands to Honduras on 26 September 2002. The consignment was refused entry to Honduras because it did not meet their requirements on the absence of soil (not because of a concern with the potatoes) and was returned to the Netherlands on 5 December 2002. Following re-sorting and re-bagging, to remove potatoes which had sprouted, the seed potatoes were split into different lots which were then sent directly to various destinations (Wales, Portugal, Iraq, Honduras and Ukraine) between the period 5 December 2002 and 1 May 2003.

Specialist Fermentation Sector

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the specialist fermentation sector of the food industry is in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Europe. [170081]

Alun Michael: For beer, UK production in the 2001–02 financial year was 57 million hectolitres compared with 254 million hectolitres in the rest of the EU in 2002. For cider, UK production was 4.9 million hectolitres in 2001–02 compared with 5.1 million hectolitres in the rest of the EU in 2000.

Tobacco

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much EU funding was given to growing tobacco in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will list the countries which benefited. [173772]

Alun Michael: The main recipients of tobacco subsidies are Greece, Italy, Spain and France. A table showing the tobacco premiums paid in each of the EU member states which benefited is as follows.
EU expenditure on tobacco premiums in 2002

	€ million
Greece	369
Italy	330.8
Spain	115.4
France	80.4
Germany	35.1
Portugal	16.3
Belgium	3.9
Austria	0.9
Total	951.8

Source:
EU Commission

Two Tree Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which species of wildlife (a) inhabit and (b) visit Two Tree Island in the Thames during a typical year. [171871]

Mr. Bradshaw: Two Tree Island is split into two areas, eastern and western. The eastern part of Two Tree Island consists of a small tidal island with the adjoining
 
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saltmarsh (86 acres) and a large area of inter-tidal mudflats (271 acres). It is part of Leigh National Nature Reserve.

The mudflats are noted for their dense, vigorous growth of eel grass species, which, together with a large resource of invertebrates, support nationally and internationally important numbers of dark-bellied Brent geese and waders, such as grey plover and knot. Waders such as curlew, dunlin, and redshank, occur in significant numbers outside the breeding season. The nearby Leigh cockle sheds bring winter flocks of turnstone close inshore and attract some of the rarer gull species.

The saltmarshes are the most important on the north side of the Thames Estuary. They are of considerable botanical interest being noted for the five glasswort species that occur there. Sea aster, with small cord-grass, common cord-grass and glasswort species are found on the lower marshes, while sea purslane dominates the upper marshes. In addition the area also supports other saltmarsh plants such as golden samphire, sea wormwood, common and lax-flowered sea lavenders.

At its western tip a range of birds can be seen such as redshank and heron. The island itself consists mainly of grassland and scrub, with the former rubbish tip supporting a number of interesting alien plants and 'escapes'. A wide variety of birds can be seen at its western tip, including kestrels and short-eared owls during the winter, hunting for field voles. Grass snakes and lizards are seen. Insects of note include the marbled white butterfly, Roesel's bush cricket, the house cricket and the lesser marsh grasshopper.

TRANSPORT

Railway Lines

13. Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of railway lines have been reopened since 1 May 1997. [173505]

Dr. Howells: Between 1996–97 and 2003–04 the total length of railway open to passenger traffic has increased from 15,034 kilometres to 15,042 kilometres.

Rail Review

14. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in the Rail Review. [173506]

Mr. McNulty: The review is progressing and as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, said in his statement to the House on 19 January, we will publish proposals in the summer.

Noisy Roads

15. Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on measures to address the problem of noisy roads. [173507]

Mr. Jamieson: The Government recognises that traffic noise from main roads can be a nuisance. Our strategy is to set vehicle construction standards that reduce noise at source wherever feasible and desirable
 
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on safety grounds. We also encourage the mitigation of noise with insulation, barriers, traffic management measures and low noise surfaces.

Global Warming

16. Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the threat to strategic road and rail routes from global warming. [173508]

Mr. McNulty: The Department is aware that climate change will have a profound impact on both the Department's work and that of the delivery agencies. To   this end, assessments have been made by the Department, the Rail Safety and Standards Board and the Highways Agency. The Department's report can be found on our website and copies of this and of the other reports can be found in both libraries of the House.

Transport (Nottingham)

17. Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Nottingham city council on transport issues in the city. [173509]

Mr. McNulty: When my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport visited Nottingham to launch Line One of the Nottingham Express Transit system, he also attended a meeting with the Greater Nottingham Transport Partnership (on which the City and county councils are represented). A number of issues relating to transport in Nottingham were raised.

Offshore Wind Farms

18. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that shipping lanes are not impeded by off-shore wind farms. [173510]

Mr. Jamieson: Government have assured the shipping and ports industries that offshore wind farms will not be sited where they present a danger to navigation. No offshore wind farms can be constructed without Government consents. Full consultation with the shipping and ports industries will be undertaken before any consent granted.

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