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28 Feb 2008 : Column 1850W—continued
Bovine Tuberculosis: Devon
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals removed from farms in Devon as a result of investigations of suspected or confirmed cases of tuberculosis were returned to the human food chain in each of the last five years. [189049]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 26 February 2008]: The following table provides data for 2003 to 2007 on (a) the number of cattle removed from farms in Devon for TB control reasons; (b) the number of cattle with TB suspected at routine slaughterhouse inspection and (c) of these, the number of cattle where infection with Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) was subsequently unconfirmed at post mortem examination.
Responsibility for inspecting TB carcasses and their associated offal rests with the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). Under the EU food hygiene regulations, all the animals from Devon herds with no visible tuberculosis lesions, plus any cattle from those herds with visible tuberculosis lesions localised in one organ or one part of the carcase, will have been considered fit for human consumption by the MHS.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Finance
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money was spent by his Department on the destruction of animals identified as having contracted bovine tuberculosis in 2007. [189543]
Jonathan Shaw: The relative TB Control costs for DEFRA in 2006-07 were:
| 2006-07 | |
| Activity | £ million |
| Notes: 1. Cattle testing—the cost of carrying out the testing of cattle for TB by arranging, assessing and monitoring tests, conducting investigations of incident herds and diagnostic testing by Local Veterinary Inspectors on behalf of DEFRA. NB: These costs include Scotland and Wales (funded by DEFRA). 2. Compensation—includes payments for ‘reactors’ and ‘contact animals’ which are compulsorily slaughtered. This includes ‘salvage’ money received by the Government for those carcasses which are permitted to go into the food chain or are eligible for over thirty month scheme payments. NB: These costs include Scotland and Wales and are funded by their respective Governments. 3. Surveillance activity by the VLA—includes all DEFRA funded work carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency relating to TB in cattle and badgers including the supply of tuberculin. 4. HQ/Overheads—includes staff costs for veterinary advice and administration of TB policy in England, Scotland and Wales. | |
Carbon Emissions: Aviation
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the climate change impact of UK aviation in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187419]
Mr. Woolas: In 2005, it is estimated that international and domestic UK aviation (includes all flights that take off from, and land at, a UK airport) accounted for 37.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), or 6.4 per cent. of UK emissions. This takes no account of the radiative forcing impact of the release of emissions at altitude, not does it reflect the climate impact of aircraft contrails or emissions of other gases not controlled under the Kyoto protocol.
Coastal Fishing
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has received to plans to permit 30 inshore trawlers from Hartlepool, Lowestoft and the Thames Estuary to land all of their catch above minimum landing sizes; whether they will be compensated; and if he will make a statement. [188432]
Jonathan Shaw: On 5 February 2008, I announced a pilot project to assess the environmental impacts of inshore fisheries.
Owners of inshore fishing vessels that target quota stocks and operate (i) off the north east coast centred around Hartlepool, (ii) off the east coast centred around Lowestoft, and (iii) in the Thames Estuary, will be invited to participate. The pilot will collect information on a range of indicators including fishing method, catches, discards, marketing and fuel consumption. This, and other information, will help inform the implementation of Fisheries 2027, a long-term vision for sustainable fisheries. DEFRA officials have spoken with a number of fishermen from the above areas who have expressed an interest in participating in the pilot and, in due course, they will be holding meetings in the three pilot areas to discuss details of the Scheme. I have not offered compensation but costs of equipping participating vessels will be met by DEFRA. I will consider extending the pilot to recreational fishing following a review of the first six months of the Scheme which I aim to have operational by the summer.
Common Fisheries Policy
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether he has discussed reforming the Common Fisheries Policy with his EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement; [188420]
(2) whether he attended the informal Council meeting of 18 February 2008 on the reform of EU fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement; [188421]
(3) what discussions were held at the informal Council meeting of 18 February 2008 on the reform of the EU fisheries policy; what his policy is on Common Fisheries Policy reform; and if he will make a statement. [188422]
Jonathan Shaw: The UK Government are still considering their overall approach to the 2012 reform of the common fisheries policy and have not therefore begun substantive discussions with their European counterparts. We do, however, intend to engage with them and the European Commission at an early stage to ensure the effectiveness of any new policy.
My noble Friend, the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health (Lord Rooker) attended the Informal Meeting of Ministers on 18 February. He participated in the discussion on the Commission’s proposed response to the Court of Auditors’ special report on the EU’s control, inspection and sanction systems, and the Commission’s proposals for reform and modernisation of the control system.
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress has been made in mapping land as defined by section 15(1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; [188447]
(2) what the cost of mapping land as defined by section 15(1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has been to date; [188448]
(3) what assessment he has made of the implications of changes to Natural England’s budget for the mapping of land as defined by section 15(1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [188449]
Jonathan Shaw: In 2003 the Countryside Agency (now Natural England) let a contract to identify land as defined by Section 15(1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW). The research considered records available through publicly accessible archives, DEFRA, local authorities and some private sources. From the data obtained, a map was developed that shows where land mapped as open country, registered common land or land dedicated under Section 16 of CROW is affected by one or more Section 15 enactment. That map and associated information is available through Natural England’s Open Access website.
The majority of the cost of mapping land subject to Section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 was integral to the costs of preparing maps of registered common land under Section 4(1 )(a) of CROW. The cost of researching and mapping all other categories of land defined by Section 15 of CROW to date has been £260,000.
It is a matter for the Board of Natural England to propose in its corporate plan what priority to give to individual projects in the light of the financial settlement it has received.
Departmental Civil Service Agencies
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will announce the budgets for his Department’s executive agencies for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [188437]
Jonathan Shaw: Details of DEFRA’s 2008-09 budgets were announced by the Secretary of State on 21 February. Net controlled executive agencies recover their full economic costs through charges to their customers, including DEFRA, and so do not appear within the detail of the budget announcement. Budget details for gross controlled executive agencies are shown in the table as follows.
| £ million | |||
| 2008-09 | |||
| Programme | Cap | Total | |
| (1 )OCDS (Older Cattle Disposal Scheme) ends February 2009. | |||
Departmental Databases
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what databases are (a) owned and (b) maintained by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies. [185413]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA and its agencies own or maintain a wide range of databases reflecting its diverse policy and regulatory functions. Some of these databases contain large numbers of individual datasets. In addition DEFRA purchases licences for many external datasets to help in its research and analytical activities. A detailed list could be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department.
Departmental Grants
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will announce the grant-in-aid packages his Department will distribute in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [188438]
Jonathan Shaw: Details of DEFRA’s 2008-09 budgets, including grant-in-aid for arms length bodies, were announced by the Secretary of State on 21 February.
Details of 2008-09 budgets for arms length bodies are as follows:
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