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18 Nov 2005 : Column WA175
Written Answers
Friday, 18 November 2005.
British Food Fortnight
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): Defra's support for British Food Fortnight in the past two years has come through the funding that it has made available to Food from Britain (FFB) to deliver a range of activities in support of the quality regional food sector in England. Wherever possible, FFB has supported British Food Fortnight by ensuring that the activities that it delivers in support of quality regional food sector coincide with the fortnight.
In addition, last year FFB funded the production of a guide that included information on how retailers and the food service sector could support British Food Fortnight. The guide also included information on how buyers could source quality regional food and drink and the importance of linking tourism with quality regional food and drink. This year, FFB funded an update of the guide and provided "in kind" public relations support that helped generate substantial media coverage for British Food Fortnight. According to figures provided by the organisers of British Food Fortnight, the guide was distributed to 24,000 shops, pubs and restaurants.
As well as funding from Defra, both the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department of Health have provided seed corn funding to British Food Fortnight. The funding has been used to produce resource packs for schools which contain guidance and suggestions to schools for activities about healthy British foods and link to the Healthy Schools programme, Food in Schools programme, School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme and 5-a-day programme. This year, DfES publicised British Food Fortnight on its Growing Schools website.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What range of organisations, producers, schools and shops took part in British Food Fortnight. [HL2190]
Lord Bach: Although the Government have supported British Food Fortnight in a number of ways, it is an independently run initiative and we do not hold the information requested.
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From the information made available by the organisers of British Food Fortnight we understand that a large number of organisations representing farmers, food producers, rural businesses and the food service sector took part in this event. Figures from the organisers show that information on how to incorporate food-related activities into the national curriculum was sent to 26,000 schools and that 24,000 shops, pubs and restaurants were given details on sourcing and promoting British produce.
China: Military Spending
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the recent increases in military spending by the Chinese People's Liberation Army to an estimated annual budget of $90 billion. [HL2187]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): We have assessed that actual Chinese defence spending is around three times the official figure of $30 billion at the current exchange rate. The increases have been primarily allocated to developing China's defence industry and to defence equipment procurement.
CITES Regulations
Lord Skelmersdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: We expect to lay a replacement for the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 in the spring.
Developing Countries: Scientists
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken in the training of scientists in or from developing countries, particularly in translational research, to ensure the retention of science graduates in their home countries. [HL1873]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): DfID is committed to strengthening capacity at all levels in developing countries. We support training for students, including scientists, both in country and in the UK, though centrally supported research programmes and through the Commonwealth Fellowship and Scholarship programme.
A tracking exercise of the Commonwealth programme established that well over 90 per cent. of graduates in fact return home. We have encouraged the Commonwealth programme to increase split-site
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courses. We have also encouraged it to increase the amount of distance learning scholarships that it provides, obviating the need for scholars to leave their country at all.
England Rural Development Programme
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent the geographical targeting proposals in the new England Rural Development Programme proposed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are consistent with the non-geographical targeting suggested by the Department of Trade and Industry for the next round of Objective 2 funding. [HL1928]
Lord Bach: No targeting proposals, geographical or otherwise, have yet been made for the successor to the England Rural Development Programme, which will run from 2007 until 2013. Objectives for the successor Rural Development Programme have yet to be agreed. However, we will want the programme to focus on key policy priorities to ensure that it delivers value for money and effective outcomes; so appropriate targeting of the programme's resources will be necessary. Proposed objectives and targets for the successor Rural Development Programme will be subject to a public consultation that will begin either towards the end of this year or in early 2006.
Similarly, negotiations on the next round of structural funds are ongoing, and the arrangements for future programmes are still unknown. However, irrespective of the arrangements finally agreed, we will want to ensure that future EU regional policy targets assistance in a way that makes a real contribution to shared EU goals as set out by the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas.
Illegal Timber
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any estimate of the amount of illegally logged timber arriving in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what is that estimate. [HL2188]
Lord Bach: We know that the UK is the world's fourth largest importer of wood products. However, with the exception of unlicensed species included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) we are unable to estimate how much illegally logged timber is coming into the UK, as timber is not identified as legal or illegal at ports of entry. That will change, however, with the implementation of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which recently reached political agreement. It will prohibit the entry into the EU of illegal timber products from countries that enter into partnership agreements with the European Union.
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NHS Dentistry
Baroness Harris of Richmond asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many trainee dentists joined (a) National Health Service primary care practices; and (b) each primary care trust in north and east Yorkshire and the Humber in the latest 12 months for which figures are available. [HL2263]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Out of some 630 vocational trainee dental practitioners appointed to National Health Service dental practices in England in 2005, the numbers in each primary care trust in the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority are shown in the table.
General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS)
Number of vocational dental practitioners (VDPs) by primary care trust in the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority area who started training during the year ending 30 September 2005
Notes:
The number of VDPs who started training in each PCT between 1 October and 30 September. One VDP had contracts in both the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT and the West Hull PCT and is counted in both areas.
The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographical areas. PCT areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics All Fields Postcode Directory.
Source: Dental Practice Board
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