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7 Apr 2010 : Column 1414W—continued
Croydon
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Croydon, Central constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 2005. [325587]
Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Croydon, Central, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
Croydon, Central is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
To champion sustainable development.
To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
To be a respected Department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its Public Service Agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 Report is available at:
Past reports are available online in the National Archives.
For information on a specific DEFRA policy in Croydon Central, the Government Office for the South East is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.
Departmental Food
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account his Department's food procurement policy takes of animal welfare. [325531]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA has worked over a number of years to provide guidance to Departments on incorporating sustainable development objectives into their food procurement operations. This explicitly includes issues of animal welfare.
We strongly encourage the procurement of products that meet higher animal welfare standards wherever possible. DEFRA has been working at ministerial level to encourage the public sector to procure food to the highest possible standards.
In February this year new guidance was published, advising public sector procurers how to incorporate an additional contract award criterion for pork, bacon and other pigmeat products. This is aimed at improving the quality of the products procured and asks procurers to ensure that supply tenders are able to offer pigmeat products that comply with certain welfare and animal health standards.
Farms
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm holdings there were in each agricultural sector in each county in each year since 1997. [323112]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I have placed the information requested in the Library of the House.
The data can also be found on the DEFRA website
Food: Imports
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the quality standards of food proposed to be imported to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [325280]
Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
We have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that official controls are in place to monitor food imports from countries outside the European Union (EU) and to ensure it is safe. Products of animal origin such as meat from approved countries outside the EU must come from approved establishments. Such products must enter the United Kingdom through designated Border Inspection Posts under the control of veterinary inspectors, where they undergo documentary and identity checks, and a prescribed proportion are subject to physical checks which may include testing for contaminants.
Food of non-animal origin is also subject to checks by authorised officers and, in addition, depending on its source and whether it is regarded as high risk, may undergo stringent checks to ensure it is safe for human consumption.
Food: Marketing
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to require more accurate information on the country of origin to be displayed on food products; and if he will make a statement. [325279]
Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
Origin labelling is required on certain foods and in cases where not to inform the consumer of origin may mislead them. In cases where voluntary origin information is provided this must be accurate and the Food Standards Agency has had best practice guidance in place since 2002 recommending labelling formats that are meaningful to consumers.
The Government have been encouraging even greater clarity, an example of which is the new voluntary industry Code of Practice on the labelling of pork and pork products which resulted from the Government's Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force - a supply chain-wide group, facilitated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
In addition, origin labelling rules are being discussed in the European Union as part of a proposal for a new Food Information Regulation. The Government are pressing in these discussions for greater clarity of information when origin claims are made.
Potatoes: Morocco
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in devolved Administrations, (b) the European Commission and (c) the Government of Morocco on the recent impounding of seed potatoes exported from the UK to Morocco and the rejection of consignments due to contamination with common scab and silver scurf; and if he will make a statement; [325765]
(2) what recent discussions he has had on the dispute between the EU and Morocco on the import of tomatoes and the imposition by Morocco of trade restrictions on the export of seed potatoes to that country. [325766]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been discussions at official level between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland about the Moroccan rejection of consignments of seed potatoes from the UK. The problems have arisen because of a change in interpretation and inspection practices in Morocco regarding potato skin problems of traded seed potatoes. Although in making these changes the Moroccan authorities have acted within their sovereign rights, it is disappointing that there was no prior notification.
Officials have visited Morocco to discuss the problem and the British embassy and EU missions to Morocco have been involved. The European Commission and officials from member states have discussed the issue with Morocco in the margins of an international meeting and have agreed to establish a working group to discuss and agree consistent application of inspection methods in future years.
I am not aware of any current trade dispute between EU and Morocco in respect of the import of tomatoes. This trade is carefully monitored by the European Commission.
Renewable Energy: Waste
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which energy-from-waste facilities of each type received planning permission in the last three years; and what the location was of each. [325314]
John Healey [holding answer 6 April 2010]: I have been asked to reply.
The total numbers of planning decisions (including permissions and refusals) for England relating to applications for waste facilities that may include energy recovery are published in table 3.4 of the Statistical Release on Annual Development Control, England, 2008-09. This is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
The following table provides a further breakdown for most recent available year, 2008-09, showing the numbers of applications granted and the location of each of these applications by local planning authority. These figures are as reported by local planning authorities to Communities and Local Government.
| Application Type | LA name | Number of applications granted in 2008-09 |
River Lymington: Ferries
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will replace Wightlink as the competent authority in the Lymington river for the purposes of constructing an impact assessment of the new ferries; and if he will make a statement; [325679]
(2) when he plans to respond to the e-mail from Michael Derrick of the Lymington River Association on the position of Wightlink as the competent authority for ferry operations. [325701]
Huw Irranca-Davies: There are no provisions in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, which came into force on 1 April, that enable a competent authority to be replaced.
Officials wrote to Michael Derrick on 6 April to confirm this.
Slaughterhouses
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought for breaches of slaughterhouse regulations in each of the last five years. [325806]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of prosecutions cases brought by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for breaches of slaughterhouses regulations, by financial year, is as follows:
| Number of cases | |
Information in relation to each of the years from 2005 to 2007 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reports his Department received of breaches of regulations governing slaughtering practices in each of the last five years. [325807]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Breaches of regulations involving the welfare of animals at slaughter or killing on farm are investigated by Animal Health on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The number of breaches that were reported to Animal Health in each of the last five calendar years were:
| Number | |
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