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19 Nov 2008 : Column WA189



19 Nov 2008 : Column WA189

Written Answers

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Agriculture: Bluetongue

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Vaccination is the key tool for containment and control of bluetongue, and the ongoing approach to vaccination will be shaped in discussion with the farming industry. Following discussions with livestock industry and veterinary profession stakeholders during the development of the 2008 vaccination plan, it was concluded by Defra and the core group of industry stakeholders that a voluntary approach should be taken.

The vaccination plan for bluetongue serotype 8 in 2009 is currently being developed with stakeholders. Further details will be announced following these discussions with the expectation that the vaccination plan will be published by December. This will be made available on the Defra website.

Agriculture: Upland Entry Level Scheme

Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): All UK agri-environment schemes (including the proposed uplands strand of the entry level environmental stewardship scheme, or upland ELS) are part-funded by the European Union, and it is an EU requirement that commitments under these schemes last a minimum of five years. This is the minimum period necessary to achieve the environmental benefits being paid for. In order to comply with that requirement, it is necessary to obtain the agreement of the landowner (or the next tenant if his rights to the land are defined) where the tenant does not have rights for the full term of the agri-environment agreement.

Farmers with tenancies of less than five years at the time of application will be able to apply for upland ELS provided the landowner countersigns the application and agrees to continue the funded management should the tenant/grazier not be able to do so. The same rule applies to all the other strands of environmental stewardship which have been in place since 2005.



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Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Tenant farmers will be able to access the proposed uplands strand of entry level environmental stewardship, or upland ELS. Farmers with tenancies of less than five years at the time of application will be able to apply for upland ELS provided the landowner countersigns the application, and agrees to continue the funded management should the tenant/grazier not be able to do so. This is to ensure the required land management is carried out for the five-year duration of the agreement. It is an EU requirement that commitments under all agri-environment schemes last a minimum of five years.

Airports: Body Scanners

Baroness Ludford asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Only the UK Border Agency currently uses body scanners and the equipment used does not breach either of the Acts quoted. There are no body scanners currently in use at UK airports as the recent trials have been completed.

Bangladesh: Elections

Baroness Uddin asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): We are supporting the EU and ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) observation missions. Dhaka-based UK officials plan to join the EU election observation mission as short-term observers. International observers have an important role to play, monitoring electoral processes around the world and making recommendations on ways to improve those electoral processes based on their observations.

Baroness Uddin asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Bach: We plan to participate in the EU election observation mission, whose efforts will complement other planned international observation missions from the UN, Commonwealth, United States and a regional

19 Nov 2008 : Column WA191

observation mission led by ANFREL. There are no plans for the UK to send parliamentary representatives to monitor the election.

Banking

Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and Her Majesty's Treasury are responsible for financial regulation in the UK. The Government have already announced certain banking reforms. The Chancellor has asked the noble Lord, Lord Turner, the chairman of the FSA, to make recommendations on the reform of financial regulation. The UK works with EU partners to ensure that EU proposals for regulation are appropriate and effective.



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British Overseas Territories

Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): All assistance arises from the UK's contingent liability to meet the reasonable assistance needs of the Overseas Territories, and defence commitments.

The following government departments provide the majority of the assistance to the Overseas Territories: the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development (DfID), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department for Transport (DfT).

DfID bilateral aid to the Overseas Territories between 1998-99 and 2007-08 was:

£ 000s
1998-991999-002000-012001-022002-032003-042004-052005-062006-072007-08

St Helena & Dependencies

8,805

9,363

10,116

10,106

9,555

10,525

14,481

13,564

15,692

17,550

Anguilla

1,977

2,058

2,232

1,847

1,044

954

1,216

895

127

British Virgin Islands

622

516

186

83

90

11

Cayman Islands

23

18

20

3

Montserrat

30,804

22,273

19,597

22,481

23,350

24,757

14,151

12,617

15,556

17,164

Turks and Caicos Islands

3,808

4,044

2,845

2,719

1,532

741

1,187

357

149

178

Pitcairn

148

99

18

26

53

64

1,314

2,582

1,837

1,460

Bermuda

13

4

Falkland Islands

Gibraltar

28

23

27

23

6

5

1

2

1

Regional programmes

563

578

1,618

1,409

957

663

642

1,532

1,771

1,001

TOTALS

46,779

38,984

36,662

38,697

36,586

37,719

32,991

31,548

35,132

37,353

Within these amounts, DfID provided bilateral humanitarian assistance following natural disasters to Montserrat (£19.9 million), St. Helena and Dependencies (£165,000), Anguilla (£112,000) and the Cayman Islands (£3,000).


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