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Written Answers
Wednesday, 27th February 2002.
>[The first 14 Written Answers should have been printed in the Official Report of Monday, 25th February.]Diploma in Veterinary State Medicine
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the diploma in veterinary state medicine ceased to be available to postgraduate students. [HL2764]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The diploma in veterinary state medicine ceased to be available to postgraduate students in 1979.
State Veterinary Service
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What training methods and promotion criteria were used for the appointment of (a) divisional veterinary officers and (b) divisional veterinary managers prior to reorganisation; and what were their duties and responsibilities; and [HL2765]
What training methods and promotion criteria were used for senior posts at the State Veterinary Service's Tolworth Centre prior to reorganisation; and what training methods and promotion criteria are currently used for senior posts in Page Street. [HL2766]
Lord Whitty: The criteria for promotion within the State Veterinary Service continues to be based on merit. Opportunities for training and career development are available to all staff and can be provided by colleagues, on-line, training branch, the Civil Service College and external providers where appropriate.
Neither the criteria for promotion nor the provision of training to staff were affected by the relocation of HQ state veterinary staff from Tolworth to Page Street.
The duties of divisional veterinary officers and divisional veterinary managers include management and organisation of financial and manpower resources, operational direction of animal health and welfare issues, and liaison and representation with outside bodies. The change in title and grade was made following the restructuring of the SVS and the MAFF regional organisation in 1995 and reflected an increase in the resources being managed by the DVM when compared with a DVO.
Animal Health Bill
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the light of the conclusions of the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Animal Health Bill (HL Paper 67), they intend to collate and publish the responses they receive to the consultation on the Protocol published on 11 January before proceeding with the Committee stage of the bill.[HL2777]
Lord Whitty: The consultation period for proposals on the practical implementation of certain provisions in the Animal Health Bill, published on 11 January, will end on 15 March. The responses to this document will be collated and published as soon as practicable thereafter. No date has been announced yet for Lords Committee stage of the Animal Health Bill.
Emissions Reduction Scheme
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the answer by Lord Whitty on the progress of the emissions reduction scheme on the 14 January (HL Deb, col. 828), what is the minimum number of participants below which the proposed emissions trading scheme will not be viable.[HL2801]
Lord Whitty: The Government's objectives in setting up a UK emissions trading scheme are cost-effective emissions reductions and to give UK business early experience of emissions trading. These objectives will be met providing there are sufficient participants to ensure competitive pressure in February's incentive auction. As 46 organisations are currently in the process of registering for the auction, the Government are confident that this will be case. Moreover, total participation in the scheme is not limited to those organisations entering through the February auction. There are 3,500 companies in climate change agreements, which can trade on the basis of their energy efficiency targets. There will also be opportunities to enter through approved emission reduction projects, or by simply buying and selling allowances.
Countryside Agency Website
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Countryside Agency website showing the provisional maps of access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 should be improved to assist the process of locating and navigating between local areas and sites. [HL2813]
Lord Whitty: During the first two weeks of consultation on draft maps in the South East and lower North West mapping regions, the Countryside Agency's website received nearly 2 million hits. This high level of interest initially led to some visitors to the
website experiencing delays in navigating the site. In response to the high level of demand, the agency has carried out improvements which have increased the ease and speed by which visitors can search and view the reduced scale maps of open country and registered common land.It appears that difficulties arise in navigating between local sites reached via the full England map—but that these problems do not occur if the "search" facility is used—and the agency is investigating the cause with a view to rectifying the problem.
Marine Stewardship Reports
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the statement by Lord Whitty on 6 February (HL Deb, cols. 635–36) that there will be "a series of reports that will address the full range of impacts placed on the marine environment", what is their programme and timetable for these marine stewardship reports; and what subjects each report will cover. [HL2814]
Lord Whitty: The first report will set out our vision for the sustainable development and conservation of the marine environment. It will be holistic, describe past achievements and contain new ideas for further work. We are aiming to publish the report in the spring. We will want to explore the scope and time-scales of future reports with stakeholders once the first report has been published.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether their forthcoming marine stewardship reports will cover the British Isles (or parts thereof), the United Kingdom or a part or parts of the United Kingdom; and if so, which part or parts.[HL2815]
Lord Whitty: The first report will focus on the waters around the whole of the United Kingdom and the North East Atlantic region. It will also include UK overseas territories and describe what we are working to achieve in wider international fora.
Ainsdale National Nature Reserve
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the moratorium on pine tree felling ends at the Ainsdale Nature Reserve at Southport and Formby; and whether there is to be any extension of this moratorium, should it be nearing its end.[HL2831]
Lord Whitty: English Nature will not be undertaking any further felling of the frontal pinewoods on the Ainsdale Sand Dunes National Nature Reserve until the autumn of 2003 at the earliest. The extent, timing and location of any further felling in this area will only be decided following further public consultation in 2003.
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether English Nature has any plans to alter, improve or enlarge the site of special scientific interest established on the north-west coast of England in and around the Ainsdale Nature Reserve.[HL2832]
Lord Whitty: English Nature has no plans to modify the boundary of the Sefton coast site of special scientific interest that contains the Ainsdale National Nature Reserve.
Pesticides
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will give details of any approved uses of pesticide chlorfenvinphos since the previously agreed revocation date of 31 December 2001 with reasons for each extension of approval beyond that date, the dates on which each extension was granted, and the periods of time for which each approval has been extended. [HL2863]
Lord Whitty: Since 31 December 2001, only one approval for chlorfenvinphos-containing products has been granted. The approval for the product, Birlane 24, has been extended from its original expiry date of 31 December until 25 July 2003. This has allowed an approval to continue for important uses on swedes and turnips.
The extension was needed because of a difference between the UK and the EC review programmes with respect to the time allowed for withdrawn products to be used up by growers.
Chlorfenvinphos has not been supported by the manufacturer in either programme, and under the normal terms of the UK review its approval would have expired on 31 December. The extension was granted to bring the approval into line with the expiry date in the EC, in order that UK growers would not be disadvantaged.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will state the reasons for the new condition of approval, announced by the Pesticide Safety Directorate on 19 December 2001, which restricts the approved rates of use for pesticide products containing carbendazim and thiophante-methyl which are used as a post-harvest dip treatment on apples and pears. [HL2864]
Lord Whitty: The maximum approved rates for these compounds were reduced as it became apparent that their continued use at these rates might result in an exceedence of the maximum residue level (MRL) on apples and pears. Such an exceedence would not result in a chronic risk to consumers. It is known, however, that the compounds are effective against apple and pear storage diseases at 50 per cent of the maximum approved rates, and it is already horticultural practice
to use a 50 per cent rate. Action has therefore been taken to reduce the maximum approved rate by 50 per cent which still provides effective disease control, but which will not result in a breach of the MRL.
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