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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Central Science Laboratory
Mr. Charles Clarke: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 31 March 1998, Official Report, column 505, what is the status of the assurance given by his Permanent Secretary that an employment guarantee would be provided for five years for CSL staff relocating from Norwich to York; and what contingent liability his Department has assumed is needed to fund this commitment. [37988]
Mr. Rooker: The Permanent Secretary has not given such an assurance. However, in the event of relocation of the CSL Norwich to York, consideration would be given as to whether medium term assurances of continued employment should be offered to staff who transferred. The level of resulting contingent liabilities would be one of the factors considered before giving such assurances.
Mr. Charles Clarke: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Central Science Laboratory (a) scientists and (b) non-scientists in Norwich are in (i) mobile and (ii) non-mobile grades. [37955]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 6 April 1998]: The information requested on staff based at the Central Science Laboratory in Norwich is as follows:
| Scientists | Non-scientists | |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 78 | 4 |
| Non-mobile | 31 | 24 |
| Total staff | 109 | 28 |
Mr. Charles Clarke:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many food research projects submitted to his Department for funding by the Central Science Laboratory in (1) 1996-97 and (2) 1997-98 which were (i) commissioned, (ii) deemed by the independent
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appraisal panel to be of sufficient quality to merit departmental funding and (iii) not deemed to be of sufficient quality to merit such funding were based primarily at (a) Sand Hutton, York and (b) Colney Lane, Norwich. [37957]
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Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 6 April 1998]: The information requested, relating to research proposals submitted by the Central Science Laboratory to my Department, for funding in 1996-97 and 1997-98, is detailed.
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| Proposals for funding in 1996-97 (submitted to MAFF in 1995) | Proposals for funding in 1997-98 (submitted to MAFF in 1996) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term research (applied) | Long-term research (strategic) | Short-term research (applied) | Long-term research (strategic) | |
| Total number of CSL proposals considered | 45 | 46 | 43 | 24 |
| CSL Norwich | 22 | 22 | 40 | 19 |
| CSL Torry | 22 | 23 | 3 | 3 |
| CSL Slough | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| CSL York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of CSL proposals commissioned | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 |
| CSL Norwich | 13 | 11 | 12 | 8 |
| CSL Torry | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| CSL Slough | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CSL York | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Number deemed by an independent Appraisal Panel to be suitable for MAFF funding | n/a | 25 | n/a | 23 |
| CSL Norwich | n/a | 12 | n/a | 18 |
| CSL Torry | n/a | 12 | n/a | 3 |
| CSL Slough | n/a | 1 | n/a | 2 |
| CSL York | n/a | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| Number deemed by an independent Appraisal Panel to be unsuitable for MAFF funding | n/a | 12 | n/a | 1 |
| CSL Norwich | n/a | 8 | n/a | 1 |
| CSL Torry | n/a | 4 | n/a | 0 |
| CSL Slough | n/a | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| CSL York | n/a | 0 | n/a | 0 |
Notes:
1. Where n/a appears in the tables above, projects were appraised within MAFF with independent advice sought where necessary. These proposals were not considered by the independent Appraisal Panels. This is the case for all short term (applied) research proposals submitted to MAFF.
2. Proposals were not submitted from CSL York until 1997 (for funding in 1997-98), once staff had completed moves to CSL York from CSL Torry and CSL Slough.
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Organophosphates
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much the Government have spent in the last five years on research into the effects of pesticides based on organophosphorus compounds on the health of (a) cattle and (b) those working in the farming and horticulture industries. [38201]
Mr. Rooker: Applications for authorisations for veterinary medicines and pesticides are assessed against statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. Safety includes the health and welfare of the treated animal and the user of the product. Research required to satisfy these criteria forms part of the information submitted by applicants and is paid for by them.
No MAFF-funded research has been carried out into the effects of organophosphorus (OP) compounds on the health of cattle.
In the past five years, the Government have commissioned work costing £3.6 million into the effects of OP pesticides on the health of those working in the farming and horticulture industries. In addition to this, the Institute of Occupational Medicine has been awarded £500,000 funded jointly by MAFF, the Department of
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Health and the Health and Safety Executive to research the possible long-term human health effects of OP sheep dips. Additional work on the effects of OP pesticides has been carried out separately by Research Councils.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take into account the views of the American National Academy of Science prior to proceeding with restrictions on the retail sale of vitamin B6. [38103]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government issued for consultation their draft proposals for restrictions on the retail sale of food supplements containing vitamin B6 on 2 April 1998. The consultation period ends on 26 June 1998. If further data on the safety of vitamin B6 become available during the consultation period, including information from the US National Academy of Sciences, those data will be taken into account by the Government.
Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the membership and
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terms of reference of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group announced on 7 July 1997; and if he will make a statement. [38516]
Dr. John Cunningham:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have appointed Professor Lynda Warren, Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Wales, to chair the independent Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group. In addition, Dr. Nick Giles, Mr. John Golding, Dr. Keith Hendry, Mr. Derek Heselton MBE, Mr. David Hodgkiss, Mrs. Jean Howman, Mrs. Jane James, Dr. Mike Ladle, Mr. Frank Lythgoe, Mr. David Moore, Mr. Mervyn Mountjoy, Mr. Pat O'Reilly, Mr. Stanley Payne, Dr. Anne Powell, Professor Kerry Turner and Mr. John Williams have been appointed members.
The terms of reference for the Review Group are:
The review should also consider other factors that may affect the development and sustainability of these fisheries.
The review should examine the institutional arrangements for the regulation and management of these fisheries (including the role of the public sector, the need to involve all interested parties, and arrangements in tidal and coastal waters) and how best such arrangements can be funded.'
Members have been appointed in an independent capacity on the basis of their individual knowledge and expertise of fisheries and/or related conservation issues. We believe the Group is well suited to making recommendations for the future management and conservation of salmon and freshwater fish and look forward to receiving its report in late 1999.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what impact the establishment of the Food Standards Agency will have on the role of the food safety activities of the Central Science Laboratory. [38347]
Mr. Rooker:
The White Paper "The Food Standards Agency: a Force for Change": (Cmd 3830) proposes that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) should take the lead in commissioning research on food safety. It will be for the FSA to determine its own priorities and procedures for future research once it is established. However, the Government anticipate that the FSA will continue to commission research competitively, and that the Central Science Laboratory would compete for FSA research contracts, along with other research establishments.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he will make to ensure co-ordination of the relevant work of the Central
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Science Laboratory with that of the Institute of Food Research following the establishment of the Food Standards Agency. [38348]
Mr. Rooker:
The Central Science Laboratory already collaborates with the Institute of Food Research and with many other research institutes and universities. This ensures that respective scientific expertise is effectively applied.
'To review existing policies and legislation in England and Wales concerning the management and conservation of salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish and make recommendations. The review and recommendations should take particular account of:
the need to maintain, and where appropriate enhance, biodiversity;
the need to maximise the economic, social and recreational benefits derived from salmon and freshwater fisheries, taking account both of the interests of local communities and local factors and traditions;
the need for management of fisheries to be on a fully sustainable basis, taking account of the precautionary approach.
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