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Genomics
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the potential of genomics in agricultural research. [153234]
Mr. Nick Brown: Genomics is expected to make a significant contribution to UK agriculture. Genome maps for many agriculturally important plants, animals and micro-organisms have been produced in the last few years. Research on genome maps for plants, livestock and micro-organisms should enable scientists to identify those organisms with desirable traits. This information would be beneficial in speeding up breeding programmes.
National Institute of Agricultural Botany
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by whom the National Institute of Agricultural Botany report which was presented to MAFF as part of their review on separation distances has been peer reviewed. [153231]
Mr. Nick Brown: The NIAB report has been referred to a number of independent scientific experts both here and abroad for peer review. This process has yet to be completed.
Hand-carried Imported Foodstuffs
Mr. Gale: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the total annual volume of raw and cooked meats and other foodstuffs imported by visitors to the United Kingdom. [154249]
Ms Quin [holding answer 19 March 2001]: Data are not collected by Customs on the volume of raw and cooked meats and other foodstuffs imported by visitors to the United Kingdom and no reliable estimate is therefore available.
Pig Movements
Mr. Baldry: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects Mr. Adrian Wilcox of College Farm, Bletchington, Oxfordshire to be able to move his pigs. [155437]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 26 March 2001]: Mr. Wilcox applied for entry to the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme and a number of pigs were removed from College Farm on 14 April.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will calculate the impact on the cost of food to consumers arising from the CAP since 1973. [157376]
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Ms Quin [holding answer 6 April 2001]: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publishes an estimate annually of the transfers made by consumers in the European Union as a whole resulting from agricultural policies in the Union. Estimates of the impact of the CAP upon consumers are dependent upon the assumptions made concerning the policy which would have operated in the absence of the CAP.
The table sets out the OECD estimates for the years 1986 to 1999. Estimates for earlier years are not readily available.
| Year | Billion ecu/euro |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 69.1 |
| 1987 | 64.6 |
| 1988 | 62.7 |
| 1989 | 49.2 |
| 1990 | 71.5 |
| 1991 | 79.5 |
| 1992 | 63.2 |
| 1993 | 59.9 |
| 1994 | 59.3 |
| 1995 | 55.1 |
| 1996 | 45.3 |
| 1997 | 50.5 |
| 1998 | 60.8 |
| 1999 | 61.9 |
Source:
OECD Producer and Consumer Support Estimates Database
Departmental Travel
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were his Department's total gross running costs for travel, including fares, subsistence, accommodation and other expenses met from public funds but excluding such costs for journeys and stays exclusively within the United Kingdom (a) in the three years to 30 April 1997 and (b) in the 12 months ending 30 April 1997. [157629]
Ms Quin: The information requested is provided in the table.
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | 1 May 1994 to 30 April 1997 | 1 May 1996 to 30 April 1997 |
| Travel EC Institution Meetings | 2,041,759.84 | 644,740.78 |
| Travel Other Overseas Visits | 1,516,817.70 | 511,356.29 |
| Travel Foreign Hospitality | 24,002.75 | 13,902.86 |
| Subsistence EC Institution Meetings | 1,081,812.02 | 319,372.26 |
| Subsistence Other Overseas Visits | 910,703.18 | 276,013.48 |
| Total | 5,575,095.49 | 1,765,685.67 |
Farmgate Prices (Lancashire)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the farmgate price of (a) vegetables, (b) fruit and (c) non- edible products in Lancashire. [157989]
Ms Quin [holding answer 10 April 2001]: Value statistics are not collected at county level.
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Flood Defences
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will make a statement about the allocation of the £52 million additional funds for flood defences. [158463]
Mr. Morley: I informed the flood and coastal defence operating authorities of revised allocations for 2001-02 on 17 February. As a result of increases in the last two Spending Reviews, and following the announcements of additional funding packages in November and January, MAFF funding available for flood and coastal defence in 2001-02 is £102.6 million. The funding will be shared between:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Environment Agency | 53.6 |
| Local Authorities | 46 |
| Internal Drainage Boards | 3 |
Most of the increased funding is going to the Environment Agency: (a) to accelerate the capital programme on 'main' rivers, (b) to carry forward catchment studies and (c) to make a contribution towards the emergency response and repair costs incurred in the recent flooding. However both Local Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards will also be able to make
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applications for accelerated river defence works, and £1 million is being set aside for the emergency costs incurred by Internal Drainage Boards.
Revised plans for future years have been commissioned from the operating authorities recently. These will inform decisions about future allocations in due course.
Departmental IT Projects
Mr. Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2001, Official Report, column 476W, if he will list the IT projects currently undertaken in his Department; and if he will state the (a) expected completion date and (b) cost of each project. [151505]
Ms Quin: I am sorry that there was an error in the list of major IT projects in the answer of 12 March. The entry for 'Food Survey System' should read 'Farm Survey System'. Options for the further development of this system are still under consideration and it is not yet possible to confirm the expected completion date or costs. The costs quoted were those expected up until March 2002.
We have clarified the heading detail in the list to show that the costs and dates of all projects were those expected and a footnote to show that they are subject to change.
The rest of the answer remains correct.
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Note:
These figures show expected costs and dates as at 12 March 2001 which may be subject to change to meet business demands.
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