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Fisheries

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote larger mesh nets for fishing boats to permit smaller fish to escape the nets. [13440]

Mr. Bradshaw: Mesh sizes have been increased progressively over a number of years. For example, the mesh size for targeting cod was 80 mm when the Common Fisheries Policy was introduced in the 1980s, was increased to 100 mm in the early 1990s and is now 120 mm in the North Sea and west of Scotland. The most significant problems for the adoption of higher mesh sizes is in mixed fisheries where fish of different sizes are caught together. European Union funding of up to 40 per cent. is available for fishermen to adopt environmentally friendly fishing methods such as more selective gear to reduce impact on fish stocks (e.g. hand lining, separator trawls, benthic release panels).
 
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Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote diversification in the fishing industry, with particular reference to tourism and leisure. [13441]

Mr. Bradshaw: Defra has tasked the Regional Development Agencies to increase their role in rural economic development and this has a strategic fit with their regional responsibilities for the development of leisure and tourism as an industry. While the RDAs are best placed to understand the needs of their regions many of the lagging rural districts, identified by Defra and regional partners, contain fishing ports and their needs will form a key part of strategic plans for an area.

We liaise with RDAs to keep them informed of prospects for the fishing industry and to provide advice on local fisheries developments, which influence planning for diversification.

The new EU grant scheme for fisheries under negotiation in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council will include powers from 2007 to grant aid diversification from fisheries. We will consider how to make best use of those provisions in conjunction with the new Rural Development Regulation.

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce bureaucracy for the fishing industry. [13439]

Mr. Bradshaw: Better regulation and simplification of legislation are a priority for the Department. We have already improved application procedures for the fisheries grant scheme and are appointing facilitators to help fishermen through the process. We are rewriting other guidance for fishermen, beginning with material on licensing procedures.

We are working with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on a joint research project to identify specific reforms which should be a priority for action.

Most fisheries legislation originates in the EU and it is a priority for the UK Presidency to get simplification of EU law. The Commission has agreed to bring forward an action plan for fisheries by the end of the year, and we will be proposing specific issues which need early attention.

Flood Defences

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much central Government funding has been made available for the improvement of flood defences in the Reading, East constituency in each year since 1997; and what plans she has to provide additional funding. [13768]

Mr. Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's activities in this area and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities primarily) to support their investment in improvement works.
 
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The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for management of flood risk. The agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies. Since 1997 the agency has spent £3.78 million in the Reading, East constituency mainly on the reconstruction of two weirs, namely Caversham on the River Thames and Blakes Lock on the River Kennet. An additional average of about £25,000 a year has also been spent on general maintenance of watercourses in the Reading, East constituency. Much of this work has been keeping the channel clear of debris such as supermarket trolleys and vehicles.

Defra has not provided grant aid for improvement projects to local authorities in the constituency during this period although they may have received some support for their own spend on flood risk management through the Office of the Deputy Prime Ministers local government finance mechanism.

Total Government funding has increased from £310 million per year in 1996–97 to £570 million. We plan to maintain this level up to 2007–08 (the last year of the current spending review period with its real value being maintained by efficiency savings in the agency.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much central Government funding has been made available for the improvement of flood defences, broken down by London constituency, in each year since 1995; what plans she has to provide additional funding; and if she will make a statement. [14986]

Mr. Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's activities in this area and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities primarily) to support their investment in improvement works.

The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for management of flood risk. The Agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies. Defra funding to local authorities is allocated to individual improvement projects which may span more than one constituency. The information requested has not been recorded centrally and I regret I am not able to answer the question without incurring disproportionate cost. However I did write to all Members in February to notify them of projects approved and/or completed since May 1997 in the counties in which their constituencies are located together with the cost of the projects. The full list was placed in the Library and also published on the Defra website.

Total Government funding has increased from £310 million per year in 1996–97 to £570 million. We plan to maintain this level up to 2007–08 with its real value being maintained by efficiency savings in the Agency.

GM Animal Feed

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what published and peer-reviewed feeding studies Government policy
 
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that approved varieties of GM animal feed are not a long-term danger to farm animals or to consumers of the products of those animals is based. [12181]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

The assessment of genetically modified (GM) materials for use in animal feed is conducted on a case by case basis and involves the scrutiny of a range of data relevant to the material for which approval is being sought, including results from animal feeding studies. There is no requirement for the data provided for assessment to be peer-reviewed and published in the scientific literature, although in many cases data has been through this process. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the application dossiers by expert panels involves detailed and independent scrutiny of the data. GM crops are only considered for approval if they are judged by the expert assessors to meet strict safety criteria.

Hormone Disruptors

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for the environment of the release of hormone disrupting substances; and whether these are linked to the incidence of breast cancer. [13449]

Mr. Morley: The Department is funding a considerable research programme to improve our understanding of the possible implications for the environment of exposure to hormone (endocrine) disrupting substances, in conjunction with other Government Departments and Agencies.

We have completed specific programmes of research on endocrine disruption in the marine environment (EDMAR) and in invertebrates and top predators (EDIT). We commissioned a new programme, Endocrine Disruption in Aquatic Environments (EDAQ)", in 2003. We have also made a considerable contribution to investigations into the potential impacts of sewage effluents on freshwater fish.

The development of breast cancer is a complex issue and there are several recognised risk factors, including lifestyle and diet. However, there is currently no convincing evidence to link chemicals in the environment to breast cancer.

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