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TSE Regulations
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What provision there is for an owner of a sheep or goat slaughtered under Regulation 81 or 82 of the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) to object to the Secretary of State's decision as to its value.[HL4418]
Lord Whitty: For reported cases of scrapie where laboratory examination is unable to confirm the disease, owners may be eligible for compensation over and above the basic rate of £90 for positive cases, but not exceeding £400. This is exactly the same as in previous regulations. Owners are entitled to an additional payment if there is satisfactory evidence of the animal's value when alive, such as an insurance certificate, a letter from a recognised valuer or a bill of sale. Compensation is therefore calculated on the basis of documentary evidence provided by the owner.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to vary the number of staff in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who administer the access element of the Countryside Stewardship scheme and, if so, how.[HL4465]
Lord Whitty: The department is currently reviewing the provision of access within agri-environment schemes, including the Countryside Stewardship scheme. All aspects of its administration will be considered as part of the review.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was their budget, region by region, in 2000, 2001 and this year for administration and monitoring of the Countyside Stewardship scheme; and whether they plan to increase or decrease that budget. [HL4466]
Lord Whitty: The table below shows how much the department spent on administering the Countryside Stewardship scheme in the regions in 2000, 2001 and this year. The Rural Development Service's business plan for 2002–03 has not yet been finalised.
| Region | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
| East | 1,626 | 824 |
| East Midlands | 2,070 | 824 |
| North East | 1,626 | 251 |
| North West | 997 | 549 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 1,220 | 1,007 |
| South East | 2,070 | 961 |
| West Midlands | 1,109 | 1,053 |
| South West | 2,550 | 1,556 |
| Total | 13,268 | 7,025(2) |
(2) This figure is calculated on a different basis from 2000–01. In 2000–01 technical advice was provided by the FRCA. The FRCA was an agency and its costs were calculated on a full economic basis, including accommodation and other overheads. In 2001–02 the Rural Development Service was formed and the costs reflect staff costs only.
The 2001–02 figure is also lower than expected because of staff temporarily transferring to FMD duties.
Monitoring and evaluation of the Countryside Stewardship scheme is managed nationally. The table below shows how much the department spent on combined monitoring and evaluation of environmentally sensitive areas and the Countryside Stewardship scheme in 2000, 2001 and this year.
(3) Reduction due to access restrictions as a result of FMD.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: This information is not available centrally.
The Government strongly support composting as a way of getting value from biodegradable waste by improving soil quality and replacing non-renewable products such as peat. We are actively encouraging the composting of green waste—at home, at municipal civic amenity sites when separately collected by local authorities.
The Animal By-Products Order, as amended, makes it an offence to allow livestock and poultry to have access to any catering waste, including domestic kitchen waste, which contains meat or most other products of animal origin, or which originates from premises which handle such products. In effect this prohibits the land spreading of composted kitchen waste. We have commissioned a risk assessment on the risks to public, animal and plant health from the land
Lord Redesdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
What recent guidance the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has given to its scientific advisory committees on implementing its non-statutory plans. [HL4471]
Lord Whitty: Defra's scientific advisory committees follow the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees, issued in December 2001 by the Office of Science and Technology, DTI and the Code of Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies, issued in 1994 by HM Treasury. These include guidance to members on declarations of interest and other matters.
The department requires that members of advisory NDPBs report any significant changes to the information regarding their declaration of interest provided on appointment and to update this information as soon as changes to their details occur.
Lord Redesdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Due to other priorities it has not yet proved possible to finalise the analysis of the questionnaires completed by those foreign veterinary surgeons who assisted in the eradication of foot and mouth disease.
Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: The following table shows the total number of recorded cases of BSE, at 30 April 2002, in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.
Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: The following table sets out the number of animals slaughtered on infected premises in England, Scotland and Wales during the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Figures for Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administration.
Infected premises are those where one or more animals have been confirmed as having foot and mouth disease on the basis either of clinical examination by a veterinarian or of laboratory test results, or both. Not all the animals on such premises will necessarily have developed the disease at the time slaughter takes place, although all will have been exposed to the infection in some way.
Source:
Defra's Disease Control System database (DCS). These figures may be subject to change as more information becomes available and as a quality assurance of data exercise is carried out on ther data within DCS.
Janice
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Four main agri-environment schemes operated over the past three years: environmentally sensitive areas, Organic Farming Scheme, Countryside Stewardship and arable stewardship schemes. A wide range of grants and annual payments are offered under these schemes. The number of current agreements and the total payments made, including a forecast for the current year, are as follows:
(4) Agreements run for 5-10 years
(5) Forecast
2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
483,000 318,000(3) 860,000
Whether the amount of kitchen waste being composted has increased or decreased since 1999; and whether the amount of waste being disposed of by this method is satisfactory. [HL4467]
What guidance the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has given to its scientific advisory committees on the updating of members' declarations of interests; and [HL4470]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 9 May (WA 193), when they will make available the findings relating to the foreign veterinary surgeon questionnaire.[HL4472]
What is the total number of recorded cases of BSE so far in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and
(d) Northern Ireland.[HL4489]
10 Jun 2002 : Column WA12
Number
England
Passive 153,837
Active 434
Total 154,271
Wales
Passive 16,430
Active 83
Total 16,513
Scotland
Passive 8,293
Active 54
Total 8,347
Northern Ireland
Passive 1,851
Active 126
Total 1,977
What is their estimate of the total number of beasts deemed to have suffered foot and mouth disease in the recent outbreak in (a) England,
(b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.[HL4490]
Number of animals slaughtered on infected premises in England, Scotland and Wales
Based on Defra's Disease Control System database 22 May 2002
Country Cattle Sheep Pigs Goats Deer Others Total
England 256,661 827,249 20,928 707 28 494 1,106,067
Scotland 34,647 94,855 331 15 0 0 129,848
Wales 8,379 61,098 597 80 0 0 70,154
Total 299,687 983,202 21,856 802 28 494 1,306,069
What agri-environment schemes are or have been in operation over the past three years; and what is the total amount of grants (a) offered and (b) paid for each of them in each year; and what are the estimates for the current year. [HL4544]
Financial Year Total no. of agreements(4) Amount Paid £m
1999–00 20,284 77.4
2000–01 22,120 84.8
2001–02 25,351 101.6
2002–03 27,846 133.8(5)
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