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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 3 March 2005
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Air Pollution
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the overall change in UK carbon dioxide emissions has been since 1997, taking 1997 as a base figure of 100; and what the change in carbon dioxide emissions from (a) industry, (b) domestic sector, (c) transport, (d) road transport and (e) air transport have been since 1997, taking 1997 as a base figure of 100. [218908]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 1 March 2005]: The following table contains the rebased carbon dioxide emission from 1997 to 2002. The figures are based on the 2004 official inventory (UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1990 to 2002") using new factors for Gas and Power Station Coal (Scenario 2 and 6) to be in line with the Review of the UK Climate Change Programme Consultation Paper". The total decrease in carbon dioxide from 1997 to 2002 is 1.1 per cent.
| 1997 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Industry(1) | 100 | 102.6 |
| (b) Domestic sector | 100 | 105.2 |
| (c) Transport(2) | 100 | 98.8 |
| (d) Road transport | 100 | 100.7 |
| (e) Air transport(3) | 100 | 113.6 |
| (f) Other sources(4) | 100 | 88.7 |
| Total | 100 | 98.9 |
(1) Includes energy industries and industrial processes
(2) Includes all domestic transport (incl. domestic aviation and domestic shipping only)
(3) Domestic aviation only (excl. international aviation)
(4) Includes businesses and land use change emissions (excl. landuse change removals)
Avian Flu
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what safeguards she has put in place to prevent the importation and spread of avian flu; and if she will make a statement; [219285]
(2) what steps she has taken to ensure that imports of poultry from countries with known outbreaks of avian flu are safe; what inspections are made of foodstuffs imported from such countries; and if she will make a statement. [218465]
Mr. Bradshaw:
If there is an outbreak of disease in an exporting country, Community legislation allows member states to take appropriate emergency safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of animal products from all, or parts, of that country, pending emergency action at Community level. Once Community measures are put in place the safeguard
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measures will reflect them. Safeguard measures are currently in place to ban or restrict imports of meat and other animal products of susceptible species in respect of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, including the Territory of Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and South Africa and Newcastle disease in Bulgaria
All poultry meat and products derived from birds imported from third countries must be accompanied by veterinary certification. As laid down in Community law.
All live birds, poultry meat and poultry meat products imported from third countries must be accompanied by a licence and/or veterinary certification. This confirms that the birds are not derived from an area where there has been an outbreak of avian influenza or Newcastle disease; it also confirms that live birds have not been vaccinated against Newcastle disease; show no clinical signs of disease and are fit to travel.
Post imports of live poultry, or eggs once hatched, must be held in quarantine for six weeks in an approved establishment.
All poultry meat and birds imported into the EU from third countries must enter at designated border inspection posts where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks. At least 20 per cent. of consignments of animal products undergo physical checks, and a number of animals in each consignment are physically checked. These checks ensure import conditions are met.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of avian flu have been reported in the UK in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [219287]
Mr. Bradshaw: Since February 2004, five reports of suspected avian influenza have been notified to the State Veterinary Service. None were subsequently confirmed. The results of the UK survey for avian influenza in farmed poultry required by Commission Decision 2004/630/EC and carried out between August and December 2004 were all negative.
Defra has produced risk assessments on avian influenza in other countries and these are available on the Defra website.
The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 provides powers to control avian influenza and a contingency plan for avian influenza and Newcastle disease was laid before Parliament in March 2004 in line with provisions of the Animal Health Act of 1981 (as amended). The plan outlines Defra's objectives for disease control in terms of emergency preparedness, mobilisation of the response effort, and outbreak management. The contingency plan is currently being reviewed and is due to be laid before parliament in July this year.
Beef Market
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment
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she has made of the impact of the withdrawal of (a) the over-30-month scheme and (b) other beef subsidies on the UK beef market. [217821]
Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
(a) Defra commissioned a report from the MLC entitled Impact of OTM Exit on the UK Market" which is regularly updated as market conditions change. This describes the expected impact on the market of over-30-month cattle, cattle born after August 1996 when they return to the food chain after the OTM rule is replaced by a robust system of BSE testing.
(b) Defra has commissioned a number of reports examining the impact of the change in the support arrangements for agricultural production as a result of CAP reform. These are collated on Defra's website. The impact on the UK beef production industry is covered in these reports.
Biofuels
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned on steps to encourage the production of biofuels and bioethanol to meet the EU biofuels directive of May 2003. [217531]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government are currently carrying out a feasibility study on the possible introduction of a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. In parallel, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership are preparing advice for the Government on how a carbon certification scheme might operate. Cambridge University has been commissioned to review the economics of energy crops, including those used for biodiesel and bioethanol. In the light of these studies, the Government will consider the way forward for biofuels.
Cattle
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1653W, on bovine passports, if she will list the reasons for the successful appeals of the 8,196 bovines initially refused applications for passports. [218859]
Alun Michael: Cattle passports are issued by the British Cattle Movement Service which is part of the Rural Payments Agency.
Successful appeals in respect of the 8,196 cattle initially refused passports can be broken down as follows:
External circumstances outside the control of the farmer for example floods or industrial action—6 per cent.
An illness or malady affecting the keeper which prevented the application being made on time—21 per cent.
Other reasons—including problems with the use of home computers or unavoidable delays in obtaining ear tags from manufacturers—35 per cent.
In all these cases, evidence of the exceptional circumstance was demonstrated.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish a Government strategy for the (a) control and (b) eradication of bovine TB from the British herd. [218326]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government Strategic Framework for the Sustainable Control of Bovine Tuberculosis in Great Britain" was published on 1 March.
The strategic framework focuses on what is achievable in the control of bovine TB in a 10 year timeframe. Whilst eradication is desirable we believe it is not achievable in 10 years.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the first results are expected from the Bourne/Krebs triplet trials. [218769]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 31 January 2005, Official Report, column 575W to the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (Mr David Taylor).
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the number of live cattle kept in the UK which were born (a) before and (b) after August 1996 which would be eligible for compensation payments under the over-30-month-scheme; and what records her Department has maintained of these cattle. [218366]
Alun Michael: At 24 February 2005 the Cattle Tracing System (CIS) database shows there to be 846,530 cattle alive that were born before 1 August 1996 and 3,166,935 cattle born after this date, all of which are potentially eligible for compensation under the over-30-month-scheme if they meet the scheme requirements.
The CTS is a computer based system to register cattle in Great Britain. CTS records the:
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