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BSE Monitoring Scheme
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Govnernment:
- What is the total number of cattle slaughtered under the BSE monitoring scheme found to be suffering from tumours of the brain. [HL3341]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Testing of cattle for BSE involves sampling of brain stem tissue, which is then subjected to a rapid test for BSE. Brains are not examined for tumours in the course of testing for BSE. As at the end of March 2002, over 175,000 cattle have been tested, of which just over 500 tested positive for BSE.
Of the 1,218 animals reported as suspect cases for of BSE in 2001, 371 were not found to have the disease. Among these would have been animals suffering from other neurological diseases, including possibly tumours.
Kyoto Protocol
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Govnernment:
- In implementing Kyoto Protocol commitments, whether they are seeking to minimise the burden of regulation on productive businesses and to maximise the effectiveness of existing schemes on which consumers can rely. [HL3584]
Lord Whitty: The UK's climate change programme provides full details of how the Government intend to meet their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. In developing the programme, the Government sought to minimise the level of regulation and put together a flexible, cost-effective package of policies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Each policy was also subject to normal government procedures for producing regulatory impact assessments and one was published for the programme as a whole.
The final mix of policies in the programme covers all sectors of the economy and includes:
- regulations, for example, the Renewables Obligation and amendments to the building regulations, where it was felt after consultation that these would be the most effective way of achieving the desired results within specific areas;
- economic instruments, for example, the climate change levy and changes to vehicle excise duty and company car tax. These are designed to stimulate better energy efficiency and to encourage the purchase and use of low carbon technologies;
- flexible, innovative measures, like the UK's emissions trading scheme, which will allow companies to make cost-effective emissions reductions;
- voluntary-based agreements like the climate change agreements and EU-level agreements with car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars;
- grant based schemes, like the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, and those administered by the Carbon Trust and the Energy Savings Trust; and
- measures to raise consumers' awareness of the issues including the use of energy labels on domestic appliances and the provision of information and advice.
EU Ecolabel
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 11 March (WA 53), how the United Kingdom compares with (a) France, (b) Denmark and (c) Italy on the amount spent per year per head of population on the promotion of the EU ecolabelling scheme. [HL3597]
Lord Whitty: There is no reliable information available on a comparable basis for expenditure on promoting the EU ecolabel by the competent bodies in different member states. The European Commission has started to collect more standardised data about the administration and financing of the scheme across the EU. There is also some relevant research on the marketing of the scheme (which can be accessed via the Commission website at www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/background/marketingstudies.htm) but no comprehensive information about levels of promotional spending in different countries.
Timber Imports
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much timber is imported into the UK from Brazil; how much of it is illegally sourced; and how this compares with similar figures in other countries of the European Union.[HL3609]
Lord Whitty: International trade in some woods is controlled under the terms of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Those species of wood listed in Appendix I and II of CITES require import permits from the UK before import. These are issued only where the UK management authority (Defra) is satisfied that the wood has been legally obtained in the country of origin and has the necessary permit for export from that country. Other species listed in Appendix III of CITES do not require import permits. For these species, a self-completed import notification form must be presented to HM Customs prior to the arrival of the specimens, together with the relevant export permit(s) or certificate(s) of origin issued by the management authority in the exporting country. Both of these provide controls against illegal imports of wood, but it is for the management authority in the country of origin to decide whether the import has been legally logged.
In 2001, a total of 1,044.716 cubic metres of Appendix III timber was imported into the UK from Brazil, all of which had a valid export permit. There were no imports of Appendix I or II timber.
According to the most recent trade figures collated by the United Nations Environment Programme, in 1999 the UK imported 51 per cent of the total of timber imported to the EU from Brazil and in 2000, 56 per cent. The figures for total EU imports in 2001 have yet to be collated.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will make it illegal to import timber which has been illegally sourced.[HL3610]
Lord Whitty: Combating illegal logging requires effort from both timber producing and consuming countries. Timber producing countries are responsible for defining and enforcing the national legislative and regulatory frameworks that define legality.
The Department for International Development (DfID) is working with a number of timber producing countries to help them improve governance and strengthen forest law enforcement. We are also working to develop capacity for the implementation of timber certification schemes in some producing countries.
Domestically, the UK is working to ensure that the import of endangered timber species is in full compliance with CITES, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species. We are also implementing a new government timber procurement policy which seeks to ensure that we procure forest products only from legal and sustainable sources.
The UK has shown leadership under the G8 Action Programme on Forests in promoting bilateral voluntary agreements with timber producing countries whereby countries work together to tackle illegal logging and associated trade. We are currently negotiating the first of these with Indonesia. We hope that bilateral agreements will lead to regional and, eventually, an international agreement that will have a big impact on illegal trade.
Any changes in legislation that may be necessary would best be applied at the European Union level. UK legislation alone would probably be ineffective, as shipment of illegally logged timber could easily be re-routed via other European ports before entering the UK. Any additional legislation would also need to be enforceable, which would require co-ordinated action between timber producing and importing countries. The UK will, however, take advantage of the next European meeting on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade on April 22 to 24 to discuss EU policy on this issue. This process may result in a review of EU policy and legislation.
Scrapie
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How ovine genotypes susceptible to scrapie can be identified with accuracy.[HL3663]
Lord Whitty: Susceptibility to scrapie is known to be linked to variations in the amino acids encoded at three sites (codons)—136, 154 and 171—on the sheep PrP gene. The available testing technologies use DNA sequencing to identify those variations. In connection with the national scrapie plan, the Government have awarded contracts to two laboratories to install and operate automated genotyping facilities. A blood sample is taken from the sheep, which is identified by an electronic transponder linked by barcode to the blood sample tube. Internal and external quality controls operate at the laboratories.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What scientific advice they have received about alternative methods for eliminating scrapie other than widespread slaughter such as the identification of high-immune response animals for breeding programmes.[HL3664]
Lord Whitty: In line with scientific advice, the Government last year launched the national scrapie plan for Great Britain, whose objective is to eradicate scrapie by breeding genetic resistance to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies into the sheep flock. Participation in the plan is voluntary and it does not involve the widespread slaughter of sheep. The plan only requires participants to remove from the breeding flock (either by slaughter or castration) those rams with the genotypes that are the most susceptible to scrapie. So far the proportion of rams falling into this category has been relatively small (about 8 per cent). Where the requirement to remove from the breeding flock causes problems, veterinary advice is available and in exceptional situations appeals can be considered. Experience in other countries indicates that a policy based solely on widespread slaughter is unlikely to be effective in the long term in eradicating scrapie. The available scientific information suggests that scrapie does not promote a detectable immune response in the host. Development of laboratory tests which can identify animals incubating the disease is in progress but a practical technique is not yet available.
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