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Low Flying Activity
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- If the analysis of low flying activity in the United Kingdom has been completed.
Earl Howe: The analysis has been completed, from which it is clear that, although close attention has been paid to the need to balance military training demands against the avoidance of undue disturbance to the public, variations in the intensity of such activity across the country still exist. Although this is, in part, unavoidable because of operational and geographic factors such as the location of aircraft operating bases, aircraft range, avoidance areas, controlled airspace and weather conditions, we concluded that even within these constraints, further efforts should be made to manage the activity as equitably as possible.
We therefore intend to improve the way in which the overall amount of low flying activity is managed and the methods by which detailed statistics are recorded. This latter initiative will be a valuable tool in monitoring the effectiveness of the measures to try to redistribute this activity more equitably. In addition, the three Services, individually and collectively, will pay greater attention to the areas they choose in the UK for military exercises in an effort to spread the low flying training aspects of them as evenly as practicable. Last summer we announced measures to spread operational low flying (that beneath 250 feet) more evenly between the three tactical training areas. Efforts will continue to reduce still further the amount of operational low flying training. The scope for increasing the amount of low flying training carried out overseas will be actively pursued. A statement on the distribution of military low flying in the UKLFS will be published annually.
I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper giving a more detailed account of the analysis of the distribution of low flying activity in the UKLFS. Further copies of the paper can be obtained from the following address:
- Ministry of Defence (Room 8247)
- Main Building
- Whitehall
- London SW1A 2HB
Ethnic Minority Employment in MoD
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect to publish the report of the Office for Public Management on ethnic minority employment initiatives in the Ministry of Defence.
Earl Howe: I have today placed a copy of the Office for Public Management report in the Library of the House. The report covers a six-month review of both Service and MoD civilian recruitment practices and makes a number of recommendations which have now been considered within my department.
We accept the broad thrust of the report. While there are different messages for the Armed Forces and the MoD Civil Service in what the consultants found, there is much common ground, primarily concerning the development of goals in which ethnic diversity is a central theme. It is clear that, while some advances have been made, more can and should be undertaken, if the department is to see an increase in the numbers of ethnic minority personnel employed in both the Armed Forces and the Civil Service in MoD.
My department is committed to reflecting more closely the ethnic balance of the United Kingdom. This is an issue which must be met positively and which requires unambiguous leadership from those at the top of the Armed Forces and the Civil Service to ensure that in the Armed Forces and MoD all can work and realise their full potential without fear of racial prejudice, discrimination or harassment. All personnel have responsibilities for ensuring that greater efforts are made to remove any unacceptable attitudes and must,
individually, play their part in ensuring that the department and the Services are seen by all as organisations in which racial equality is fully embraced.Meat Hygiene
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What arrangements have been made to ensure that the information paper on meat hygiene, which was referred to in the statement repeated by Lord Lucas (col. 1971-2) is publicly available.
Lord Lucas: My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food laid in the Library of the House on 18 March 1997 a copy of the information paper Driving up meat hygiene standards. It is freely available on request from the MAFF Helpline (phone 0645-33-55-77). My honourable friend the Member for Tiverton (Mrs. Browning) is also sending copies to industry, enforcement and consumer organisations.
Meat Hygiene Service: Performance Targets
Lord Dixon-Smith asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What targets have been set for the Meat Hygiene Service for 1997-98.
Lord Lucas: My right honourable friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales have set the following targets for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1997-98. Operational 1. To take all necessary measures to ensure full compliance by the slaughterhouse industry with The Specified Bovine Material Order 1997, The Heads of Sheep and Goats Order 1996, and other related statutory instruments. Quality and Delivery of Service 2. To carry out, in collaboration with the State Veterinary Service, a review of the guidance on HAS scoring in abattoirs as set out in the Operations Manual by 30 April 1997. 3. To ensure that all MHS contract and employed OVS, Meat Hygiene Inspectors and Meat Technicians have completed a formal training programme in hygiene by 31 July 1997. 4. To ensure that by the end of 1997-98 at least 90 per cent. of abattoirs are achieving HAS scores of more than 65. 5. To implement strictly the MHS clean livestock strategy included in the Operations Manual as revised in March 1997.
6. To implement a strict prohibition on carcases showing any faecal contamination being health marked for human consumption. Financial Performance 7. To recover from plant operators the full economic cost (calculated in accordance with the relevant charging legislation and accruals accounting and industry charges guide) of providing the statutory health inspection and controls at fresh meat premises. 8. To recover from government departments, agencies and the Intervention Board the full economic cost (calculated in accordance with the relevant charging legislation and accruals accounting) of providing agreed services or other work undertaken on their behalf. 9. To operate within the net cash allocation as agreed during the year by the MAFF Management Board.Central Science Laboratory:Performance Targets
Lord Dixon-Smith asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What targets have been set for the Central Science Laboratory for 1997-98.
Lord Lucas: The relocation of the Central Science Laboratory to the new purpose-built laboratory near York, with the subsequent closure of four major sites and several smaller sites, will be completed during the summer of 1997. In view of the major changes taking place within CSL, I have decided that during 1997-98 the baseline should be established which will allow efficiency and productivity improvements to be measured in subsequent years. I have set the following demanding but achievable targets for 1997-98 in relation to other areas.
- Financial
- --100 per cent. recovery of full costs after allowing for relocation costs.
- --To achieve a net PES allocation agreed by MAFF Finance.
- Efficiency
- --1 per cent. improvement in utilisation of productive time.
- Delivery of Science
- --At least 90 per cent. of work completed to time and within budget.
- --Achieve a mean score of 3 on a scale of 0 to 5 for the assessment of customer satisfaction using the established methodology.
- --Proportion of project milestones achieved to be at or greater than 82 per cent. (MAFF commissioned projects).
Sea Fish Conservation Act: Implementation
Lord Dixon-Smith asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to report to Parliament on the implementation of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act as required by Section 10.
Lord Lucas: The primary purpose of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1992 was to make provision for the introduction of restrictions on time spent at sea implementing legislation in the form of the Sea Fish Licences (Time at Sea) (Principles) Order 1993 was introduced but the policy was subsequently suspended following a legal challenge which was referred to the European Court of Justice.
Despite the European Court's endorsement of the legality of measures adopted by this House, it was decided it would not be sensible to implement the planned arrangements for the days at sea policy for the reasons set out in the reply given by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the honourable Member for Great Grimsby on 25 October 1995 (Official Report, col. 711-2).
In these circumstances there is nothing of substance to report and we do not propose to make any further reports to Parliament on this matter.
Rendering Industry: Support
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What arrangements have been made for the financial support to the meat disposal chain in 1997-98.
Lord Lucas: Support arrangements for the rendering industry in 1997-98 have now been finalised following consultation with interested parties. These implement the previously announced policy of making up to £59 million support available to the disposal chain as it adjusts to the changed value of animal by-products. They take the form of a non-statutory scheme (the Rendering Industry Support Scheme 1997). Copies of the scheme are being placed in the Library of the House.
- Payments to individual rendering companies for the rendering of "clean" material (i.e. excluding the products of the Over Thirty Month Scheme);
- Payments to be on a degressive basis phased out over the financial year and based on the actual amount of tallow produced and of meat and bone meal disposed of;
- Tallow and MBM to attract different support rates (relating to average past values), phased out over different time-scales in recognition of future values.
The scheme will be administered by the Intervention Board.
In order to inform Ministers' decisions on the design of these support arrangements, Coopers & Lybrand were commissioned to report on the prospects for recovery in the markets for renderers' products. Their report is being published and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
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