House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 16 Mar 2004 (pt 3)

Dairy Farming

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's response to the Colman Report on the dairy industry. [156443]

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Alun Michael: The Dairy Supply Chain Forum, commissioned this report with funding from Defra, the Dairy Industry Association and the Milk Development Council, together with project advice from the NFU, in order to help inform decision making on the dairy aspects of CAP reform. The conclusions of the report were considered, along with a number of other factors, in our decision on the implementation of the Single Farm Payment in England.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account she took of the impact on milk prices of moving to a dynamic hybrid system of Common Agricultural Policy reform. [156444]

Alun Michael: The model of decoupled payment instituted in England should not impact on milk prices, if farmers treat their payments as decoupled. Decoupled payments are by their nature not linked to production and should not therefore be used to offset the cost of production. If some farmers treat their payments as coupled and use them to subsidise production, this will tend to reduce prices for all dairy farmers. We believe that the transition to an area based payment will result in a purer form of decoupling that will more completely break the link between production and subsidy.

Fishermen's Compensation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many boats qualify for compensation as a result of the loss of fishing owing to the development of the Shellhaven Port facility; [159671]

(3) if she will make a statement on the impact of the Thames Estuary P&O Shellhaven Port development application on (a) the local fishing industry and (b) the viability of the fisheries and spawning grounds. [159680]

Mr. Bradshaw: Proposals for development of a new container port at London Gateway/Shellhaven are still subject to the statutory planning approvals process. Although I understand that no decisions have yet been taken, these are matters for the First Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Transport. The developer will also require a FEPA licence from my Department but no application has yet been received.

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), an Executive Agency of Defra, provides expert scientific advice on marine and freshwater issues. It has contributed to the recent public inquiry into the Shellhaven scheme given the international importance of the Thames Estuary as an area for sole spawning and juvenile sole. CEFAS has recommended that further survey work be carried out and assessment made of whether seasonal restrictions on dredging may be necessary to mitigate any adverse impact.

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Compensation for the possible loss of fishing is a matter for the developer and the various fisheries organisations to reach agreement on.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the decision by a State Veterinary officer to renew Mr. Bobby Waugh's swill feeding licence 14 days before the foot and mouth disease outbreak began. [159013]

Mr. Bradshaw: The inspection carried out at Bobby Waugh's swill feeding premises 26 days before the foot and mouth disease outbreak began was the latest in a series of routine visits that were carried out to such premises to ensure compliance with the licensing conditions. The visits that the SVS carry out were aimed at trying to ensure maintenance of acceptable standards, heightened awareness of the risks associated with this procedure and the need for these standards to be maintained, and early detection of any problems that occur.

As no evidence was found at the time of the visit to indicate that the licensing conditions were not being complied with, the licence was renewed. I am satisfied that the visit was carried out to the standards required at the time and that the inspecting officer did everything that would reasonably have been expected to ensure compliance with the conditions.

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken as a consequence of the recommendations contained within the EU report DG (SANCO)/3367/2001-MR Final regarding the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom. [159029]

Mr. Bradshaw: The recommendations in DG (SANCO) 3367/2001 were: to improve official controls over the disposal of waste food from catering establishments, and, to improve official controls over the disposal of waste food from prohibited sources at point of entry and the safe destruction of seized products.

The report recognised that the action already taken to ban the feeding of swill to livestock that the UK introduced in May 2001, "greatly" reduced the risk of introducing and spreading FMD or CSF from waste food. Following the introduction of the ban former swill feeders and processors of waste from catering establishments were monitored. For the 12 month period after the ban visits were made to former swill feeder premises to check compliance with the new requirements. The visits took place after approximately 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 6 months and 12 months from the date of the ban. Where pigs were being kept on former swill feeding premises feed samples were taken if there was reason to consider that meat or meat products were being fed. Where non-compliance was found the local authorities have taken enforcement action.

Additionally we have instigated a rolling action plan to maintain awareness of the importance of disposing of food waste safely. We consider that we have in place all

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the necessary controls but also, as part of our action plan, we write annually to the enforcement authorities that visit catering establishments reminding them of the provisions of the Animal By-Products legislation. We have also had assistance from the Environment Agency concerning disposal at landfill sites and inspections of these by the State Veterinary Service have been instigated. These actions will be repeated as part of our rolling plan. Other actions include providing advice to new pig keepers on restrictions on what may be fed to their pigs and the identification of new pig keepers. We are also concerned about the disposal of waste food by the general public and are considering a general awareness campaign. This is a matter of the utmost concern and we shall not cease in our actions aimed at ensuring that the risks from waste food are minimised.

Forestry Commission

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Forestry Commission as to the advisability of issuing (a) restoration agreements and (b) fines for those who unwittingly offend. [160231]

Mr. Bradshaw: I have not had any discussions with the Forestry Commission on restoration agreements as the Forestry Commission do not issue such agreements.

GM Crops

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the results of the GM herbicide review undertaken by the Swedish herbicide authorities on behalf of the EU; and whether these results will inform her decision on the granting of herbicide approval for Liberty herbicide to be used in the management of Chardon LL fodder maize. [160580]

Alun Michael: The EU review of glufosinate ammonium is ongoing. Officials in the Pesticides Safety Directorate received a copy of the Swedish Authorities' draft assessment report in December 2003 and a series of EU expert working groups are due to meet over the summer to discuss various aspects of the report. Any information arising from the report that might be relevant to the scientific evaluation of any application for the approval for the commercial use of Liberty on Chardon LL fodder maize will be taken into account along with the data submitted in support of the application itself. Only if Ministers are satisfied, on the basis of the expert advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, that the use proposed by the applicant is safe to people and the environment will approval be granted.

Ligula Tapeworm

Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will carry out research into the spread of ligula tapeworm in fish by cormorants wintering in the UK. [160899]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to carry out research into the spread of ligula tapeworm in fish.

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Operation Artemis

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the police with regard to Operation Artemis; when she last met the Chief Constable of North Wales to discuss Operation Artemis; and if she will make a statement on her policy on Operation Artemis. [160085]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had no direct discussions with the Chief Constable of North Wales concerning Operation Artemis. This Government warmly welcomes the launch of Operation Artemis by the police and other partners to combat the illegal persecution of hen harriers, which face extinction in England as a result of illegal killing.

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