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Europe Day
Lord Alli asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they plan to celebrate Europe Day in 2002 and to use the occasion as an opportunity to educate young people about Britain's role in the European Union. [HL3116]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The FCO has developed a new website, www.europeday.gov.uk, to raise awareness of Europe Day and of Britain's role in Europe. It is hoped that the website format and the style of the content will primarily appeal to teenagers and young adults. It will feature information about Europe Day and the European Union, details of Europe Day celebrations and a quiz to promote an interest in European affairs. The site was launched on 6 March 2002.
Laeken European Council: Presidential Conclusions and Appendices
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 7 February (WA 111), what copies of the Presidential Conclusions and Appendices of the Laeken European Council were supplied to other public agencies; and by what
- means could individual voters and citizens of the United Kingdom have direct access to the full conclusions and appendices. [HL3194]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 7 February (Official Report, col. WA 111). Barry
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have received any notice from the European Commission that it intends to take legal action over Section 72 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; and, if so, what has been their response. [HL3027]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Yes. The department and the European Commission are in contact over this matter.
Slaughterhouses: Brazil and Thailand
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What have been the results of European Commission inspections of Brazilian slaughterhouses in the two years to January 2002; and [HL3020]
Whether the European Commission has inspected poultry slaughterhouses in Thailand in the period October 1999 to February 2002; and, if so, with what results. [HL3021]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Copies of the Commission inspection reports are available on the Commission's website at the following address: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/inspections/vi/reports/indexen.html.
European Commission inspectors visited Brazil in May 2000 to look at fresh meat and meat product establishments approved to export to the EU. Four other inspection visits to Brazil have also been carried out in the last two years looking at foot and mouth disease (two abattoirs inspected), fresh meat and offal (three slaughterhouse and cutting plants inspected), meat products and meat preparations (two meat products plants, one casings plant and one minced meat/meat preparations plant inspected) and poultry meat (three slaughterhouses inspected). Shortcomings identified in a previous visit in 1999 (including standards of supervision in plants, animal welfare at slaughter, procedures for issuing export certificates, lack of clear instructions by the competent authority and traceability) had either been eliminated or were being satisfactorily addressed by May 2000.
A Commission inspection team visited Thailand in February 2001. All shortcomings identified in a previous visit in December 1999 had been addressed. In February 2001 the overall situation was reported as being satisfactory. Barry
Foot and Mouth: Public Inquiry
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 27 February (WA 239), whether they have a record of the number of requests received for a public inquiry on the foot and mouth outbreak; and, if so, how many they have received. [HL3109]
Lord Whitty: We are aware of 48 local authorities that have requested a public inquiry into foot and mouth disease to date. There have also been requests from other organisations and individuals. However, the issue of a public inquiry is often only one of a number of points raised in any correspondence, which results in these letters being categorised as "miscellaneous". There is, therefore, no central record held of the specific number of cases.
The department has also received two petitions calling for a public inquiry.
Bushmeat
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which government department is responsible for detecting and intercepting the illegal import of bushmeat at Britain's airports; whether they will give the number of staff employed for this purpose at each of the airports at which commercial flights arrive from Africa; and how many seizures of such bushmeat have been made at each airport in 2002. [HL3197]
Lord Whitty: Responsibility for checks on imports of meat and meat products (not just so-called "bushmeat" which does not have a clear definition) at points of entry are the responsibility of the local or port health authority and it is for the appropriate local authority to deploy staff according to the volume and nature of products imported. Most of the staff also undertake a range of other duties so the number checking imports can vary from day to day. The total number of local authority staff employed at border inspection posts as at November 2001 was 196, comprising 97 environmental health officers, 48 official veterinary surgeons and 51 support staff.
Where so-called bushmeat comprises meat from endangered species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), HM Customs is responsible for enforcement. Customs
also seizes other illegal meat discovered in Customs checks of passengers' baggage. In addition, State Veterinary Service staff are also empowered to deal with illegally imported animal products when they are found.Since April 2001, we have been advised of 1,142 seizures of illegally imported animal products of which 55 have been identified as so-called bushmeat.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will consider ways of segregating passengers arriving from particular areas at Britain's airports so that those responsible can more easily intercept illegal imports of bushmeat.[HL3198]
Lord Whitty: The Government have no plans to segregate passengers arriving at UK airports on grounds of nationality or where they have travelled from. But in line with the government White Paper, the Immigration Service is moving to more intelligence-led immigration control which will assist in identifying those engaged in the illegal importation of meat and meat products.
Defra officials have met colleagues in other departments to assist in co-ordinating action across government to ensure that rules on the imports of all products are enforced effectively. The Immigration Service has instructed its officers at ports to be vigilant and, where appropriate, to refuse entry to the United Kingdom to those offenders identified as being engaged in this illegal trade.
Hospitality and Tourism: SSC Interest
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their plans to license a Trailblazer Sector Skills Council to cover the hospitality, travel and tourism sector.[HL3093]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Five Trailblazer Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) were announced in December 2001. The expression of interest from the hospitality and tourism industry was not selected in this instance. However, non-selection as a Trailblazer SSC does not preclude a sector from submitting an expression of interest to form a SSC when a general invitation is extended to employers in the next few weeks.
An expression of interest by employers will be considered by the Sector Skills Development Agency. If this meets initial criteria, then a period of up to six months will be agreed to develop a full SSC proposal. If successful, a SSC licence will be issued. A business adviser has been allocated to advise employers in the hospitality and tourism sector about the preparation of an expression of interest for this sector.
Prisoners: Basic Skills Screening
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit is developing a standard approach to screening young offenders for speech, language and communication difficulties; and what proportions of young offenders are now being screened.[HL3124]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: All prisoners are offered a basic skills screening test during their induction into prison. Prisons will also be part of a pilot being developed by the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit, which will introduce a greater diagnostic element. More generally, we know that many offenders have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and we are working with prisons, including young offender institutions, to develop a national policy to support needs. We have no reliable information on the total number of prisoners with speech, language and communications difficulties but we are implementing new procedures to capture this kind of information.
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