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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine TB

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the findings from the collection of evidence from road traffic accidents affecting badgers in relation to the study of bovine TB. [219781]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) advises that the findings of the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) study should not be disclosed at present to avoid either encouraging illegal action against badgers or deterring participation in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). However, information on the location of badgers where TB is diagnosed is released to divisional veterinary managers to inform the measures they take with respect to disease control in cattle in the vicinity.

The ISG has been analysing the data from the RTA study in conjunction with data from badgers culled in the RBCT and will soon be advising Defra on the results and their interpretation.

Carbon Allowances

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the UK National Allocation Plan for allocating carbon allowances to be approved by the European Commission. [219890]

Mr. Morley: We recognise that UK operators wish to begin full participation in the scheme as soon as possible. The Government are continuing their dialogue with the Commission with a view to finding a solution which addresses the concerns of both sides and which will enable allocation as soon as possible.
 
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Cormorants

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the breeding population of cormorants (a) in England and (b) on inland waters in England. [214689]

Mr. Bradshaw: The latest estimate of breeding cormorants in the UK and Ireland is provided by the Seabird 2000 survey. These data indicate that there are 3,145 breeding pairs of cormorants in England (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). This includes the majority of the estimated 1,646 breeding pairs of cormorants at inland colonies in the UK.

UK coastal colonies are dispersed more widely, with many birds breeding in Wales and Scotland. However, many of the coastal breeding birds from all parts of the UK, and their progeny, move onto inland fisheries in England and Wales in the winter and these, together with significant immigration of wintering birds from the continent, give rise to elevated numbers inland during winter. The winter cormorant population in the UK has increased four fold in the last 25 years.

Emissions Trading Scheme

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library the correspondence she has had with the EU Commission regarding the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. [219889]

Mr. Morley: The Government do not intend to publish correspondence we have had with the European Commission on the UK National Allocation Plan, as discussions with the Commission on the total number of allowances to be allocated are continuing, with a view to finding a solution which addresses the concerns of both sides as soon as possible.

EU Subsidies

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of common agricultural policy production subsidies in the EU, including those retained under the national envelope system; and what assessment she has made of the impact that they have on the agricultural markets of developing nations. [217418]

Alun Michael: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development produce an estimate of the level of subsidy provided to agricultural producers in OECD countries, the Producer Support Estimate (PSE). The latest estimate, in Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: At a Glance, 2004", puts the EU's PSE at €108 billion or approximately 37 per cent. of output. This estimate covers all direct payments to producers under the common agricultural policy (and national schemes) including those under agri-environment measures. It also covers gross transfers to producers as a result of market price support.

Defra has not made an assessment of the impact of the CAP on developing countries' agricultural markets. However there are a number of published studies which consider the effects of developed countries' agricultural policy on developing countries. One such estimate is
 
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presented in the World Bank report Global Economic Prospects and the Developing Countries, 2002". This puts the annual benefits to developing countries (in 2015) from liberalisation of agriculture and food policies in high income countries at $99 billion (when dynamic productivity gains are included). It is important to note that developing countries are not all affected in the same way: for example the effect depends on whether the country is a net exporter or net importer of highly protected agricultural products. In addition, the magnitude of an estimate will depend, in part, on the modelling methodology used to generate it.

GM Foods

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received since May 2003 in response to the challenge by the US in the World Trade Organisation to the EU's precautionary approach to GM foods and farming; what steps the Government is taking in response to the challenge; and if she will make a statement. [220262]

Mr. Morley: In May 2003, the USA, Argentina and Canada filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation against the procedures regulating the import and marketing of GMOs in the European Union. The focus of the complaints is that the EU has allegedly not been operating its own approvals system for GM products since 1998. It is alleged that this is more trade restrictive than is required to achieve the desired level of public health protection, that it is not based on proper scientific criteria, and that it unfairly discriminates between GMO and non-GMO products. The case is made against the European Commission, not individual member states, but it specifically cites Austria, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Greece.

The Department has received correspondence from stakeholders and the public in relation to this WTO case, in the main supporting the EU regulatory position. The UK Government has also raised this issue in meetings with the US administration.

The UK Government has expressed its disappointment that this action has been taken by the USA and we are working with our EU partners to defend the case and find a solution. As with any WTO dispute we will be bound by the ruling, which will be reached after due consideration of the evidence. The UK agrees with the European Commission that existing EU legislation on GMOs is compatible with trade rules and that significant progress has recently been made in dealing with applications under the legislation for placing GM products on the market.

GM Maize

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent approval given by the European Commission for the marketing of two GM maize varieties. [220820]

 
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Mr. Morley: There has been no recent approval given by the EU for the marketing of GM maize. The last approval under the Deliberate Release Directive was issued in October last year for Monsanto's GM maize NK603.

Greenhouse Gases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action is being taken to limit the increase of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. [220647]

Mr. Morley: The Government set out its policy on reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol in its publication Climate Change: The UK Programme" (CM 4913) in 2000. This publication contains a set of flexible measures covering a range of different sectors—including transport, agriculture, business and households.

Details of the reductions in greenhouse gas levels achieved so far, the main measures already in place and future options under consideration to achieve further reductions in greenhouse gas levels are contained in the 2004 Review of the UK Climate Change Programme Consultation Paper" (PB 10372). A revised Climate Change Programme will be published later this year.

Horses

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will estimate the cost of setting up a border inspection post for the entry of horses to the UK by sea; [218711 ]

(2) whether there is a border inspection post for the entry of horses by sea into the UK; and if she will make a statement. [218716]

Alun Michael: There are no border inspection posts at seaports approved to inspect horses imported from countries outside the European Union.

Port operators, carriers or agents are free to provide such facilities based on commercial need: facilities are not provided by Government. Defra does not have access to figures relating to the costs of setting up a border inspection post for imports of live horses.

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