9 Oct 2006 : Column 203W—continued
Farmers' Ages
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average age of farmers in England in each of the last 20 years. [88927]
Barry Gardiner:
The average age of agricultural holders is included in the Farm Structure Surveys. These surveys are held across all member states of the European Union four times every decade and are part funded by the European Commission. The latest Farm Structure Survey for holders in the UK is published on the DEFRA website http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/FFS1/default.asp.
Data from the Farm Structure Surveys show that the average age of holders in England was 53 years in 1990, 53 years in 1993, 54 years in 1995, 53 years in 1997, 54 years in 2000 and 55 years in 2003. These figures exclude ‘minor’(1 )holdings.
(1) ‘Minor’ holdings are holdings that fulfil ALL of the following criteria: less than six ha total area; fewer than 100 standard man days per year; no regular full time worker employed; less than 100 square metres of glasshouse area; and the occupier does not farm any other holding.
9 Oct 2006 : Column 204W
Flooding (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of the changes in future risk of flooding in Gloucestershire from (a) the Severn and (b) the Wye as a result of (i) human impact on the physical environment and (ii) climate change. [90179]
Ian Pearson:
The UK faces rising sea levels and more frequent floods and storms as a result of climate change, although there is still considerable uncertainty about the extent and timing of these changes.
In 2004, the then Office of Science and Technology’s Foresight report “Future Flooding” examined future flood and coastal defence in the UK. It found that annual economic losses to flooding would increase by the 2080s, although there is considerable uncertainty about the extent of that increase.
The Environment Agency integrates climate risk into its decision-making on flooding. For example, the Agency allows for an increase of 20 per cent. in peak flood flows in its assessment of future flood risk along the rivers Severn and Wye. It also assumes an annual 5 mm increase in predicted water levels in the Severn estuary as part of its planning for the possibility of future sea level rise.
Gangmasters
Derek Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many gangmasters are licensed in Kent to provide employees for supermarkets. [92657]
Barry Gardiner:
The gangmasters licensing scheme applies to labour providers who supply workers to work in agriculture, horticulture and the food processing and packaging sectors. It also applies to the supply and use of workers to gather shellfish. The scheme does not apply to the supply of labour to work in retail establishments, such as supermarkets.
As at 3 October 2006, 36 licence holders or applicants with headquarters located in Kent were recorded by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
GM Crops
Mr. Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what evidence the new guidelines on the safe distances between GM crops and to non-GM crops were based. [89189]
Ian Pearson:
The separation distances we have proposed in our consultation paper on the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops are based on a report by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). Both the consultation paper and the NIAB report can be found on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate /consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm and http://www 2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/More.asp?l=CB0 2039&M=KWS&V=CB02039&SCOPE=0 respectively.
9 Oct 2006 : Column 205W
Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the study of technologies for biological containment of GM and non-GM crops funded by his Department. [89939]
Ian Pearson:
DEFRA commissioned a desk study from the University of Reading into technologies for Biological containment, which was published in June 2006. On receipt of the study DEFRA referred it to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). ACRE's advice on this report can be found on the ACRE website at the following link:
Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the study evaluating the environmental impact of crop production practice conducted by Rothamsted Research on behalf of his Department. [89940]
Ian Pearson:
DEFRA has conducted a significant number of studies around the environmental impact of agricultural production practice, including several at Rothamsted Research. Rothamsted Research is currently leading a research project to provide an evidence-based specification for the assessment of indirect effects of novel crops or production practices on farmland ecology and wildlife. The project title is ‘Assessing the environmental impact of crop production practice: beyond the GM farm-scale evaluation (AR0317)’.
This research is about the development of assessment methodology. Further details are available on the DEFRA website at:
The research is ongoing and due for completion in early 2007. Thus, we have not yet made any assessment of conclusions.
9 Oct 2006 : Column 206W
Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) consultations and (b) Government funded studies related to GM crops are under way. [89941]
Ian Pearson:
DEFRA is currently consulting on proposed measures to ensure that GM, conventional and organic crops can coexist, should approved GM crops be grown here commercially in due course. Further details can be found on our website at:
DEFRA is also currently inviting comments on an application to conduct a research and development trial in England next year of a GM blight-resistant potato. Further background on this is available at:
Detailed information on GM-related research projects funded by DEFRA is being placed in the Libraries of the House.
Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on research into genetically modified crops in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) project and (b) funding stream; and how much it plans to spend over the next three years in each case. [89961]
Ian Pearson:
The following table contains information on research into genetically modified crops commissioned by DEFRA since its creation in 2001, and projects taken over by the Department from its predecessors, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. Information on future years’ spend is included where commitments extend into future years. The funding for each of these research projects came from DEFRA’s central research and development budget.
| DEFRA research projects on genetically modified organisms |
| | Cost (£) |
| Project code | Project title | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
|
AR0317
|
Assessing the environmental impact of crop production practice: beyond the GM farm-scale evaluation
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
AR1001
|
Scale-up of Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats to detect low frequency stable integrations
|
11,966
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
AR1002
|
Genetic transformation of wheat using Agrobacterium tumifaciens
|
14,093
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
AR1003
|
Reproducible Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems for wheat and barley
|
15,068
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
AR1005
|
BRACT—Biotechnology Resources for Arable Crop Transformation
|
0
|
0
|
228,106
|
313,281
|
|
CB02001
|
Farm-scale evaluations of GM beet and farmland wildlife
|
485,517
|
501,052
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02002
|
Farm-scale evaluations of GM maize and farmland wildlife
|
381,515
|
680,142
|
222,704
|
15,405
|
|
CB02003
|
Farm-scale evaluations of GM spring oilseed rape and wildlife
|
431,515
|
430,727
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02004
|
Farm-scale evaluations of GM winter oilseed rape and wildlife
|
354,811
|
440,316
|
255,896
|
0
|
|
RG0116
|
Farm-scale evaluations—contribution from MAFF
|
50,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02005
|
Monitoring gene flow from the GM crop to non-GM equivalent crops in the vicinity
|
76,406
|
90,340
|
12,772
|
25,544
|
|
CB02006
|
Gene flow monitoring: herbicide resistance genes to wild crop relatives
|
128,954
|
117,328
|
34,266
|
10,342
|
|
CB02007
|
Impact of Bt exudates from roots of GM plants
|
18,835
|
18,834
|
0
|
0
|
9 Oct 2006 : Column 207W
9 Oct 2006 : Column 208W
|
CB02008
|
Impact of transgenes for herbivore and virus resistance
|
104,830
|
0
|
50,142
|
0
|
|
CB02010
|
Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management I
|
0
|
150,564
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02011
|
Compositional traits—effect on GM survivability and persistence
|
0
|
14,981
|
34,964
|
0
|
|
CB02012
|
Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management II
|
0
|
114,781
|
23,731
|
0
|
|
CB02013
|
Biodiversity effects of management associated with GM cropping systems
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02014
|
Impacts of contemporary and alternative arable cropping systems
|
0
|
44,654
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02016
|
Assessment of the distribution of GM material in kernel lots
|
0
|
0
|
14,000
|
21,020
|
|
CB02017
|
Non-target effects of transgenic crop plants resistant to virus diseases
|
68,756
|
72,383
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02018
|
Determining risks to soil organisms associated with a genetically modified crop expressing a biopesticide in its roots
|
67,310
|
71,792
|
0
|
36,882
|
|
CB02019
|
Factors affecting rates of cross-pollination in maize growing under typical UK conditions
|
0
|
0
|
118,834
|
173,984
|
|
CB02020
|
Factors affecting cross-pollination in OSR growing under typical UK conditions
|
0
|
86,815
|
198,343
|
152,065
|
|
CB02021
|
Strategies for risk assessment, minimising the environmental impact of fungal disease-suppressing GM bacteria and plants
|
0
|
85,152
|
128,950
|
37,021
|
|
CB02022
|
Supply chain impacts of further regulation of products consisting of, containing or derived from GMOs
|
0
|
0
|
72,944
|
0
|
|
CB02023
|
Estimate consumer willingness to pay for reducing or eliminating GM products or derivatives in food and increasing robustness of the labelling regime
|
0
|
0
|
90,000
|
4,550
|
|
CB02024
|
Mechanisms for investigating changes in soil ecology due to GMO releases
|
0
|
0
|
24,892
|
24,892
|
|
CB02025
|
Insertion of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA into host genomes during natural viral infections
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
88,640
|
|
CB02026
|
Curation of the data collected in the farm-scale evaluations
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
82,731
|
|
CB02027
|
GM crop farm-scale evaluation results presentations and open meetings
|
0
|
0
|
60,105
|
0
|
|
CB02029
|
The statistical theory and analysis of GMO enforcement
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
24,779
|
|
CB02030
|
Support for the British Ornithologists’ Union conference on GM crops and birds
|
0
|
0
|
10,000
|
0
|
|
CB02031
|
Evaluation of the organisation and management of the GM farm-scale evaluations
|
0
|
0
|
16,000
|
0
|
|
CB02032
|
The potential for horizontal gene transfer from transgenic plants to fungi
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
86,273
|
|
CB02033
|
Monitoring occurrence of GM oilseed rape volunteers in subsequent oilseed rape crops at FSE sites
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
114,737
|
|
CB02034
|
Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergence
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
229,117
|
|
CB02035
|
Sustainable introduction of GMOs into European agriculture (SIGMEA)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
28,083
|
|
CB02036
|
Desk study on technologies for biological containment of GM and non-GM crops
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02037
|
Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergence—contract 2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02038
|
GM co-existence consultation—support for workshops
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10,431
|
|
CB02039
|
Review of separation distances and buffer crops for co-existence between GM and non-GM crops
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
43,295
|
|
CB02040
|
Quantitative approaches to the risk assessment of GM crops
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02041
|
RNA-mediated gene silencing mechanisms and their implications in plants
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02042
|
Availability and use of general surveillance information for potential changes resulting from GM crop cultivation
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02043
|
Agronomic and environmental implications of the establishment of GM herbicide tolerant problem weeds
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CB02044
|
COEXTRA (GM and non-GM supply chains: their CO-EXistence and TRAceability
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
9 Oct 2006 : Column 209W
9 Oct 2006 : Column 210W
|
CB02045
|
Detection and traceability technologies to underpin GM inspection and enforcement
|
0
|
0
|
40,193
|
19,278
|
|
CB02046
|
Plasmid standards for real time PCR and UKAS accreditation of GM enforcement testing
|
0
|
0
|
33,056
|
11,645
|
|
CE0158
|
Transformation of wheat by Agrobacterium co-cultivation
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CE0159
|
Development of a routine system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley
|
17,334
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CE0161
|
Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CE0171
|
Gene regulation in transgenic wheat including methods to increase expression and/or reduce variation in expression
|
78,054
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
CE0172
|
Use of maize and rice MAR sequences to stabilise the expression of transgenes in wheat
|
87,865
|
80,610
|
45,000
|
0
|
|
CE0173
|
Nuclear and plastid transformation of wheat and tritordeum using the streptomycin—selectable aadA marker gene
|
26,083
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
H0909SFV
|
Genetics of transformation and regeneration in horticultural brassicas.
|
90,155
|
37,634
|
0
|
0
|
|
H0915SMU
|
Molecular analysis of integrative transformants of the mushroom
|
114,380
|
117,239
|
0
|
0
|
|
H1020THN
|
Genetic modification of rootstocks for disease resistance in rose.
|
152,056
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
H1026SHN
|
Conventional and biotechnological genetic improvement of hardy nursery stock
|
126,734
|
129,902
|
0
|
0
|
|
H1031SSF
|
Tissue and plastid targeted transgene expression in a perennial plant, strawberry
|
82,068
|
94,777
|
183,528
|
0
|
|
H1616SPC
|
Modification of chrysanthemum growth habit thorough genetic manipulation.
|
54,600
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
H2119SSF
|
Control of transgene expression in strawberry.
|
36,846
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
H3706STF
|
Examination of gusA transgene expression in the fruit of transgenic apple plants driven by plant promotors
|
29,398
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
L0110LFV
|
Genetic modification of Brassica oleracea for resistance to turnip and cauliflower mosiac viruses.
|
38,454
|
21,556
|
0
|
0
|
|
HP0212
|
Suppression of sprouting in stored potato tubers by molecular manipulation of abscisic acid levels.
|
133,933
|
25,362
|
0
|
0
|
|
HP0218
|
Dormancy and water use effeciency in potato tubers
|
0
|
126,098
|
175,337
|
183,668
|
|
NF0507
|
Functional genomics in marine algae to discover genes that can be used to produce docosahexaenoic acid in oilseed crops
|
98,496
|
104,862
|
91,580
|
47,287
|
|
NF0511
|
Isolation, and expression in plants, of novel spider silk genes
|
69,061
|
63,300
|
32,518
|
0
|
|
NT2305
|
Developing wheat genotypes with reduced nitrogen requirement by manipulation to decrease Rubisco content
|
26,902
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
PH0301
|
Containment of GM plant viruses
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10,038
|
|
RG0113
|
Risk assessment and hazard evaluation for GM bacteria used in the biological control of fungal disease of crops
|
64,696
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
RG0114
|
Consequences for agriculture of the introduction of GM crops
|
32,574
|
27,264
|
0
|
0
|
|
RG0115
|
A generic mathematical model for the integrated management of a crop containing antifeedant genes
|
59,050
|
14,912
|
0
|
0
|
|
RG0123
|
A desk study on the pollination distances of genetically modified crops
|
1,280
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
VS0123
|
Methods for the detection of adventitious GM material in non-GM seed
|
33,333
|
6,667
|
0
|
0
|
|
VS0126
|
Prediction, sampling and management of GM impurities in fields and harvested yields of oilseed rape
|
0
|
0
|
49,837
|
98,962
|
|
VS0130
|
Desk study to review methods for sampling seed lots to determine the presence of GM material
|
16,658
|
7,332
|
0
|
0
|
