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Common Agricultural Policy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the representations she has received concerning the effect of Common Agricultural Policy subsidy reductions on sugar cane on the sugar cane industry in Swaziland. [17936]

Jim Knight: In February of this year the then Minister for Food and Farming, Lord Whitty, met the Prime Minister of Swaziland to discuss the reform of the EU sugar regime and its impact on Swaziland. The Secretary of State, in her capacity as President of the EU Agriculture Council, has chaired a meeting between the Agriculture Council and representatives of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACPs) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Brussels on 19 September. Swaziland was represented at that meeting at ministerial level. Several meetings have taken place with ACP representatives to discuss sugar reform at both ministerial and Official level.

The Secretary of State has also received a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of the Swaziland Sugar Association concerning the proposed reforms of the EU sugar regime. In addition DEFRA has received several letters concerning the reforms from ACP countries collectively and received a large number of letters from members of the public concerned about development issues arising from the proposed reforms.

Dog Registration

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will implement a dog registration scheme to fund stray animal care. [17452]

Mr. Bradshaw: We have no plans to introduce a dog registration scheme. Funding for stray dogs will come from existing budgets and those received from the police, as well as dog owners themselves. Dog owners
 
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are required to pay £25 on top of the cost accrued for maintaining their dog while in the custody of the local authority.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Agreements

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on farmers of the ending of the environmentally sensitive areas agreements. [19496]

Jim Knight: The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) scheme began in 1987 when farmers were offered 10-year agreements to protect and enhance the flora and fauna on their land. The Government have always encouraged farmers to enter into another agreement at the end of their existing 10-year agreement. The Environmental Stewardship (ES) scheme, introduced this year, comprises the new Entry Level Stewardship, which is open to all farmers in England, and the more targeted Higher Level Stewardship. Higher Level Stewardship will replace the ESA and Countryside Stewardship (CSS) schemes, which were closed to new applicants in 2004.

Under ES, the Government will continue their policy of encouraging farmers to enter into new agreements when their previous ESA and CSS agreements expire. This year an additional one million hectares has already been brought into ES, bringing the total area in these schemes to 2.3 million hectares. The Government have also made available an extra £150 million a year for new ES agreements.

Flood Defences (Oxfordshire)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the flood mitigation measures on Lakes H and I at Radley Lakes, Oxfordshire; and whether measures are planned to improve the operation of the sluice gates there. [18297]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for flood risk management in England and, as part of this, advises local planning authorities on flood risk with respect to planning applications.

A private company—RWE npower—is responsible for managing these lakes and for any flood mitigation measures associated with them. The Agency recently advised Oxfordshire county council on flood risk with respect to a planning application from RWE npower relating to Lakes H and I.

Following discussion with the Agency, RWE npower revised their proposal to address Agency concerns, specifically on the ability of the lakes to store flood water and the sizing of flood relief pipes to allow flood water to pass into the lakes at a suitable rate to alleviate flooding in the Radley area.

The Agency is not aware of any proposal to alter operation of the sluice gates.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries
 
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undergoing a foot and mouth disease outbreak are subject to import control measures initiated by the UK; and if she will make a statement. [18214]

Mr. Bradshaw: The rules for imports of meat are the subject of EU rules. Imports are not permitted from countries or areas of countries where foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic.

The UK has not initiated any import control measures on any countries which are undergoing a foot and mouth disease outbreak, other than those initiated by the European Commission.

Following a recent outbreak of FMD in Brazil, imports of bovine meat and offal from the regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana, and Sao Paulo, have been banned.

Foot and Mouth Disease (Brazil)

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on reports of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Brazil; and what steps she is taking to restrict beef imports from that country. [19126]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 18 October 2005]: The Brazilian authorities reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease on the 8 October 2005.

The EU Commission advised member states of the outbreak in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso du Sol on 10 October 2005 and advised that a meeting to discuss a proposal to ban imports of meat and offal from the affected Brazilian States would be held on the 12 October 2005.

We applied measures implementing the ban in line with the EU proposal on the 11 October 2005.

Following discussion in Brussels on 12 October 2005 revised measures were agreed banning imports from Mato Grosso du Sol, Sao Paulo and Parana. We amended our measures to reflect these changes on 13 October 2005.

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries have suspended imports of Brazilian beef following the reported outbreak of foot and mouth in Brazil. [19225]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 18 October 2005]: All EU member states are taking the same action—banning the import of fresh de-boned and matured bovine meat and the offal from bovine animals from the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso du Sol, Sao Paulo and Parana.

Other non EU countries will be aware of the situation in the Brazilian States and will be taking action of their own. However, we have no record of the actions taken by non EU countries.

Gamebirds

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce legislation to ban the production of gamebirds for the purpose of shooting them for sport. [16873]

Mr. Bradshaw: No.
 
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Herbicides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on (a) farmers and (b) the environment of herbicide resistance in wild plants; and if she will make a statement. [17141]

Mr. Morley: Herbicide resistance in weeds and other wild plants can occur naturally over time as a response to exposure to certain herbicides. It is an agronomic problem well known to farmers, agronomists and the crop protection industry all over the world. Responsible use of herbicides can mitigate the problem.

In the wider environment beyond the cropped areas of farms, herbicide tolerant weeds are not normally an issue as herbicides are not routinely used in such areas.

The approval and use of herbicides is closely regulated to ensure protection of the environment.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the spread of the herbicide tolerant gene found in charlock in the Government's farm-scale evaluation; and if she will make a statement. [17142]

Mr. Morley: Researchers from the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology were commissioned by Defra to monitor for gene flow between the GM crops grown in the farm-scale evaluations and wild plants. Over 60,000 charlock seeds and 700 charlock plants were checked. The researchers reported the possible finding of a single hybrid between oilseed rape and the wild plant charlock (the scientists were unable to confirm that it was in fact a hybrid). The researchers returned to the site the following year and found no trace of any charlock plants carrying the herbicide tolerant gene. This was to be expected as I am advised that even if a hybrid charlock plant existed it would be unlikely to produce fertile seed and would not persist.

There are therefore no immediate implications of this research. The results of this study have been passed to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and will be used along with other information in assessment of any future proposals to grow GM oilseed rape. We have also commissioned a review of the risks associated with the cultivation of herbicide tolerant oilseed rape, with emphasis on hybridization with wild relatives which is due for completion at the end of the year.

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