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Aquariums

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the welfare of fish and other aquatic animals in public aquariums; and if she will make a statement. [192164]

Mr. Morley: My Department has not recently undertaken any research into the welfare of fish and other aquatic animals in public aquariums. However, I am aware of a recent report by an animal welfare campaign organisation, the Captive Animal Protection Society, alleging poor welfare standards in such establishments.

Aquariums which open to the public are regulated under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 and are subject to a comprehensive licensing and inspection regime. The aims of the regime include maintaining appropriate standards of animal welfare and my Department publishes overarching general guidance on the required standards (covering issues such as provision of food and
 
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water, suitable environment, animal health care, opportunity to express most normal behaviour and protection from fear and distress). The inspection and licensing regime is operated at local authority level, with support from expert zoo inspectors nominated by my Department.

We have circulated the Captive Animal Protection Society's report to zoo inspectors and local authorities in England so that they are aware of it and, if appropriate, can take the issues raised into account in the inspection and licensing cycle. Local authorities are able to take action to address shortcomings in individual establishments if they consider it necessary to do so. The report has also been circulated to the Zoos Forum, the Government's independent advisers on zoos, for consideration.

Archaeological Sites

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) financial and (b) other incentives are available to farmers to protect sites of archaeological interest. [191149]

Alun Michael: It is a requirement of Defra's agri-environment schemes that any historic features or archaeological sites are protected. Grants of up to 100 per cent. are available to assist in this process eg for fencing or scrub clearance. In addition farmers may apply for payments for specific management options such as reversion of arable land to grassland or maintenance of high water levels, that are designed to protect archaeological features.

As part of the Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition requirements for the Single Payment, farmers will be required, without lawful excuse, not to damage any protected monument on their farmland.

Free advice on how to protect sites of archaeological interest is available from Defra's Rural Development Service.

In addition, English Heritage provides payments to farmers for management agreements for the maintenance of Scheduled Monuments on their land.

Bird Populations

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the last survey of the population of (a) stone curlews, (b) curlews and (c) lapwings in England and Wales was published; and when it is intended to undertake a further survey. [192206]

Mr. Bradshaw: The number of breeding stone curlews is monitored annually as part of the joint recovery programme run by RSPB and English Nature. In 2003, 261 pairs were proved to breed, all in England; the figures for 2004 are still being collated but a small increase is expected.

There has been no national survey of breeding curlews in England or Wales, although those birds breeding on lowland wet meadows were surveyed in 2002; 435 pairs of curlew were recorded by the survey in England (407 pairs) and Wales (28 pairs), a decline of 40 per cent. since the previous survey in 1982. In
 
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addition, several breeding wader surveys in particular parts of the English uplands have recorded curlews. There are no plans for a national survey of curlews in the near future.

The latest survey of breeding lapwings in England and Wales took place in 1998. The lapwing population was estimated at around 63,000 pairs of which around 1,700 pairs were in Wales—these figures represent a decline of 49 per cent. since the previous survey in 1987. There are no plans to repeat this survey in the near future.

Botany

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding she has provided in the last three years to (a) Kew Gardens and (b) other botanical institutions. [192829]

Mr. Bradshaw: In the last three financial years, to 2003–04, we have provided £19.7 million, £16.6 million and £24.8 million, respectively, as grant-in-aid to the Royal Botanic Gardens. We do not fund other botanical institutions.

Bovine Support Schemes

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the ending of bovine support schemes. [189917]

Alun Michael: 2004 is the final year that the Bovine Schemes (Beef Special Premium Scheme, Extensification Payment Scheme, Suckler Cow Premium Scheme and Slaughter Premium Scheme) will operate. From 1 January 2005 the Single Payment Scheme will be introduced and will replace most existing crop and livestock schemes including those above.

The payment window for making advance bovine payments opens on 16 October. The Rural Payments Agency has announced that it expects to start making payments on 18 October—the first working day of the payment window.

British Cattle Movement Service

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the new rules issued by the British Cattle Movement Service regarding replacement passports. [191110]

Alun Michael: The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) has not issued new rules regarding replacement cattle passports, but it will no longer charge for a replacement passport where the original sent by the BCMS has been lost in the post and the loss is not reported within four weeks. Previously keepers who reported the loss after this time were charged a £50 replacement fee.

This action reflects BCMS's response to the current performance of the Royal Mail service and recognises that in sending documents out from the site, the Royal Mail is acting as the agent for the BCMS. The £50 replacement fee remains applicable if cattle passports become lost, stolen or destroyed in other circumstances, after they have reached the farmer.
 
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British Potato Council

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the British Potato Council, with particular reference to the cost effectiveness of levy collections. [191095]

Alun Michael: A statutory review of the British Potato Council (BPC), as required by the Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947, is currently underway. Representative industry organisations are being consulted. All aspects of BPC operations, including levy collection, are covered by the review.

Following completion of the review, GB Ministers will decide whether and how the functions of the BPC should be undertaken in future and on any changes that need to be made to the Council's remit. A decision will be announced early in 2005.

In addition, in response to Recommendation 20 of Lords Haskins' recent report on modernisation and rural delivery, we have announced our intention to commission a wider independent review of all the agriculture and horticulture levy-funded organisations in 2005. This review will no doubt consider the question of levies and how they are collected.

British Waterways

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to expand (a) revenue and (b) capital aid to users of inland waterways for the movement of freight; and what additional financial assistance will be made available to British Waterways to facilitate these developments. [191089]

Alun Michael: The Government currently expect to spend about £7.93 million from their Freight Facilities Grant programme in 2004–05 towards expenditure incurred by capital projects designed to assist the movement of freight by water. Assistance for revenue expenditure projects is not currently available.

The Government will continue to provide grant in aid to help British Waterways meet its freight and other objectives. The Government have no plans to provide British Waterways with additional grant in aid to facilitate the use of its waterways for freight transport. However British Waterways is eligible for grants from the Freight Facilities Grant programme towards infrastructure investments that will lead to identifiable transfer of lorry movements from roads.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list ports which remain within British Waterways' ownership; what the status is of each; and what the budget for their maintenance is in this financial year. [191090]

Alun Michael: British Waterways is the harbour authority for a number of ports and docks which are, or have been, used for freight purposes. These include Sharpness Docks, the Port of Howden, the London Docks (the former West India and Millwall Docks), Gloucester Docks, Regents Canal Dock (Limehouse Basin), Liverpool South Docks, Ellesmere Port Docks and Weston Point Docks. Of these only Sharpness
 
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Docks and the Port of Howden are currently in use for regular freight shipping traffic and both are operated by private companies. Most of the other docks are now used for recreational purposes and are incapable of being reactivated as freight docks.

The cost of maintaining British Waterways' freight ports falls to the private companies which operate them. British Waterways is responsible only for dredging the navigational channel and repairing any wall or lock infrastructure. It would be misleading to quote British Waterways' annual costs because it carries out works at irregular intervals and one year's costs are not comparable with another.

In addition to its ports and docks, British Waterways owns a number of wharves on its inland waterway system.

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