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Polish Milk Products

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate (a) the change in volumes of (a) milk and (b) milk products from Poland since its accession to the European Union on 1 May and (b) full year imports in 2005. [184720]

Alun Michael: Post-accession trade figures are not yet available and insufficient time has elapsed since accession to enable reliable yearly forecasts to be made. There were no imports of milk or milk products into the UK from Poland in 2003 or during the first quarter of 2004.
 
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Post-consumer Paper Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much post-consumer paper waste was produced in the UK in each of the last three years; what percentage of post-consumer paper waste was collected for recycling in the UK in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; and what the projected annual percentages are for the collection of post-consumer paper waste for recycling in the UK for the next five years. [184949]

Mr. Morley: Estimates from the Confederation of Paper Industries give UK recovered paper usage. The results and corresponding percentages produced from total paper production are listed in the following table.

	Recovered paper usage (thousands tonnes)	Percentage of UK production
2001	4,612	74
2002	4,610	74
2003	4,533	73

No official projections of post-consumer waste recycling for the UK are available.

Quality Status (Yorkshire)

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) parish and (b) town councils have been awarded quality status in (i) Barnsley, (ii) Doncaster and (iii) South Yorkshire. [184110]

Alun Michael: There are a number of challenging criteria that town and parish councils have to pass in order to gain Quality Status. One criteria is that the clerk needs to be qualified in the Certificate in Local Council Administration. In addition there are other criteria such as democratic accountability, communications and audited accounts.

To date nationally there are 55 town and parish councils that have gained Quality Status and there are 500 clerks registered for the Certificate in Local Council Administration.

The Yorkshire and Humber Training Partnership has held 12 training events with 400 delegates attending. In addition the Countryside Agency has sponsored an event which was attended by a further 160 delegates.

The Yorkshire and Humber Training Partnership have received 40 registrations from clerks that are working towards the Certificate in Local Council Administration. An additional 40 are also working towards the qualification but have not yet registered. We anticipate that there will be 80 town and parish councils in this region applying for Quality Status in the coming 12 months

No applications for Quality status have yet been received from parish councils or town councils in Barnsley, Doncaster or South Yorkshire.

Radiation Risks

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the
 
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dates were of the meetings reported on the web-site of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks from Internal Emitters; [185119]

(2) what the origin was of the dosimetric data used in investigating the radiological significance of increases in leukaemia among children aged up to one year in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1 July 1986 and 31 December 1987 by the Committee Examining Radiation Risks from Internal Emitters. [185118]

Mr. Morley: The CERRIE Secretariat has informed me that the committee held 16 meetings on the following dates

4 December 2001;

7 February 2002;

20 March 2002;

6 June 2002;

8 August 2002;

1 October 2002;

11 December 2002;

27 February 2003;

30 April 2003;

26 June 2003;

22 October 2003;

16 December 2003;

24 February 2004;

31 March 2004;

19 May 2004; and

24 June 2004.

The Committee also convened a workshop on 21, 22 and 23 July 2003, which all Members attended.

The Department has not yet received the final version of the CERRIE report, which is still in preparation. It would not be appropriate to comment on the report until the Committee has finalised it and presented it to its parent body, COMARE, and to Ministers. I understand the report is expected to be published in October this year.

Ragwort

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will ask local authorities to publish their ragwort control policies; and if she will make a statement. [186075]

Alun Michael: The Code of Practice on control of Ragwort that I published recently set out what needs to be done by all land managers including local authorities to prevent the spread of Ragwort. It recommends that where a medium or high risk to animal welfare from ragwort has been identified, land managers, including those with responsibility for public land, should put in place and implement a control policy.

It is for individual local authorities to decide their control policy and to decide whether to make their control policy publicly available.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what
 
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discussions she has had with farmers on the effects on them of a renewable transport fuel obligation; and if she will make a statement. [185213]

Mr. Morley: The Department has had a number of discussions with farmers and farming industry representatives on the effect of the renewable transport fuel obligation on farmers. In addition, we have received a large number of letters and petitions from farmers supporting the obligation.

The Department for Transport is currently considering the response to its consultation on the implementation of the EU Biofuels Directive, including the option of a renewable transport fuel obligation. The Government has included permissive clauses in the Energy Bill that would allow the Secretary of State to introduce such an obligation. The Government would consult extensively on the detail with all relevant stakeholders, including the farming community, if an obligation is assessed to be the best way forward.

We recognise that transport biofuels have potential for UK agriculture and we are keen to develop new market opportunities for farmers.

Slaughterhouses

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animal welfare personnel there are at slaughterhouses; how many animals have been slaughtered without animal welfare personnel present for each year from 1994 to date; and if she will make a statement. [184845]

Mr. Bradshaw: Under the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995, a slaughterhouse occupier must ensure that a competent person is available whenever there are live animals on the premises. This person must have the authority to take whatever action may be necessary to safeguard the welfare of the animals in accordance with the Regulations. The legislation is enforced by Official Veterinary Surgeons of the Meat Hygiene Service in licensed slaughterhouses, and by Veterinary Officers of the State Veterinary Service elsewhere.

The Regulations do not require the competent person to be physically present at the point of slaughter when animals are being slaughtered or killed. Therefore, there is no data on the number of livestock slaughtered without animal welfare personnel present.

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in her Department announced in the comprehensive spending review will be of special advisers. [185463]

Alun Michael: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 190W.

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