House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Mar 2005 (pt 5)

17 Mar 2005 : Column 357W—continued

Fisheries

22. Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to protect fish stocks in UK waters. [222462]

Mr. Bradshaw: There are a range of policies in European Union and UK legislation to protect fish stocks. The Government will shortly be publishing a response to the Net Benefits" report which made a wide ranging series of recommendations to secure sustainable fisheries in the waters around the UK.

Commission for Africa

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the Commission for Africa's report for her Department's work. [222444]

Mr. Morley: Along with the rest of Government we are studying the Commission's conclusions carefully and will work up a full response across Government as soon as we can.

Common Agricultural Policy

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of fruit and vegetables was destroyed under EU arrangements in each of the last three years. [222458]

Alun Michael: Latest data from the European Commission indicate that total produce withdrawn from the market in the EU fell from over 1.1 million tonnes in 2000–01 to 596,000 tonnes in 2001–02, and to 315,000 tonnes in 2002–03.

17 Mar 2005 : Column 358W

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. [222447]

Alun Michael: The key priority over the coming year is reform of the sugar regime. Looking further ahead, the review of dairy quotas in 2008 and the review of decoupling in 2009 may provide further opportunities for reform. We are also pushing for a radical outcome to the current WTO round to increase market access and eliminate export subsidies at the earliest opportunity.

Climate Change

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1639, to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd) on climate change, what the results were of her discussions with newly developing countries, with particular reference to those with substantial and growing energy needs; and if she will make a statement. [222461]

Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, together with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, jointly hosted a Round Table for the energy and environment Ministers from 20 countries, including the emerging economies, on 15–16 March.

This was an innovative event which enabled us to explore common ground and begin to build a shared agenda to tackle issues of access to energy for development, energy security, and environmental protection.

A summary of proceedings will be placed on the Defra and DTI websites shortly.

Departmental Accounts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Ministers in her Department have issued written instructions to override her Department's accounting officer's objections since 1997. [221109]

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 80W by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Stephen Timms).

Fish Quotas

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of estimated biomass of the 10 most landed fish species under North Sea Total Allowable Catches were landed by vessels from each EU member state in the last period for which figures are available; and what proportion of each catch was made up of recognised market valuable species. [215234]

17 Mar 2005 : Column 359W

Mr. Bradshaw: The most recent available information for the most landed North Sea species (on the basis of Total Allowable Catches for 2005) is shown in table 1 as follows:
Table 1

Rank Species TAC 2005 in thousand tonnes Proportion of biomass taken in 2003

1 Sand Eel 660 0.23

2 Herring 535 0.21

3 Sprat 257 ⁽⁹⁾—

4 Saithe ⁽¹⁰⁾145 0.23

5 Blue Whiting 122 0.42

6 Haddock 66 ⁽¹¹⁾0.46

7 Plaice 59 0.49

8 Horse Mackerel 43 ⁽⁹⁾—

9 Whiting 28 ⁽¹²⁾0.23

10 Cod 27 ⁽¹¹⁾0.55

⁽⁹⁾ No data
⁽¹⁰⁾ Including the Baltic
⁽¹¹⁾ Estimates include discards
⁽¹²⁾ Estimate from 2002

17 Mar 2005 : Column 360W

Rank	Species	TAC 2005 in thousand tonnes	Proportion of biomass taken in 2003
1	Sand Eel	660	0.23
2	Herring	535	0.21
3	Sprat	257	⁽⁹⁾—
4	Saithe	⁽¹⁰⁾145	0.23
5	Blue Whiting	122	0.42
6	Haddock	66	⁽¹¹⁾0.46
7	Plaice	59	0.49
8	Horse Mackerel	43	⁽⁹⁾—
9	Whiting	28	⁽¹²⁾0.23
10	Cod	27	⁽¹¹⁾0.55

The proportion of the TAC taken by individual countries for these species is shown in table 2.
Table 2

Sand Eel Herring Sprat Saithe Blue Whiting Haddock Plaice Horse Mackerel Whiting Cod

UK 0.02 0.25 0.04 0.17 0.02 0.78 0.28 0.10 0.53 0.47

Denmark 0.94 0.28 0.91 0.09 0.98 0.07 0.20 0.68 0.13 0.20

Germany — 0.18 0.01 0.22 — 0.05 0.06 0.05 0.03 0.13

Netherlands — 0.20 0.01 — — — 0.38 0.11 0.08 0.12

France — 0.07 0.01 0.51 — 0.08 — — 0.20 0.04

Belgium — — — — — 0.01 0.06 — — —

Sweden — — — 0.01 — — — — — —

Ireland — — — — — — — 0.04 — —

Other 0.04 — — — — — — — — —

	Sand Eel	Herring	Sprat	Saithe	Blue Whiting	Haddock	Plaice	Horse Mackerel	Whiting	Cod
UK	0.02	0.25	0.04	0.17	0.02	0.78	0.28	0.10	0.53	0.47
Denmark	0.94	0.28	0.91	0.09	0.98	0.07	0.20	0.68	0.13	0.20
Germany	—	0.18	0.01	0.22	—	0.05	0.06	0.05	0.03	0.13
Netherlands	—	0.20	0.01	—	—	—	0.38	0.11	0.08	0.12
France	—	0.07	0.01	0.51	—	0.08	—	—	0.20	0.04
Belgium	—	—	—	—	—	0.01	0.06	—	—	—
Sweden	—	—	—	0.01	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ireland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.04	—	—
Other	0.04	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Information is not available on what proportion of each catch consists of commercially valuable species.

Flooding

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of households in England which are at risk from flooding; and if she will make a statement. [222351]

Mr. Morley: The most recent estimate of households at risk of flooding is based on data from the Environment Agency's 2004 National Flood Risk Assessment which is also used in the FloodMap available from their website. This identified just under 1.9 million households within the Extreme Flood Outline in England (with more than 0.1 per cent. probability of flooding in any year).

More than half of these households are in the low probability band (less than 0.5 per cent. probability of flooding in any year) and the majority of the remainder are in the moderate band (less than 1.3 per cent. probability in any year).

Over-30-month Scheme

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the over-30-month scheme will end. [222652]

Mr. Bradshaw: We do not expect any changes to the over-30-month scheme until September 2005 at the earliest.

Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the opportunities available to public sector food buyers and farmers under the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative; and if she will make a statement. [222453]

Alun Michael: Examples of developments which offer greater opportunities for local producers to compete for public sector business include: (a) to supply more fruit and vegetables under the expanding 5-A-Day scheme; (b) an increased demand for fresh and seasonal produce and (c) greater emphasis on quality.

Tobacco

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will urge the withdrawal of EU subsidies to farmers in EU member states to grow tobacco. [221644]

Alun Michael: The decision has already been made. In April 2004 the Agriculture Council decided that direct support for tobacco production in the European Community should cease after 2009.

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