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15 Mar 2006 : Column WA225
Written Answers
Wednesday, 15 March 2006.
Agriculture
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What support they offer to farmers and the wider farming industry for the dissemination of information on innovative farming techniques. [HL4415]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): The Government recognise the importance of ensuring that the farming industry remains dynamic and innovative. Viable and sustainable businesses are crucial to the prosperity of the countryside. In the Rural Strategy 2004 Defra made a commitment to providing rural businesses with access to appropriate business support and training. Since then, we have worked with partners from central, regional and local government on a number of projects to help rural businesses get the help and advice they need.
Building on work under the learning, skills and knowledge programme (LSK), Defra continues to work with the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based sector (Lantra) on the provision of, and demand for, skills training and development for rural businesses. Lantra is developing a competence framework for the land-based sector and will be piloting this within selected sub-sectors. We are also working with Lantra to develop a mechanism for recognising skills gained through experience as well as formal qualifications attained.
Some of the support offered to farmers and the wider industry for the dissemination of innovative farming information includes:
The National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), which is sponsored by Defra, develops products, processes and technologies from agricultural materials and acquires and disseminates the latest information on non-food crops, technologies and markets to farmers and the wider farming industry, as well as to all other relevant stakeholders throughout the supply chain. The centre's purpose is to provide a single, independent and authoritative source of information on the use and implementation of non-food crop products and technologies in the United Kingdom. The NNFCC can also provide farmers with advice and guidance on contracts and procurement issues.
The Farm Business Advice Service is helping farmers to consider options for the future of their business. The current service was launched on 21 October 2005. Funded by Defra, it is available to farmers claiming the single payment scheme in England until March 2007.
The rural enterprise scheme (RES), which forms part of the England rural development programme, can provide support to farmers for good quality,
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sustainable diversification projects to help businesses respond to new economic opportunities available in the rural economy, beyond agriculture.
The vocational training scheme, which also forms part of the England rural development programme, provides funding for vocational training activities that contribute to an improvement of the occupational skill and competence of farmers and others involved in farming (including horticulture) and forestry activities and their conversion (that is, diversification).
As ERDP is coming to an end, the last application date for the RES and VS is 30 June 2006. We are currently consulting on a successor scheme for ERDP.
Agriculture: Pesticides
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the statement of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides in its commentary on the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report Crop spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders, September 2005, concerning the effect of over-precaution, is compatible with the guidelines on scientific analysis in policy-making 2005; and how they assess this statement will affect public confidence. [HL4548]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): I do not believe that there is a conflict between the ACP's statement in its commentary on the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report and the guidelines in scientific analysis in policy making. The ACP made its statement to draw attention to the potential risks in what the committee viewed as an over-precautionary approach and the need for a proportionate approach in regulation. I do not believe that this will have an adverse effect on public confidence.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides' commentary on the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders, September 2005, to the effect that the only effective form of surveillance of health effects of chronic exposure to pesticides is manufacturers' studies; and whether they will consider requiring companies to disclose all such studies, whatever their outcome, as a condition for approval or re-approval of all pesticides. [HL4549]
Lord Bach: The Government are currently considering all the recommendations in the report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders. This consideration will take into account advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The Government aim to publish a response by the summer.
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The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider holding a public consultation on the introduction of a health surveillance system by the Health Protection Agency as advocated by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. [HL4551]
Lord Bach: The Government are currently considering their response to the report from the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders and aim to publish a response to the RCEP by the summer.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will open the consultation of the Pesticides Safety Directorate on the annual levy imposed on pesticide manufacturers to the public and all stakeholders as well as the manufacturers. [HL4552]
Lord Bach: The current arrangements for consultation involve those companies that are liable to pay the annual levy. I have no plans to change these arrangements.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will review health surveillance of the chronic effects of pesticide exposure in the United Kingdom, in light of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides' commentary on the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders in September 2005. [HL4606]
Lord Bach: The Government are currently considering all the recommendations in the report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders. This consideration will take into account advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The Government aim to publish a response by the summer.
Agriculture: Sheep
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
What alternative they propose for the effective treatment of sheep scab and sheep ticks now that approval has been withdrawn for Cypermethrin. [HL4473]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): Cypermethrin sheep dips are authorised veterinary medicinal products indicated for use against sheep scab and the treatment of ticks and blowfly. A number of other veterinary medicinal products are authorised for some or all of these
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indications. These include: three organophosphorus sheep dips for treatment of all sheep ectoparasites; 11 injectable products for the treatment of sheep scab and one dip and five pour-on products for the treatment of ticks and blowfly.
Details of these products can be found on the VMD's website www.vmd.gov.uk. Diagnosis and guidance on which product to use will be available from the farmer's veterinary surgeon.
Agriculture: Wales
Lord Elystan-Morgan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 2 March (WA 86) stating that the Welsh Assembly Government had been consulted with regard to their evidence and innovation strategy publication, how this was achieved in the light of the fact that the publication does not make any specific reference to Welsh agriculture. [HL4574]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): The Welsh Assembly Government were engaged at several stages in the development of the evidence and innovation strategy (E&IS) consultation document published in October 2005 and the 10-year Science Forward Look project which preceded it. The responses to this consultation, of which there are over 100, are currently being analysed and a formal high-level E&IS will be published later this year. As part of their response the WAG highlighted the need for Wales-specific issues to be properly reflected in this strategy, and Defra is working closely with WAG to achieve this.
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