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15 Nov 2004 : Column 1036W—continued
Raptors
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Department takes to promote the captive breeding of raptors in the UK. [193159]
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Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is very aware of the beneficial conservation effects of captive breeding of raptors. The increase in numbers of non-hybrid captive bred specimens helps lessen the threat to the wild populations of those species. Her officials carry out a constructive dialogue with UK breeders over a range of issues which effect captive breeding operations within the UK, including the streamlining of procedures to aid them in complying with their registration obligations.
Recycling (Barking and Dagenham)
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Government money has been provided to Barking and Dagenham council since 1997 to help pay for waste recycling. [196455]
Mr. Morley: The main source of funding for Barking and Dagenham council, as for all local authorities, is through the Environmental, Protective, and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of annual Government grant. It is for the local authority to decide what proportion of the block is invested in waste management services, including recycling.
The London borough of Barking and Dagenham is a constituent authority of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA), which was awarded £47 million in PFI credits for its integrated waste management service (IWMS) contract which was signed in the 2002–03 financial year.
As part of ELWA Barking and Dagenham council have also benefited from two joint kerbside collection projects which together were allocated a total of £1,030,000 from the London Recycling Fund for 2002–03 and 2003–04. The London Recycling Fund has approved three further projects to support Barking and Dagenham council for 2004–05 and 2005–06:
Barking and Dagenham council has also been allocated the following additional funding and support:
As a member of ELWA, £74,453 in direct consultancy support in 2004–05 through Defra's Waste Implementation Programme to review ELWA's strategic planning for waste management.
Sodium Azid (Airbags)
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations apply to the disposal of sodium azid present in airbags when cars are scrapped. [196720]
Mr. Morley:
The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 require the removal or neutralisation of all potentially explosive components, including airbags, when waste motor vehicles are treated.
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Sugar Regime
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the new EU sugar regime to be agreed. [195948]
Alun Michael: The current EU sugar regime is clearly unsustainable and the UK Government has consistently called for early decisions on reform to give all concerned time to adjust to the substantial changes needed to bring the arrangements into line with other parts of the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU's international obligations. The European Commission has tabled a Communication setting out its preferred approach to reform, but has not yet made formal legislative proposals for a new regime. It is for the Commission to decide when to put such proposals to the Council and for the presidency in office to bring discussions to a successful conclusion.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which agencies will be inspecting UK sugar farms under the new EU sugar regime. [195983]
Alun Michael: The requirements of a new EU sugar regime have still to be determined. If the regime is brought into line with other reformed CAP sectors, farmers growing sugar beet can expect to be subject to similar conditions to those growing other crops, for which inspections will be co-ordinated by the Rural Payments Agency.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the impact will be of the reform of the EU Sugar Regime on the UK quota; and whether there will be quota cuts for the UK. [195984]
Alun Michael: The European Commission's preferred approach to sugar reform envisages both price and quota cuts for all EU producers. In the absence of detailed legislative proposals it is not clear how quota cuts will be made or what their impact in the UK will be.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on how UK sugar growers will be affected by compensation arrangements under the EU Sugar Regime. [195985]
Alun Michael: The European Commission's preferred approach to sugar reform envisages decoupled direct income support for all EU sugar producers on a similar basis to payments under the June 2003 CAP reform arrangements. In the absence of detailed legislative proposals it is not clear how these arrangements will work or what their impact in the UK may be.
Terrorism
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many people are employed in the UK to protect reservoirs from terrorist attack; and what measures have been taken to protect reservoirs since 2001; [196294]
(2) how many people are employed in the UK to provide security for dams; and what measures have been taken to ensure dams are protected since 2001. [196307]
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Mr. Morley: The safety and protection of dams and reservoirs is a matter for the dam owner or reservoir undertaker. The Reservoir Act 1975 provides a safety regime for large raised reservoirs and their dams and reservoir undertakers are required to engage specialist engineers to monitor and inspect them. The Department does not keep information about the people employed at these sites.
Veterinary Service
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on ensuring access by farmers to professional advice and prescriptions from those veterinary surgeons collaborating with veterinary pharmacists who are not providing an emergency clinical service; and if she will make a statement. [193880]
Mr. Bradshaw: A veterinary surgeon must operate within the terms of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Code of Professional Conduct. The Animal Health and Welfare Strategy recognises the importance of access by farmers to professional veterinary advice and to veterinary medicines that are necessary for the health and welfare of their animals. We also recognise the need to ensure that medicines are used safely and responsibly. That is why the supply of veterinary medicines is controlled by legislation. Some veterinary medicines may be supplied only in accordance with a prescription issued by a veterinary surgeon. For such medicines it is important that the prescribing veterinary surgeon has sufficient knowledge of the animals concerned and of the conditions under which they are kept to ensure that the medicine prescribed is appropriate and that it will be used safely and effectively.
It is lawful for a pharmacist to dispense a veterinary medicinal product as directed in a prescription issued by a veterinary surgeon.
Following a major review of the European veterinary medicines legislation, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is revising the UK legislation. The UK's policy in the negotiations was to seek to replicate our current distribution arrangements. After a round of informal consultation with interested parties the VMD has published a concept note setting out a proposal for revising the current veterinary medicine distribution categories to both comply with the changes to European legislation and allow the current distribution controls in the UK to continue. Comments on the concept note are still welcome and I am placing a copy in the Library. It is also available on the VMD's website (www.vmd.gov.uk) under Publications, Review 2001.
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