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Baroness Miller of Hendon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- As the sole shareholder in Consignia, whether they were consulted by the management of Consignia in connection with the change of name of the company to and from Consignia.[HL3894]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The choice of name of the Post Office company and the cost of its implementation were essentially commercial matters for the company, and although Ministers were informed of the company's intention, it was not an area in which government would have sought to intervene.
Post Office Network
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What criteria are used when considering the closure of sub-post offices in urban areas such as Birkenhead and its districts including Oxton.[HL3904]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The programme to restructure the urban post office network will be taken forward in consultation with individual sub-postmasters, the community, local stakeholders and Postwatch. Under the Code of Practice, Post Office Limited is required to consult Postwatch on individual changes and plans to brief it on the process envisaged for reaching decisions.
The objective of the Post Office in carrying out restructuring is to provide modernised and improved facilities which meet the high expectations of customers in the right location for the local community.
Galileo Signals
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action is being taken to ensure that the European Galileo system will not suffer from signal interference.[HL3943]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Like other radio and radio-navigation signals such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Galileo signals will not be immune to interference.
However, the UK is actively involved in the European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA) programme on the development format of the Galileo signals to make them as robust as possible, thereby mitigating any interference effects. The UK is also involved in discussions between the EU and the US on co-operation on satellite radio-navigation, including the need to ensure that the GPS and Galileo signals are not a source of interference to one another.
Island Goods Vehicles: Excise Duty
The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the rates of vehicle excise duty for "island goods vehicles", as defined in paragraph 18 of Schedule 1 to the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994; how these rates compare with mainland goods vehicle rates; and what other benefits are accorded to "island goods vehicles".[HL3975]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The current annual rate of vehicle excise duty for island goods vehicles is £165, rather than the standard rate of excise duty of up to £1,850 for goods vehicles kept on the mainland.
This rate applies to goods vehicles kept on islands of less than 230,000 hectares specified in the Vehicle Excise Duty (Designation of Small Islands) Order 1995. A vehicle of more than 17,000kg gross weight qualifies for the concession only if it is used only on the mainland to load or unload goods at premises not more than 5km from the point where they disembarked.
The Government announced in the Budget that an order had been laid to amend the list of specified islands from 1 June 2002 to include Orkney mainland, Shetland mainland and Lewis and Harris.
The licensing of a vehicle in the small island vehicles taxation class does not bring any benefits other than the lower rate of annual duty.
Foot and Mouth Disease: Cleansing and Disinfection
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many cleaning and disinfecting payments arising from the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease are still outstanding; and whether they will list the numbers and payments that are outstanding by month due.[HL3611]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): From information held centrally, the estimated cost currently of cleansing and disinfection arising from the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is £280 million. This figure is subject to change because contractual arrangements involve accounting and auditing processes whereby invoices are received and must be verified and agreed by Defra. This is an on-going process. When complete I shall place a final cost figure for cleansing and disinfection in connection with the FMD outbreak in the Library of the House.
Food Production
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they agree with the views of the Minister for Animal Welfare, given to the British Columbia veterinary association Council in 1999 and quoted in the Veterinary Record on 13 April 2002, that "unless British farmers can produce demonstrably better or different food than other countries, then food will be sourced on a least-cost basis" and "if other countries choose to subsidise their food production, then we will purchase their produce at a net saving to our consumers".[HL4010]
Lord Whitty: I believe that the noble Baroness is referring to a meeting with the British Cattle Veterinary Association and not the British Columbia veterinary association. I understand that while my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Commons) believes her first quote to be accurate the second he believes is not.
I agree with my colleague, who was simply trying to remind the association that the rules of economics apply for food and agricultural products as in other sectors of the economy. In the marketplace, unless your product can be differentiated and consumers are prepared to pay a premium, all other things being equal they will purchase at the lowest price they need to pay for the quality of product they wish to consume. That applies both within countries and in international trade. Of course controls are necessary in international trade to protect animal health and to ensure that foodstuffs imported into our market meet our standards.
Countryside and Rights of Way Act: Mapping
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the light of the number of responses received from the consultation on the draft maps following from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, they plan to extend the proposed three-month consultation period for the provisional maps for those areas; and whether they will also extend it to future draft plans. [HL4015]
Lord Whitty: The Countryside Agency issued a revised timetable for mapping open country on 17 April, giving more time for the agency to draw on the experience of mapping in the lead mapping regions and to focus on the preparation of good quality maps for the rest of the country. The agency plans to issue a provisional map for the lower north-west region in September this year. This is later than previously envisaged but will allow the agency thoroughly to examine all the comments made on the draft map. We believe that a period of three months is quite sufficient to enable anyone to comment on a draft map. Our consultation paper on regulations for the issue of provisional and conclusive maps proposed a similar period for bringing appeals against the showing of land on a provisional map. We are considering the responses to the consultation paper and expect to make regulations in June.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much Ministry of Defence land has been shown as open to public access on the draft maps produced pursuant to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.[HL4024]
Lord Whitty: The Countryside Agency issued draft maps of open country and registered common land for part of the South East and the lower North West of England in November 2001. Parts of four Army training areas and part of one research and development establishment were shown on those maps
as either open country or registered common land. The agency expects to issue further draft maps for the remaining mapping regions over the next 18 months.Land which is shown on a draft map, and which is subsequently shown on the conclusive map, may be land to which there will be no right of access because it is excepted land. Excepted land includes land the use of which is regulated by by-laws made under the Military Lands Acts of 1892 or 1900. However, military by-laws often provide for a right of access to training lands when it is safe to do so (for example, when training is not taking place), and in these cases access under those provisions will continue. Where defence training lands which are not subject to by-laws are mapped as open country or registered common land, then my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence may make directions restricting or excluding access where necessary for the purposes of defence.
Radioactive Waste
Lord Oxburgh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 17 April (WA 158), whether they will estimate the date by which they will be able to announce plans for the next steps developing the strategy for the management of radioactive waste.[HL4018]
Lord Whitty: We shall make an announcement as soon as possible.
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