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Sustainable Fisheries
24. Mr. Woodward: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's policy on sustainable fisheries; and if he will make a statement. [51711]
Mr. Morley: The Government's policy is to conserve fish stocks for future generations and secure a sustainable future for the sea fishing industry.
Animal Welfare
25. Mr. Tipping: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to achieve a welfare directive for farm animals across the EU. [51712]
Mr. Morley: I am delighted to confirm that, at the conclusion of our Presidency in June, we succeeded in obtaining agreement to a Directive which sets welfare standards for all species of farm animal across the EU.
Farm Diversification
26. Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage farmers to diversify. [51713]
Mr. Morley: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to our hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 28 July 1998, Official Report, column 225.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made on the introduction of measures to ensure that all British- registered fishing vessels maintain a real economic link with United Kingdom populations dependent on fisheries and related industries. [54383]
Mr. Nick Brown: I am pleased to announce that, following on from the Prime Minister's exchange of letters with the President of the European Commission in June 1997, the Commission has now confirmed that our proposals for ensuring an economic link between UK flagged vessels and populations dependent on fisheries and related industries are compatible with Community law.
A new licence condition will be introduced with effect from 1 January 1999 requiring all vessels to demonstrate an economic link with the UK by one of the following means:
30 Jul 1998 : Column: 468
A paper setting out the new economic link requirements has been deposited in the Library of the House. Fisheries Departments will be writing to industry shortly with further details concerning the introduction of the new arrangements.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he has taken to support the United Kingdom brewing industry. [52635]
Mr. Morley:
By its nature, the UK brewing industry has a number of important interfaces with Government. MAFF works closely with the brewers, and with other Government Departments, to promote a successful and competitive industry, responsive to its particular role in society. The Ministry makes limited contributions to relevant research and development, and has recently supported an industry initiative to enhance perceptions of the opportunities afforded by a career in the licensed retail trade. More widely, the Government have begun a comprehensive review of licensing law; and completed a review of alcohol and tobacco fraud, proposing a number of ways to protect the industry from fraud and smuggling.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each current United Kingdom and EU scheme which will provide assistance to farmers in setting up marketing schemes together with the total sum available for each scheme and the minimum and maximum figures for individual application where applicable. [52474]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 27 July 1998]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information he has requested as soon as possible. It is necessary to draw together details of schemes administered by each Agricultural Department and it will take a little time to ensure that the reply is comprehensive.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Commission in support of a Community- wide ban on the export of live horses for slaughter. [51380]
Mr. Morley:
The Government do not consider it a realistic objective to persuade the European Commission to propose an EU-wide ban on the export of live horses for slaughter. We support the active enforcement, in all member states, of EU rules on the welfare of livestock in transit and at slaughter, and have argued for the same rules to be strictly applied when animals are exported from the EU to third countries. We will draw to the attention of the EU Commission specific complaints relating to the EU export of horses for slaughter.
30 Jul 1998 : Column: 469
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to provide selective assistance for the maintenance and improvement of hedgerows. [52810]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 29 July 1998]: Payments are available for the restoration of hedges and their subsequent maintenance under the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) and Countryside Stewardship Schemes in England. In certain ESAs, there are payments for positive maintenance of hedges.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to bring forward reforms to the quarantine regime; and if he will make a statement. [53681]
Mr. Rooker:
Ministers await the report of the Advisory Group on Quarantine which we expect to be published very shortly, most probably during the Parliamentary summer recess. A full public consultation will then be held.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date his Department received notification from the Welsh Language Board in relation to the need to prepare a Welsh language scheme; on what date his Department and the Board held consultations on such a scheme; when a scheme was formally submitted to the Board; and if it has been approved. [53356]
Mr. Rooker:
The Welsh Language Board invited the Ministry on 15 December 1997 to prepare a Welsh language scheme. Consultations between MAFF officials and the Welsh Language Board predate this letter and officials met the Welsh Language Board on 5 June 1998. A draft scheme has been produced. The deadline for approval of the scheme is 31 December 1998.
Mr. Walter:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to impose a unilateral ban on the use of growth promoters licensed by the European Union under Directive 70/524. [53713]
Mr. Rooker:
The Government have noted that the Agriculture Select Committee favours a ban on antibiotic growth promoters. The Committee's report has been drawn to the attention of the Veterinary Products Committee, who will advise the Government. Further advice is also expected from the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. The Government will act in the light of the advice of their scientific committees.
Mr. Walter:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of United Kingdom bacon consumption is of imported meat; and from which countries such imports originate. [53714]
30 Jul 1998 : Column: 470
Mr. Rooker:
In 1997, the United Kingdom was 51 per cent. self-sufficient in bacon; the main countries of origin of imported products were Denmark and the Netherlands.
Mr. Walter:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of United Kingdom un-cured pork consumption is of imported meat; and from which countries those imports originate. [53716]
Mr. Rooker:
In 1997, the United Kingdom was 106 per cent. self-sufficient in pork and was therefore a net exporter. Quantities of pork were imported from Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland and France.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to eliminate dumping of foreign timber upon the United Kingdom market. [50817]
Mrs. Roche:
I have been asked to reply.
It is the responsibility of the European Commission to investigate complaints by the EU industries concerned about allegedly dumped imports into the EU. I am not aware of a complaint to the European Commission about the dumping of foreign timber.
Mr. Ian Stewart:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government have yet reached a decision on their proposed controls on vitamin B6. [54810]
Mr. Nick Brown:
The Government have now completed their consideration of the responses to the consultation exercise on the proposed controls on dietary supplements containing vitamin B6. Copies of the responses received have been deposited in the Library. We have also deposited copies of the responses received to the consultation by the Medicines Control Agency on its parallel proposals on controls on licensed medicines containing vitamin B6.
The Government have taken full account of the Agriculture Select Committee's report on vitamin B6 and have made their response today. (The decision on when and how this is published is a matter for the Committee).
The Government's assessment of the science remains that of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and our advice to the public will continue to reflect this. However, we accept that there is a case for delaying any action on vitamin B6 until the new Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals has completed its consideration of the wider issue of the principles on which controls for ensuring the safety of vitamin and mineral supplements sold under food law can be based. This should take between eighteen months and two years. In view of this we have concluded that a decision on legislation on the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements should be deferred until after the Expert Group has produced its report.
30 Jul 1998 : Column: 471
A. landing at least 50 per cent. by weight of the vessel's catch of quota stocks into the UK,
or
B. employing a crew of whom at least 50 per cent. are normally resident in a UK coastal area,
or
incurring a given level of operating expenditure in the UK for goods and services provided in UK coastal areas,
or
D. demonstrating an economic link by other means (including combinations of the above) providing sufficient benefit to populations dependent on fisheries and related industries.
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