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19 Dec 2005 : Column 2372W—continued
Animal Feed
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) feed barley and (b) feed wheat was produced in the United Kingdom in each year since 2001–02. [37250]
Jim Knight: Estimates of the quantity of wheat and barley used for animal feed in the UK are given in the following table:
For confidentiality reasons home grown barley figures are not available from 2002–03.
Excludes exports of UK produced wheat and barley. Information on the end use of exports is not available and therefore the quantity of exports subsequently used for animal feed is not known.
Animal TB
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the number of (a) cats and (b) ferrets identified with Type 13 TB in (i) England and (ii) Sussex. [38736]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Bovine TB does affect both cats and ferrets. The incidence seems low, but TB in these species is not notifiable. So far this year in Great Britain, the Veterinary Laboratory Agency has diagnosed nine cases of bovine TB in cats, and one case in a ferret. Of these, spoligotype 13 has been isolated from one cat, and the ferret. Both of these animals came from the East Sussex area.
The disclosure of TB lesions will become officially notifiable in farmed and pet mammals when the new TB (England) Order comes into force on 20 February 2006.
Bovine TB
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many badgers have been identified as infected with tuberculosis following the implementation of testing of badgers involved in road traffic accidents; and if she will remove the protected status of badgers in infected areas. [38475]
Mr. Bradshaw: From the beginning of 2002 until the end of 2004, 1,876 badgers were cultured for bovine TB as part of the seven counties road traffic accident survey. 324 badgers were found to be positive.
Protected status does not prohibit the culling of badgers in appropriate circumstances, so its removal is not a consideration at this time.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the welfare implications for cattle placed under tuberculosis restriction. [38476]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 makes it an offence to cause or allow unnecessary pain or distress to livestock. And the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 set out general welfare, inspection, housing and feeding rules for all farm animals. Enforcement action is taken against farmers who do not comply with this legislation.
The State Veterinary Service (SVS) enforces the legislation. Its staff conducts regular farm inspections to check compliance.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to halt (a) the geographic spread of tuberculosis in cattle and (b) the decline in the number of ground nesting birds in areas affected by tuberculosis. [38477]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government will introduce statutory pre-movement testing of cattle in England from 20 February 2006. This will reduce the risk of spreading TB to areas of the country where the incidence is low. It will also help to reduce the spread of TB between herds in high risk areas.
Evidence is being gathered about the effect of badgers on ground nesting birds. This is being done through a DEFRA-funded project investigating the ecological consequences of badger removal. Some of this work has been conducted in treatment areas of the randomised badger culling trial. The project also involves an
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exhaustive literature review and experimental field research using artificial bird nests. The results from the project will be presented to DEFRA in March 2007.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of tuberculosis testing for bovine tuberculosis was in each of the last three years; and what the costs of culling animals affected by tuberculosis were in each year. [38478]
Mr. Bradshaw: Summary of GB TB expenditure for periods 2002–03 to 2004–05.
| Activity | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle Testing | 24.7 | 33.2 | 36.4 |
| Compensation | 31.9 | 34.4 | 35.0 |
| Culling Trial | 6.6 | 7.3 | 7.2 |
| Other Research | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.7 |
| VLA | 4.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| HQ/Overheads | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Total | 74.5 | 88.2 | 90.5 |
TB expenditure in 2003–04 increased by 18.4 per cent. on 2002–03.
TB expenditure for 2004–05 shows increase of 2.6 per cent. on 2003–04.
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage more countries to sign the international agreement on the conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. [36089]
Jim Knight: The United Kingdom, as a contracting party to the agreement on the conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) and as the current chair of the Advisory Committee, strongly supports the ACAP secretariat in its efforts to encourage more non-party range states to sign up to the agreement.
To reinforce those efforts, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office approached several countries last year, including Japan, Korea, Brazil, Peru and Chile, encouraging them to join ACAP. Peru have since ratified the Agreement.
Correspondence
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Brent East, dated 9 December 2004, regarding Ms Rosanna Kelly. [37742]
Mr. Bradshaw: I apologise for failing to reply to the hon. Member. This was due to an administrative error. I have commissioned an urgent reply.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many secondees there have been to her Department from
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consultancy firms, including the Big Four accountancy firms, in each of the last three years; and what areas of the Department they have worked in. [37359]
Jim Knight: In the last three years there have been no recorded secondments to DEFRA from the Big Four accountancy firms.
DEFRA has though seconded a large number of individuals from a wide variety of other organisations but establishing which of these organisations may havea consultancy strand would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
The term 'secondee' refers to a person 'borrowed' from an organisation outside the civil service for a period of between three months and three years (exceptionally five years), without affecting employment status. During the secondment period the 'secondee' remains an employee of the parent organisation but is expected to abide by the DEFRA Staff Handbook and the Official Secrets Act. Secondees are expected to undertake the full range of duties attached to the post. At the end of the secondment the 'secondee' returns to the parent organisation.
Departmental Property
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid by her Department in rent for properties in (a) total, (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK and (c) London in 2004–05. [35953]
Jim Knight: The amount of rent paid by DEFRA in 2004–05 is given in the following table:
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