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18 Mar 2010 : Column 1008W—continued
Livestock
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect on the UK's (a) food security and (b) environment of (i) decoupling and (ii) reduction in livestock numbers. [322852]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A market-driven and consumer focused agricultural sector is crucial for European and global food security. Removing the distortive link between direct payments and production allows farmers to respond more readily to market requirements and should therefore have a positive effect on food security.
Production data shows that while livestock numbers have fallen slightly in recent years, with decoupling of the common agricultural policy (CAP) support being a factor in this decline, both the value and volume of meat production has increased through higher yields. The effect of declining animal numbers on production will be partly offset by increases in productivity, such as higher milk yields and lower mortality. Together with productivity changes, market demand by domestic and overseas consumers will be a major contributor to the overall size of UK livestock herds.
The extent to which decoupling has led to a reduction in stocking densities has led to certain environmental outcomes, including an overall reduction in environmental pressures (such as overgrazing). There are already rural development programmes within pillar II of the CAP which are specifically designed to encourage farmers to adopt environmentally beneficial land management practices, and there are early signs that progress is being made in this area. Such targeted programmes need to be continued and strengthened with reform.
Nature Conservation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who from his Department will be representing the Government at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in Doha; and if he will make a statement. [322456]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA and its agency, Animal Health, jointly act as the Management Authority for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) in the UK. Three policy officials are representing DEFRA at the conference with two officials from Animal Health's Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service. Representatives from our designated CITES scientific authorities and our enforcement authorities are also attending.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of globally threatened species present in (a) the UK and (b) the UK Overseas Territories. [322611]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species 2009, the latest figures we have for threatened species in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories are publicly available on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website at: www.jncc.gov.uk. Full website address:
Noise
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to tackle noise nuisance. [322445]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government recognise that the management of noise nuisance requires a co-ordinated and long term approach that embraces various aspects of modern society. This is why DEFRA published the Noise Policy Statement for England this week, setting out the long-term vision of government noise policy, promoting good health and good quality of life through the management of noise, within the context of government policy on sustainable development.
The application of the policy statement should mean that noise is properly taken into account at the appropriate time and reinforces the raft of legislation that already exists that gives powers to local authorities to deal with noise complaints.
Pet Travel Scheme
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on its Pet Passport scheme in each of the last five years. [322542]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Animal Health (AH), which administers the pet travel scheme, does not collect specific financial information on the scheme's operation. This is because its officers are allocated to deal with all imports and not just those of pet animals. However, an estimate based on information available indicates that the cost to AH for one year's operation of the scheme is £987,187. Costs have remained broadly stable over the last five years.
This is based on information from the main UK ports and airports (Heathrow, Manchester, Dover, Harwich, Portsmouth, Southampton) and from the specialist service centre for imports in Chelmsford. It includes costs for around 60,000 pet passports per year and for the Pets Helpline which fields 850 calls per week, as well as enforcement, auditing activity and carrier approvals.
Reptiles: Smuggling
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has evidence that the 2007 ban on importation of wild birds into the EU has had an effect on the number of reptiles imported into the EU. [322455]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We are aware of reports that the number of reptiles being imported into the EU has increased since 2007, but we do not have access to EU-wide statistics to substantiate these reports.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reptiles have been imported into the UK in total from (a) within and (b) outside the European Union in each year since 2000. [322476]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) database, which holds information on imports into the UK, does not distinguish between species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and species not so listed.
The information available regarding numbers of reptiles is as follows:
Table 1 shows figures, supplied by the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service in Animal Health (which issues CITES permits), for imports of live CITES-listed reptiles from non-EU countries.
Table 2 shows all reptiles imported into the UK from within the EU as recorded on TRACES, which does not distinguish between CITES-listed and non-listed species. Movement of specimens within the EU does not require CITES permits to be issued, therefore no figures for this are kept by the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service.
Table 3 shows all reptile species imported into the UK from outside the EU as recorded on TRACES.
| Table 1: Imports of reptiles into the UK from non-EU countries | |
| Quantity | |
CITES species listed on Appendix III do not require CITES permits to be issued to enable their import to take place. They do however require import notifications to be made.
Table 1A following shows details of reptiles imports for which Import Notifications were issued (for imports into the UK from non-EU countries).
| Table 1A | |
| Quantity | |
| Table 2: Reptiles recorded on TRACES as having been imported into the UK from within the EU | |
| Number | |
| Table 3: Reptiles recorded on TRACES as having been imported into the UK from outside the EU | |
| Number | |
| (1) Figures not yet available. Notes: 1. Some figures provided in table 3 will be for CITES-listed species, and may therefore be duplicated in table 1. 2. The TRACES system was not in operation prior to 2004. 3. The figures recorded on TRACES for EU reptile imports are not a complete record of imports. There are no animal health restrictions or conditions for such movements and therefore, not all imports would be logged onto TRACES. | |
Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the guidelines for the selection of marine protection areas to be published; and if he will make a statement. [322441]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The guidance for the selection and designation of Marine Conservation Zones under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, has been published in draft form on the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website at:
This guidance is currently one of four DEFRA guidance notes, all of which are being finalised at present. These will form part of a suite of documents to published in relation to the Act. The final guidance is expected to be published this spring.
The ministerial statement to fulfil section 123(6) of the Act was laid before Parliament on 11 March 2010, Official Report, columns 26-27WS, and will shortly be published on the DEFRA website. The Marine Protected Area Strategy was published in draft form last year, and the finalised version is planned to be issued before Easter.
Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee have published their draft of the 'Ecological Network Guidance to regional stakeholder groups on identifying Marine Conservation Zones' on their website, and invite comments on it by 9 April 2010.
Sheep: Tagging
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress in the implementation in the UK of measures for the electronic tagging of sheep. [322851]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Electronic identification (EID) of sheep is an EU requirement, but the administration and implementation of it is an issue for devolved Administrations.
In England, EID was implemented on 31 December 2009. It is too early for any implementation assessment to be made although our officials are in regular contact with the sheep industry and are reviewing issues with them as they arise.
Total Allowable Catches
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, December 2009, when he expects to convene a meeting to consider the Common Fisheries Policy on Area 7 nephrops total allowable catch quota. [322849]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Scientists from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute of Northern Ireland (AFBI), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and Marine Scotland Science (MSS) are meeting in Belfast to discuss the management of Area 7 nephrops this month. I will consider the next steps in relation to the future management of the stock once the conclusions of that meeting are known.
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