---

9 Mar 2006 : Column 1678W—continued

Expert Advisers

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, column 2379W, on expert advisers, how her Department satisfies itself that the evidence provided by the candidate is appropriate to the post; whether applicants have to declare their interests in writing; and if she will institute a system by which the Department makes an independent record of declarations of conflicts of interest given at the end of papers published in scientific journals by applicants. [56814]

Jim Knight: All candidates for membership of Defra's statutory advisory bodies are appointed through the full Office of the Commissioner for Public Affairs (Nolan) process. The process demands that candidates notify the Department of any conflicts of interest in their application form. The appointment process is overseen by an independent assessor. The appointing panel has to make a judgment that the evidence provided by the candidate together with supporting references is appropriate to the post.

Genetic Use Restriction Technologies

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the dates of meetings attended by (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department at which varietal genetic use restriction technologies were discussed since 1 January 2005; and with whom each meeting was held. [55033]

Mr. Morley: Varietal genetic use restriction technologies were discussed recently at a meeting which my hon. friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for
 
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1679W
 
Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity held with a number of representatives of non-governmental organisations on 15 February 2006.

These technologies are a subject which has arisen several times in meetings attended both by Ministers and officials of this Department since 1 January 2005. Unfortunately, however, no records are kept which would allow the compilation of a definitive and comprehensive list of all the meetings attended by Ministers and officials at which these technologies were discussed since that date.

GM Crops

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received regarding GM crops, with particular reference to the developing world. [55509]

Mr. Morley: My ministerial colleagues and I receive regular representations from a wide variety of stakeholders on a on a broad range of issues related to GM crops and their possible cultivation in the UK.

With regard to the Government's policy on the use of GM crops in developing countries, this is a matter formy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development.

Illegal Logging

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Prime Minister plans to discuss illegal logging during his visit to Indonesia; and what measures he plans to take to tackle illegal logging. [55418]

Mr. Morley: Details of the Prime Minister's visits will be announced in due course by the Official Spokesman.

The UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia in 2002 that commits both countries to work together to tackle illegal logging and the associated trade. DFID also supports the Multistakeholder Forestry Programme in Indonesia that, among other things, supports efforts to improve forest governance.

The EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation was adopted by EU Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers in December 2005. This will allow the EU to enter into agreements with timber-producing countries and provide them with assistance to tackle illegal logging. This assistance will include a licensing system designed to identify products and license them for export to the EU. The licensing scheme will be reinforced by powers for Customs to prevent the import of unlicensed timber.

A FLEGT Partnership Agreement between Indonesia and the EU would help fulfil the commitments under the Indonesia-UK MoU on Illegal Logging. The UK is working with Indonesia, other EU Member States and the European Commission towards this.

Modification Orders

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average length of time local authorities in England took to make rights of way modification orders in 2004–05; how many
 
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1680W
 
orders (a) Gloucestershire, (b) Herefordshire and (c) Worcestershire have outstanding; and what percentage of orders were successful. [56486]

Jim Knight Local highway authorities are responsible for the management of rights of way and therefore all information relating to modification orders is held by them and not central Government. The information on the length of time for local authorities in England to make modification orders and the percentage of successful orders could only be gathered at a disproportionate cost. Under schedule 5 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 surveying authorities had to establish a register of definitive map modification order applications by 31 December 2005. Gloucestershire has 105 outstanding applications, Herefordshire 100 and Worcestershire 119.

Pesticides

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which the advisory committee on pesticides has complied with the guidelines on scientific analysis in policy making from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in its consideration of the impact of pesticide use on bystanders. [54438]

Mr. Morley: Ministers believe that the Advisory Committee on Pesticides has adhered to the relevant provisions within the Chief Scientific Advisers guidelines in all areas of its work.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether the margins of safety allowed for in the risk assessment of pesticides are sufficient to protect the foetus. [54439]

Mr. Morley: In order for a pesticide to gain approval in the United Kingdom an extensive range of toxicological tests must be performed. These tests incorporate an extensive group of rigorous study protocols to address the health issues that have been shown to be relevant to pesticide exposure such as issues of acute and chronic toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, reproductive effects, developmental (foetal) toxicity and others. Reference doses for acceptable human exposures to pesticides are derived by applying assessment (safety) factors to the dose that produces no adverse effects in the most sensitive, relevant animal study. The factor is normally 100, made up of 10 fold for the assumption that humans are more sensitive than the most sensitive animal species tested, and 10 fold for sub-populations of humans (including the foetus) that may be more sensitive than the norm. There will always be a minimum 'safety' margin of 100 between a dose causing no effects on the foetus in animal studies and the acceptable human exposure to a pesticide. This approach is in line with risk assessment practices for chemicals both nationally and internationally.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will rename the Advisory Committee on Pesticides as the Advisory Committee on Pest Management and make the appropriate consequent changes to its remit. [54441]

 
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1681W
 

Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Pesticides was established in accordance with Section 16(7) of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. This sets out its terms of reference as follows;

'to give them [Ministers] advice, either when requested to do so or otherwise, on any matters relating to the control of pests in furthering the general purposes of this Act.'

The Control of Pesticides (Advisory Committee on Pesticides) Order 1985 established and named the Committee. There are no plans at this time to change either the name or the remit of this Committee.

Queen's Birthday

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to celebrate Her Majesty's 80th birthday; what advice she has issued to her Department's executive agencies on celebrations for the birthday; and if she will make a statement. [54194]

Jim Knight: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport sent a letter to each Department at the beginning of January listing dates that the Union Jack is to be flown. These included Her Majesty's actual birthday. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) proposes to fly a flag at 55 Whitehall, London, in honour of the occasion.

Defra also proposes to plant a tree in its nature reserve in Wales or at Watchtree Nature Reserve in Cumbria.

We are not aware of any other centrally organised events to celebrate the Queen's actual birthday.

---