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24 Jan 2005 : Column 4W—continued
Animal Welfare Bill
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce legislation to (a) stop animal abuse and (b) improve the conditions in which animals are transported. [209349]
Mr. Bradshaw: The intention to include an Animal Welfare Bill in the Government's legislative programme was announced in the Queen's Speech. The Bill will provide new protection for captive and domestic animals in England and Wales, and will replace the current legislation—the Protection of Animals Act 1911—which already provides substantial protection against animal abuse.
New EU rules on welfare in transport have recently been published—Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97, Official Journal L 3/1–44 of 5 January 2005.
The UK supported this new Regulation as it contains much to help improve animal welfare in transport, such as improved enforcement of the rules, better protection for horses and new training and authorisation procedures for drivers. The EU Regulation applies from January 2007; with competence certification for drivers and attendants taking effect from January 2008. Until then, we will continue to ensure that animals are transported strictly in accordance with the current rules.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the Animal Welfare Bill. [208369]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 17 January 2005]: The Animal Welfare Bill was included in the Queen's Speech and will be introduced and published when the legislative timetable permits.
Beef Exports
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value of exports of British beef to (a) France, (b) Italy and (c) Germany was in each of the last two years. [209258]
Alun Michael:
The following table shows the value of total exports from the UK of beef to France, Italy and Germany for the years 2002 and 2003. This will include re-exports of imported beef. The Overseas Trade Statistics do not separately identify exports of British beef.
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| Country | 2002 | 2003 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.8 |
| Italy | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Germany | 2.4 | 2.1 | 4.6 |
| Total | 4.1 | 4.2 | 8.3 |
Note:
Totals may not match sum of parts due to rounding.
Source:
HM Customs and Excise. Data prepared by Trade statistics, Food Chain Analysis 3, Defra
Bogs
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to complete the UK network of Natura 2000 sites for the habitat type Degraded Raised Bogs Still Capable of Natural Regeneration. [206774]
Mr. Bradshaw: In August 2000 Defra and its Country Agencies initiated a public consultation on 5 sites, chosen for their representation of
to be considered as UK contributions to the Natura 2000 network. Three of these sites have now been adopted by the European Commission as Sites of Community Importance.
Consultations on two remaining sites, Bolton Fell Moss and Solway Moss, are still ongoing in light of scientific objections raised about their candidature. A decision will be made regarding the designation of these sites following the outcome of these consultations and bilateral biogeographic discussions with the European Commission regarding the sufficiency of site lists for this habitat and others.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter dated 10 November 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Carol Denis. [209857]
Alun Michael: The Department has no record of the correspondence referred to by the right hon. Member. If he would like to supply me with a copy I shall ensure he receives a response.
Country Shows
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what rural proofing was made of Home Office Circular No. 13/2000 and its effect upon country shows. [208697]
Alun Michael: Home Office Circular No. 13/2000 was published before November 2000 when the Government published the Rural White Paper 2000 which announced our commitment to rural proof all future policy programmes and initiatives.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Country Landowners
24 Jan 2005 : Column 6W
Association, (b) the Historic Houses Association and (c) the National Farmers' Union about the effects of Home Office Circular 13/2000 on country shows. [208698]
Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and members of the ministerial team meet these organisations and many other on a variety of issues but this issue has not been raised with us formally. Comments made by the CLA have been brought to my attention by one Government MP and one correspondent from the West Midlands. I have informed them both that my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Sport and Tourism and his officials have met representatives from the CLA, the Historic Houses Association and the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations and have concluded that the proposed fees for large events should not cause a problem for country shows. I understand that the CLA has now made a statement to that effect.
Criminal Offences
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 Session, broken down by Act. [206876]
Alun Michael: The following Acts created criminal offences in the 2002–03 Session;
The Animal Health Act 2002 (c.42) created the offence of deliberately infecting an animal with any one of 15 diseases specified in the Act, including foot and mouth. The schedule created an offence of failing to comply with a restriction notice preventing the use for breeding of sheep that are of a genotype that is susceptible to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). The Act also created a number of offences of obstructing or failing to assist inspectors carrying out duties under the Act.
The Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 (c.33) provided powers under part 1 to make offences by regulation for breach of the scheme relating to the borrowing, banking, trading or transfer of landfill allowances.
The Water Act 2003 (c.37) made it an offence under part 1 to fail to comply with a notice served by the Environment Agency requiring work to be carried out on facilities for impounding water or a licence application to be made for unlicensed impounding works.
In addition, where abstraction or impounding takes place without a licence or does not comply with the terms of a licence, the Act made it an offence to fail to comply with an enforcement notice issued by the Environment Agency.
Part 2 created the offence of introducing water to or supplying water from a water undertaker's supply system without being a water undertaker or a licensed supply person.
Under part 3 it is an offence for an owner or manager of a large raised reservoir to fail to prepare a flood plan when required to do so. Part 3 also extended the application of the offence of supplying water unfit for human consumption to apply to persons including employees of the water undertaker and to self-employed people involved with the supply of that water.
During the 2003–04 Session the following Acts created criminal offences:
The Highways (Obstruction by Body Corporate) Act 2004 (c.29) extended the offence of obstructing a highway under the Highways Act 1980 so that the directors, managers and other officers of a guilty company may also be found guilty of the obstruction.
The Hunting Act 2004 (c.37) made it an offence under part 1 to hunt a wild mammal with a dog, except in some circumstances such as where the dog is only being used for stalking and flushing out, or to participate in, attend or knowingly facilitate a hare coursing event.
Part 1 also makes it an offence for the owner of a dog to permit it to be used for hunting or hare coursing. Additionally, it made it an offence for the owner of land to allow the land to be entered or used for hunting or hare coursing.
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