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13 Dec 2005 : Column 1845W—continued
Cockle Beds (Pilling Sands)
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries will make an official visit to Pilling Sands before a decision is taken by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee to re-open cockle beds there. [34871]
Mr. Bradshaw: The decision to re-open cockle beds at Pilling Sands rests with the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee. I have no plans to make an official visit to Pilling Sands.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 30 November 2005, Official Report, columns 505–06W, on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, if she will list the additional green spaces that have become accessible in Worcestershire as a result of the Access Management Grant Scheme. [36244]
Jim Knight: A new right of public access on foot to open country and registered common land was created by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and was commenced in Worcestershire on 31 October 2005. The Access Management Grant Scheme is intended to facilitate public access to this land, by helping to pay for local management planning/consultation, and for on-site infrastructure such as gates, stiles and signage. Public access to the following areas of access land in Worcestershire has been facilitated through the provision of on-site infrastructure under the Scheme:
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Dairy Herds
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average size is of a dairy herd in England. [35225]
Jim Knight: The average size of a dairy herd in England is 88 cows.
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of changes in the size of dairy herds since 1970. [35228]
Jim Knight: The number of dairy cows in England from 1970 to 2005 are shown in the following table.
(12) 2005 figure is provisional.
Notes:
1. Data prior to 2000 excludes minor holdings, data after 2000 includes all holdings.
2. Dairy herd classified as all dairy cows and heifers that have calved.
Source:
June Agricultural Survey.
Since 1984 UK production has been constrained by milk quota where penalties are incurred if total production goes over pre set limits. During this period
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cow numbers have declined while average milk yield per cow has increased allowing total production to remain relatively stable at the level of quota.
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK dairy farmers have cattle herds of over 1,000. [35231]
Jim Knight: There a very few (under five) holdings with more than 1,000 dairy cows. To protect confidentiality of individual holding information as required by the Agricultural Statistics Act (1979), we are not able to release the precise number given the small numbers involved.
Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her Department's employees have taken early retirement in each year since 1997. [34045]
Jim Knight: Defra was created in June 2001 and the following table shows the number of employees who have taken early retirement since then.
| Defra | Executive Agencies | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001(13) | 22 | 5 |
| 2002 | 57 | 7 |
| 2003 | 72 | 9 |
| 2004 | 64 | 14 |
| 2005(14) | 53 | 19 |
| Total | 268 | 54 |
(13) 9 June to 31 December.
(14) 1 January to 30 November.
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The above figures include those who have retired voluntarily with an actuarially reduced pension, those who have retired with benefits under the civil service compensation scheme and those who have retired on ill-health grounds.
Fishing Jurisdiction (Isle of Man)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent (a) discussions, (b) meetings and (c) correspondence she has had with the Isle of Man Government in relation to the extent of its fishing jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement. [35318]
Mr. Bradshaw: There have been no discussions, or meetings between the Isle of Man Government and DEFRA Ministers in relation to its recent proposals to extend the Isle of Man's fishing jurisdiction from 3 to 12 miles. I have had correspondence from the Isle of Man Government regarding the proposals and DEFRA, along with the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland, consulted stakeholders on them in the summer. A decision on the outcome of the consultation will be communicated to the Isle of Man Government in due course.
Milk Price
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average retail price is of a litre of milk in the (a) UK and (b) each EU member state; and if she will make a statement. [35226]
Jim Knight: Average retail prices per litre of milk from 1975 to 1993 are shown in the following table. More recent prices of milk are only available from the statistical offices in the member states and would take disproportionate cost to collate.
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n/a = price not available.
(15) Annual average price for one litre of shop bought milk and one litre of delivered milk.
(16) Price as at January.
Sources:
(17) Office for National Statistics—Average consumer prices
(18) Milk Marketing Board EEC Dairy Facts and Figures. 1979, 1982, 1986 and 1993
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the average real terms price per litre of milk in (a) the UK and (b) each EU member state in each year since 1975. [35227]
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Jim Knight: EUROSTAT publish selected indices of consumer prices in member states. There is no index available for milk, but there is a combined index for prices of milk, cheese and eggs. The index (based on 1996=100) in real terms is shown in the following table. Information is only readily available from 1995.
n/a = Not available.
Source:
EUROSTAT, harmonised index of consumer prices.
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Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average wholesale price per litre of milk paid to UK dairy farmers was in the latest period for which figures are available. [35229]
Jim Knight: The following table is taken from the latest DEFRA statistics notice and shows the most recent UK farm-gate prices up to September 2005.
(19) Data from this point are provisional.
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between supermarkets and dairy farmers; and if she will make a statement. [35230]
Jim Knight:
Supermarkets and dairy farmers have an indirect commercial relationship largely through intermediary companies such as milk buyers and processors. We are encouraging dialogue between all parts of the supply chain through the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, chaired by my noble Friend, the Lord Bach, as we believe the challenges facing the sector can be solved only by collaborative action.
13 Dec 2005 : Column 1852W
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the average real terms retail price per litre of milk in the UK in each year since 1975. [35232]
Jim Knight: An index (based on 1975 = 100) of milk prices in real terms is shown in the following table. In real terms the retail price of milk has been broadly stable over the last few years.
Source:
Office of National Statistics, Retail Price Index
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the wholesale price per litre of milk paid to UK farmers in each year since 1975. [35233]
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Jim Knight: The following table provides the weighted average farmgate price for the UK from 1970 to 2004.
(20) Average prices have been calculated from separate monthly surveys of milk purchasers conducted in England and Wales by Defra, in Scotland by SEERAD and in Northern Ireland by DARD. The surveys were introduced following changes to the milk marketing arrangements in 1994–95. The farm gate price is the average price received by producers, net of delivery charges. No deduction has been made for the superlevy.
(21) Prices exclude any retrospective bonuses made by purchasers. Provisional from 2004 onwards.
(22) Prices include any retrospective bonuses made by purchasers. Provisional from 2004 onwards.
Sources: Eurostat (1970 to 1994), from Milk Marketing Board statistics Defra, SEERAD and DARD (1995 onwards).including bonus pay.
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