To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the initial achievements of (a) the Provisional Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e-Sharif and (b) the other provisional reconstruction teams. [162966]

In its first eight months the United Kingdom-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Mazar-e Sharif has made good Progress against all its objectives. The achievements of other PRTs is a matter for their own Lead Nations but, collectively, they all contribute towards the wider goal of restoring a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) where and on what date (a) Rhadi Nama, (b) Ahmed Jabber Karrem, (c) Nadhem Abdulla, (d) Abd Al Jalba Mouse Ali, (e) Hazma Abdul Hussein Al-Askary, (f) Waed Jabber Raheem and (g) Jasim Yassim Jabbar Al-Shuirillway died; and what the cause of death was in each case; [154352](2) where and on what date

The deaths occurred within the United Kingdom Area of Operations, though it is not the purpose of the SIB inquiry to determine the cause of death.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the discharge of Chris Rowlands from the Army. [162402]

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, I am unable to make public any personal data relating to Chris Rowlands unless the hon. Member has his explicit consent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many departmental personnel are involved in communications activities for the (a) Naval Service, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force. [162960]

Within the Ministry of Defence headquarters' corporate communications organisation there are a number of staff employed primarily on the communications activities of the three single Services. As at 22 March 2004 the number of such personnel (including support staff and photographers) was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his European Union counterparts to discuss matters relating to the security situation in (a) Kosovo and (b) Serbia-Montenegro. [163223]

I regularly meet my European Union counterparts to discuss defence matters, including those relating to the Balkans. In particular, I attended the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 17–18 November 2003, at which security issues in the Balkans were discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Government of Serbia-Montenegro regarding Prime Minister Kostunica's proposal for the deployment of Serbian forces to Kosovo. [163224]

I discussed recent events in Kosovo with the Serbia and Montenegro Defence Minister, Boris Tadic. The issue of deploying Serbian troops to Kosovo was not raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent to which the borders between (a) Kosovo and Albania and (b) Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are adequately secured; and who controls them. [163225]

Responsibility for border control points in Kosovo is held by the Kosovo Police Service under the authority of the UN Interim Administration Mission In Kosovo (UNMIK). Responsibility for the territorial integrity of Kosovo, including adjacent to the border with Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), rests with KFOR. On the Macedonian side of the border, the responsibility for border crossing points rests with by the FYROM Border Police and for the rest of the border with the First Army Brigade. On the Albanian side of the Kosovo—Albanian border, the Albanian Police have responsibility for border control.We assess that Kosovo's borders with both Albania and FYROM are adequately secured.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Kosovo towns of (a) Mitrovica, (b) Orahovac and (c) Pristina. [163226]

The security situation in Kosovo, including the towns of Mitrovica, Orahovac and Pristina, is calm following the violent events of last week. NATO, including KFOR forces on the ground, continues to monitor the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the investigation into the death of Mr. Leslie John Douglas; when a Board of Inquiry was convened; what its recommendations were; and what further action has been taken. [162259]

The Royal Military Police Special Investigation, despite extensive witness interviews and forensic examination, was inconclusive.A Board of Inquiry (BOI) into Cpl Douglas's death was convened in November 2001. It made the following recommendations on range safety:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medical reservists there were in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003; and if he will make a statement. [158621]

The following table provides information on the number of medical reservists as at 1 April 1997 and 1 April 2003. Figures for 1997 are not available for the Royal Navy Reserves.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations were made by the Board of Inquiry into the death of Sean Benton concerning security instructions and orders governing armed guard duties at Deepcut barracks; and what action has subsequently been taken on the implementation of each of these recommendations. [162267]

During its investigation the Board of Inquiry (BOI) highlighted a number of concerns, largely relating to security orders and procedures within the Guardroom. Direction was given for the following actions to be taken, and these were implemented by the end of August 1995:

review all security and guard procedures to ensure that they are relevant and in accordance with the current regulations and instructions;

review all instructions within the Guardroom, and in particular instructions given to the guard and other duty personnel;

issue clear orders relating to the issue of weapons and ammunition and the safeguarding of such weapons while they are in an individuals charge;

review procedures for the posting of relief guards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what help is given to Territorial Army soldiers who have lost their job owing to service with the military in the last five years; and how many TA personnel have been affected. [161869]

The Ministry of Defence provides detailed advice to reservists on their legal right to reclaim their civilian employment in the UK and how to seek reinstatement in line with the Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985. Each reservist receives a copy of JSP 532 "Guidance for reservists returning to civilian employment following a period of mobilised service". The Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE) campaign team provides a help line and a website which gives additional information and advice. Also, each Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) has an Employer Support Executive who is able to offer advice and assistance to reservists who are experiencing problems returning to their civilian employment. We are also introducing Unit Employer Support Officers to boost further our capability in this area.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made since 1997 to the tax system to promote enterprise and growth in small businesses; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness. [163324]

Changes to taxation since 1997 are set out in the relevant Financial Statement and Budget Reports, which are available in the Library of the House. They include a range of measures to promote investment and productivity, including cuts in corporation tax and income tax rates for the self-employed, improvements to capital allowances for small enterprises, the simplification of the VAT regime, introduction and expansion of the R and D tax credits and support for venture capital.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to complete his consultation on biofuels; whom he plans to consult; and how the consultation will be conducted. [163043]

The Department for Transport will shortly consult on the Government's draft biofuels directive implementation strategy. This will include options on complementary regulatory measures, including the option of a biofuels obligation for the transport sector.Furthermore, the Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that the Government will be discussing with stakeholders two separate issues concerning biofuels:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer from the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions of 27 February 2004, Official Report, column 584W, how many (a) Post Office card accounts and (b) bank or building society accounts have (i) been requested for and (ii) are receiving payments of child benefit, broken down by region. [162736]

[holding answer 22 March 2004]: Key figures on the progress of conversion of child benefit customers to direct payment are available in the House of Commons Library, updated every four weeks. They include details of requests for the Post Office card account. With regard to actual payments, as at 16 March 2004 a total of 5,750,105 child benefit customers were being paid into a bank or building society and 233,220 into a Post Office card account. There are a further 127,453 customers who have provided bank or building society details and 91,647 who have provided Post Office account details and they will be paid into their accounts when their current order book expires.It is not possible to break down the numbers by region.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish a consultation paper on the introduction of the community benefit society asset locks described in the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2003; and if he will make a statement. [163340]

The Government intends to publish a consultation document on the introduction of the community benefit society asset lock later this year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints there were to (a) the Inland Revenue, (b) HM Customs and Excise and (c) district valuers' offices in each of the last three years. [156868]

The information requested is published in HM Customs and Excise's and the Inland Revenue's Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to produce the e-business strategy for (a) HM Customs and Excise and (b) the Public Record Office. [162811]

HM Customs and Excise has had an e-Business Strategy for several years. It has been updated periodically to reflect changes in thinking and the impacts of external initiatives. A summary of current plans will be published later in the year. Part (b) of the question is the responsibility of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what standards for loft and cavity wall insulation will apply for qualification under the Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance. [162956]

The standards for loft insulation will be set out in regulations made under powers to be set out in Finance Bill 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce the name of the next Chairman of the Inland Revenue. [162709]

Following Sir Nicholas Monatgu's retirement on 19 March 2004, Miss Ann Chant has assumed the role of Acting Chairman of the Inland Revenue.My right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced in his Budget speech that the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise will be integrated to create a new Department. The advertisement for the post of Chairman of the new Department was posted on the Treasury website on 18 March 2004. An announcement of the successful candidate will be made in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer would be of allowing a married person to transfer their personal tax allowance to their earning spouse if they have (a) a child aged between six months and one year and (b) a child aged between one year and two years. [162428]

[holding answer 23 March 2004]: The cost to the Exchequer through lower income tax of allowing married persons with children to transfer their full personal allowance to their spouse if he or she has a higher gross income for the two options are listed below.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which companies are known (a) to be selling or to have sold versions of the card handling scheme used to reduce VAT bills and (b) to be using or to have used the scheme; and how much revenue is involved in each case. [161860]

HM Customs and Excise is debarred by statute from disclosing information about the individual affairs of taxpayers. Exemption 15 (Statutory and other restrictions) of the Open Government Code applies. However, Customs are aware of around 78 taxpayers using the card handling scheme, involving around £301 million of VAT revenue. Customs are vigorously tackling these schemes through the courts and have successfully contested a test case in the VAT and Duties Tribunal.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the estimated amount of money lost in each of the last five fiscal years to tax fraud and evasion. [162224]

[holding answer 22 March 2004]: There is no reliable estimate of the overall "tax gap" for direct taxes. Lord Grabiner in his review of the hidden economy and the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration have both concluded that it is a concept difficult if not impossible to measure.Estimates for indirect tax losses can be found in 'Measuring and Tackling Indirect Tax Losses' (December 2003). A copy of this document has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses his Department estimated would be lifted out of the VAT regime at the time of each increase in the annual taxable turnover limit since 1997. [162666]

On average, annual increases in the VAT registration threshold keep around 3,000 of the smallest businesses out of the VAT system.Estimates of the number of businesses kept out by each increase since 1997 are given in the following table:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses have taken up the flat rate VAT scheme in each year since its introduction. [162667]

The VAT flat rate scheme for small businesses was introduced on 25 April 2002. There were approximately 8,000 businesses using the scheme at 31 March 2003, and around 15,000 in December 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will refund to charitable museums VAT which has been incurred on (a) purchases made possible by grant monies from the National Lottery and (b) other purchases. [162352]

Admission of persons to premises for a charge is a business activity for VAT purposes, so a museum that charges for admissions will normally be able to recover the VAT incurred on its purchases, building maintenance and other costs. Museums that charge admission fees that are exempt from VAT are not able to recover VAT incurred on their purchases.Under normal VAT rules, VAT incurred on goods and services relating to 'non-business' activities cannot be recovered. Free admission of persons to premises is a non-business activity for VAT purposes, therefore museums which do not charge for admission, cannot recover the VAT they incur on related purchases, irrespective of the source of the funding used to make these purchases.However, in September 2001, the Government introduced a VAT refund scheme which allows the main national museums and galleries which do not charge admission to recover VAT they incur on their purchases. This scheme was designed to remove an obstacle VAT was creating to the delivery of the Government's 1997 manifesto commitment that there should be free access to the main national museums and galleries.The Chancellor has also announced in this year's Budget that the commitment to achieve free access has been an outstanding success and that, building on this success and in light of the Goodison Review, the Government will now consider the issue of extending the free access commitment for the main national museums and galleries, and the VAT refund scheme that has helped to deliver it, to university museums in the context of the forthcoming Spending Review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are receiving the child care element of working tax credit; what the cost has been to date; and what proportion of families with children of eligible age this represents. [161527]

[holding answer 17 March 2004]: The number of families benefiting from the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit, and their average help with childcare costs through this element, appear in Table 4.4 of each issue of "Child and Working Tax Credits. Quarterly Statistics."Each issue of this publication appears on the Inland Revenue web site, at www.inlandrevenue.aov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.The childcare element is available to single parents working for at least 16 hours per week, and to couples both working for at least 16 hours per week or where one works for at least 16 hours per week and the other is incapacitated, or a hospital inpatient or is in prison. The element covers eligible childcare costs incurred on children up to 1 September 2004 following their 15th birthday (16th if disabled).Child benefit records indicate that at December 2003 there were 6.4 million families with at least one child whose 15th birthday was due to fall after 1 September 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the buildings occupied by his staff which require (a) remedial work on and (b) removal of asbestos; what that work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i)2004 and (ii)2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys. [159649]

No buildings occupied by the Scotland Office currently require work related to the removal of asbestos. The costs of any work required in future will be met from within the administration costs for the Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of buildings occupied by his staff have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos prior to the implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. [159658]

The Scotland Office has been complying with the relevant provisions of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 for buildings occupied by its staff. Final work will be undertaken to check for the presence of asbestos prior to the introduction of Regulation 4 in May 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on the effects of reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. [162303]

My right hon. Friend and the First Minister discuss a wide range of matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i)press officers.(ii)special advisers and (iii)others. [158199]

The Scotland Office spent £180,582 on communications for the period up to the end of February 2004. This expenditure is attributable to press office staff (who are also members the Government Information and Communications Service) and special advisers. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs in Scotland dependent upon the mineral water industry. [162989]

The Scotland Office has made no such estimation of job numbers dependent upon the mineral water industry.The most recent Scottish Executive figures illustrate that the wider bottled water and soft drinks industry directly employed 1,933 people in Scotland in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the annual change in the block grant paid to the Scottish Executive was in each year since 1999; what percentage of the change for each year resulted from the application of the Barnett Formula; and what percentage of the change for each year resulted from other monies added to or subtracted from the block grant. [149632]

Information on the block grant to the Scottish Executive is set out in the main and supplementary estimates of the Scotland Office and in Scotland Office departmental reports. Changes to the Scotland DEL are determined in accordance with the Statement of Funding Policy, published by HM Treasury.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Crosby. [160446]

There are three UK online centres in Crosby.Two of those are Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) centres and one is a public library. The two CMF Centres "3TC" and Merseyside Third Technology Centre and the public library is Crosby Connect Learning Centre at Crosby Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in Crosby have received a computer to assist in seeking employment or retraining. [160449]

At present no centrally funded schemes exist which enable people to acquire free or low price recycled computers. In the past such schemes have been trialled but have proved costly to administer to ensure fair distribution of equipment.Government funding has been focused instead upon establishing the network of UK online centres. People in Crosby who do not have ICT access and wish to use computers are advised to visit their local UK online centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Sure Start children's centres have been set up in deprived neighbourhoods since 2003. [161016]

There are currently 67 children's centres in England, all of which are based in disadvantaged areas. We announced 32 on 23 June 2003, 29 on 24 September 2003 and a further six on 18 February 2004. We are currently considering proposals from local authorities for the wider roll out of this programme, and will announce new locations in the near future as further centres are ready for designation. All children's centres will be based in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards in England, or in pockets of disadvantage outside of these wards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of teachers in Stroud have received computer training. [162744]

Statistics on teacher training in ICT are not compiled on a constituency basis, but all teachers are expected to be able to use ICT effectively in the classroom. In-service training was largely addressed by the UK-wide National Lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training, which ran between 1999 and 2003, and to which some 96 per cent. of teachers in England signed up.Training in the effective use of ICT in teaching is also a mandatory part of Teacher Training Institute courses.Further training opportunities to address teachers' continuing professional development needs (CPD) in embedding ICT in classroom teaching are now being developed across a range of subjects, and teachers are able to buy into this training using Standards Fund monies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action the Department is taking to improve and increase (a) school and (b) local education authority IT procurement. [161235]

The Government is making significant investment in ICT in schools and always looks to ensure schools get the best value for money from this investment. Currently through the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) we are supporting schools and LEAs by

aggregating procurements through the creation of framework contracts which deliver significant savings in price and considerably reduce the time and effort that would be needed (and duplicated) at local level;

the recent agreement between Becta and Microsoft Ltd in relation to their licensing framework for schools provides significant savings of between 20 per cent. to 37 per cent. for schools in England who choose to license the Microsoft software. The agreement also extends to schools in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland;

accrediting suppliers against strict commercial and technical criteria to provide assurance of quality service at affordable cost;

providing procurement advice to schools and LEAs though the Becta Independent Procurement Advisory Service (IPAS) and online advice and support to schools on the total cost of ownership and the issues to be considered beyond just the cost of infrastructure equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in maintained schools he estimates were studying one or more modern foreign languages at key stage two in each of the last five years. [163133]

A 2001 study by QCA and the University of Warwick of modern foreign languages in the primary curriculum suggested that one in five primary schools were offering some form of language provision. The Department is currently reviewing this figure, and the number of primary pupils engaged in languages through further research, the findings of which will be available in late spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women in Crosby have visited an information and communications technology training centre in order to learn skills to return to work. [160387]

Crosby is served by both UK online centres and learndirect provisions.An estimated 169 women use UK online centres in Crosby each quarter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schools in the west Suffolk constituency have benefited from the Out of School Hours Learning Programme; [163035](2) what financial provisions have been made for those schools who wish to continue the after school activities that have come about from the Out of School Hours Learning Programme once funding from the programme ends. [163036]

Suffolk Local Education Authority has informed my Department that it has distributed £725,186 from the Department's Standards Fund to all schools in Suffolk this year to provide study support opportunities (out of school hours learning) for young people in Suffolk.Study support includes activities such as sport, the creative arts and cultural activities, as well as after school and breakfast clubs. Suffolk has also received £720,564 from the New Opportunities Fund 'Out of School Hours Learning Programme' of which £219,802 went to schools in West Suffolk. Again, this can be used to provide a range of activities for young people.School funding plans for next year have been announced, guaranteeing that the standards fund income for all schools will be protected at this year's levels plus inflation proofing at 4 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has (a) to re-convene the Peat Working Group and (b) to engage the United Kingdom gardening industry in helping the Government to meet its target of 90 per cent. of growing media and soil improvers to be peat free by 2010. [162234]

The Department held a seminar involving all stakeholders on 30 April 2003 to examine the current and future development and use of environmentally friendly growing media and how this should be taken forward in the light of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets. The seminar's conclusions included establishment of a new Forum to replace the Peat Working Group to assist us in taking an informed view on the achievability of the 90 per cent. peat free target during the next review of the UK Biodiversity Action plan targets due in 2005.Work on the composition of the new Forum and arrangements for the first meeting have regrettably been delayed. We hope to convene the new Forum as soon as resources and priorities allow. In establishing the new Forum we will seek representation from all the stakeholders including the gardening industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 3 March 2004,Official Report, column 930W, what action she is taking to reduce the usage of veterinary antibiotics. [160996]

The Government recognises that animals do become ill and need to be treated for both animal welfare and consumer safety reasons. Antimicrobials play an important part in maintaining healthy food-producing and companion animals. However, the Government firmly believes that the use of these products should not replace good farm management and animal husbandry systems.The Government's aim is to reduce the use of antimicrobials on farm as part of an overall strategy of managing the risk to humans from antimicrobial resistance.In addition to supporting the EU wide ban on antimicrobial growth promoters from 1 January 2006, key elements of this strategy include the collection and publication of information on the quantities of antimicrobials sold each year for veterinary use in the UK and the promotion of optimal and responsible use of antimicrobials in animal rearing. In this context the Government has worked closely with the Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance (RUMA) in drawing up their Codes of Practice on responsible use of veterinary medicines for cattle, sheep, poultry and pig producers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 3 March 2004, Official Report, column 930W, what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on humans of receiving antibiotics through the eating of meat and poultry, with particular reference to hospital superbugs. [160997]

Defra's research programme into antimicrobials is designed to take forward the issues identified by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) in their 1999 Report on Microbial Antibiotic Resistance in Relation to Food Safety. This concluded that further research was required into the extent to which antibiotic use in animals contributes to the overall problem of antimicrobial resistance in humans.This programme is therefore investigating whether the administration of antibiotics to animals results in the selection of resistant bacteria that may be transferred to humans in food and cause infections that are difficult to treat. It is focused on bacteria found on farms and in slaughterhouses that can cause human disease, such as Salmonella, Escherischia coli and Campylobacter. It does not include isolates found in hospitals and the evidence does not in indicate that food is a major source of resistant organisms in hospitals.This research will be evaluated as part of a full science review of the programme being arranged for late 2004.The Veterinary Medicines Directorate carries out extensive surveillance for residues of veterinary medicines (including antimicrobials) in meat and other animal products. Over the five years between 1998 and 2002 (the last year for which figures are available) nearly 60,000 red meat and poultry samples were analysed. Antimicrobial residues above the Ell's permitted Maximum Residues Levels were detected in less than 0.2 per cent. of these samples.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will carry out an assessment to determine whether perturbation in badger populations can be eliminated or substantially reduced by improved badger culling programme design and execution. [157933]

Research by the Central Science Laboratory and Oxford University suggests that culling operations may cause some spatial and demographic perturbation of badger populations. The amount of perturbation is a factor of the degree of culling, and the number of badgers surviving it. The more or, conversely, the less effective a badger culling programme is, the less the perturbation effect may be. Given the number of replicates that would be required at varying levels of culling efficiency and badger density, it would be difficult to design a study to quantify accurately the effects on the levels of perturbation that different culling programmes would have.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made with the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of appropriately skilled staff for carrying out badger culling operations. [157943]

Full staff complement in the Wildlife Unit (WLU) would have been achieved during December 2003, however due to the announcement on 4 November 2003 to suspend the reactive culling element of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), three recruited staff were not offered posts.There are currently 21 occupied field staff posts that are no longer required for delivery of the remaining elements of the RBCT. At present, there is no proposal to make the surplus staff redundant.The pattern of staff turnover within the WLU is not considered excessive, and retention is not seen as a current issue. The surplus staff as indicated above provides a substantial buffer against possible future loss of expertise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what natural factors restrain growth in badger populations when (a) the size of the population is less than the theoretical carrying capacity of the environment that it occupies and (b) there are opportunities for migration; [157953](2)pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2004,

Badger population growth is constrained by reproductive output, mortality and migration. These factors will influence the population growth rate whether the population is below, at, or above the environmental carrying capacity. There is no reason to suspect that opportunities for migration will ever be absent but migration rates do appear to be generally low in badger populations. Reproductive output is probably limited by the number of reproducing sows per social group and the average litter size per sow. Both of these factors appear to be governed by nutrition. Mortality is also largely governed by nutrition, but is also influenced by stochastic events, such as dry summers. However, since all British badger populations studied reproduce well below their theoretical maximum, reproductive output is considered to be the major limiting factor to population growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers of entry wildlife officers have in order to gain access to badger setts for the purpose of trapping and destroying badgers. [158015]

Participation in the trial is voluntary in all the triplet areas. Defra Wildlife Unit staff have no powers of entry to carry out badger culling and are on land with the consent of land-owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisation is responsible for issuing licences for the killing of badgers under section 10 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. [158342]

The Department's National Wildlife Management Team is responsible for issuing these licences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent badger colonies approaching or exceeding the natural carrying capacity of their immediate environment rely on artificial food sources to sustain population levels. [158357]

Research conducted by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) suggests that badgers are more likely to seek artificial food sources, such as cattle feed, on dry nights when earthworm availability is limited. Potentially, artificial food sources could decrease badger mortality during protracted periods of natural food shortage, thereby bolstering local numbers. Currently, however, there is no information on the extent to which the value of such foods may differ with respect to population size and carrying capacity. The importance of cattle feed in badger diets forms part of an ongoing Defra funded research project being carried out by CSL, which is due to report in December 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the population (a) density and (b) incidence of TB in badgers is in (i) Scotland and (ii) England. [158358]

Population density varies widely on a regional scale throughout Scotland and England. In Scotland, large tracts of the uplands have no badgers, with local pockets of relatively high density. Overall, population density in Scotland is in the region of 0.2 badgers per km2. In England population density also varies in different areas, from very high (up to 30 badgers per km2) to low, with an average in the region of 1 to 2 badgers per km.The current incidence of TB in the national badger population is not known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether perturbation in badger populations results in (a) increased contact between disparate social groups and (b) greater incidence of fighting between rival males, with more opportunities for infection spread through wounds. [158360]

Disruption of social groups is likely to lead to changes in the contact rates of badgers from different social groups. However, there is currently insufficient data to quantify such effects accurately. No analyses have been carried out on the extent of aggressive confrontations, and the potential for disease transmission via bite wounding, in relation to population perturbation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the effect is of low body weight arising from food shortage on the disease resistance of individual badgers. [158366]

Poor nutrition has been linked to disease susceptibility in several studies of animal and human health. Currently, however, no data are available to link low body weight to disease resistance in badgers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role is of suppurating wounds in TB affected badgers in the spread of M. bovis to (a) other badgers and (b) cattle. [158367]

M. bovis has been isolated from bite wounds on badgers, although whether these resulted from transmission by biting or haematogenous spread following another portal of entry is still unclear. Infected bite wounds could be sources of infection for other badgers, particularly where mutual grooming occurs. Suppurating wounds are also a potential source of environmental contamination with infectious bacilli. This could pose a risk of infection to cattle if deposited on pasture, stored feed or in troughs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is meant by the term 'super-excretor' in respect of a badger infected by TB; and whether badgers so described exhibit atypical behavioural characteristics. [158375]

Badgers excreting M. bovis are potential sources of infection for other badgers, and cattle. The term 'super-excretor' is used for research purposes to identify a sub-group of infected badgers from which M. bovis has been isolated from several different clinical samples. These animals are thought to be in an advanced stage of disease progression, and survival analyses have shown that they exhibit a higher rate of mortality than uninfected animals. Research conducted by the Central Science Laboratory has identified behavioural differences between badgers excreting M. bovis and uninfected animals. Badgers excreting M. bovis had larger home ranges and were more likely to visit farm buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the typical cost of obtaining market authorisation for an animal vaccine is; how long the authorisation process takes; whether the typical cost can be used as a basis for estimating the cost of a market authorisation for any animal TB vaccine developed; and whether it is possible to use vaccines without their undergoing the full market authorisation process. [158001]

Under European legislation marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products, including vaccines, may only be granted where scientific assessment of data supplied by the applicant demonstrates that the product meets statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. The fee currently charged by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) for processing an application for a UK marketing authorisation is between £1,480 and £21,210, depending on the type of application and the complexity of the assessment required. The fee for a novel veterinary vaccine, such as a TB vaccine, is likely to be at the upper end of this range.European legislation requires applications for new marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products to be processed within 210 "clock" days of submission of a valid application. "Clock days" are calendar days, including weekends and holidays but excluding any period where further information is requested and awaited from the applicant. The time taken for applicants to respond to requests for further information is dependent upon a number of factors including the nature of the information requested and the priorities of the applicant. During such periods the authorisation procedure is frozen. Therefore, typically, the total time taken to determine an application for a marketing authorisation for a novel veterinary vaccine, such as a TB vaccine, could be approximately two years.European legislation permits provisional marketing authorisations to be granted, in exceptional, objective and verifiable circumstances, without the need for a full data dossier. Such authorisations are only granted where safety has been established and are subject to specific conditions, such as the carrying out of further studies for efficacy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the regulatory processes which affect the size of wild deer populations are; and whether the Government intervene in the natural regulatory processes. [158002]

Deer are affected by the same 'regulatory processes' as other wildlife. The availability of key resources, particularly food, is the single most important determinant of population size. Management by man and incidental mortality (especially road traffic accidents) also play a role in influencing deer numbers.In England, the Government 'intervenes' in a number of different ways, but most importantly through setting the legal parameters for deer management. Forest Enterprise, the government agency responsible for managing the nation's forest estate, intervenes more directly and is actively involved in managing deer within its forests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cats infected with bovine TB have been reported to her Department in each of the last five years. [158007]

The information requested is given in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether cattle exhibit the same level of discrimination in respect of choice of food contaminated by badger faeces when feeding from cattle troughs as when grazing on grassland. [158008]

Work carried out by Bristol University found that cattle generally avoided pasture contaminated with badger faeces, but that high stocking densities resulted in more cattle feeding at contaminated sites. It is likely that cattle would exhibit a similar level of discrimination against food contaminated with faeces, whatever the means of provision, but may not be afforded this choice if food is limited. This may be the case where cattle set-stocking densities are too high at pasture, where cattle are grazed on grassland recently cut for silage or where contaminated feed is present within a feed trough.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many of the Krebs proactive and reactive trial areas there were areas of land within the trial areas, or abutting on them, where wildlife officers were refused entry for the purpose of trapping or destroying badgers. [158016]

All 20 proactive and reactive trial areas have within them areas of land where permission to cull has been withheld by the land-owner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the optimum area in which badger control measures should be taken relative to a TB infected farm. [158018]

The Report of the Independent Scientific Review Group chaired by Sir John Krebs recommended the removal of all badgers from all social groups with territories including the breakdown farm (or reactor land). The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) advised on the practical implementation of this, and the reactive treatment of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial was implemented according to a Standard Operating Procedure ratified by the ISG.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether TB in badgers is a significant population regulatory factor. [158020]

Bovine TB does not appear to be a significant population regulatory factor in badgers in Britain. Research by the Central Science Laboratory identified that of 207 marked badgers found dead in the Woodchester Park study area between 1978 and 1993, 65 per cent. had died from road traffic accidents, 9 per cent. had been killed, 7 per cent. died from starvation, 11 per cent. died from unknown causes and 9 per cent. died from TB. Since badger populations in Britain breed at significantly below their maximum potential, even the proportion of total mortality attributable to road traffic accidents is unlikely to affect population regulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether material contaminated with the M. bovis bacilli deposited on silage by badgers and used for the feeding of cattle is considered to present a significant risk of infection to cattle. [158022]

There is little evidence to support the hypothesis that silage contaminated with material containing "Mycobacterium bovis" derived from badgers represents a significant risk of infection to cattle. However, "M. bovis" may survive outside the body for varying lengths of time and, so, there is a theoretical risk from this source.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether the current and proposed TB testing regimes in low risk areas are sufficient to ensure that new foci of infection do not develop which would pose a risk of spread to wildlife. [158370]

The proposed testing regime meets or exceeds the requirements of the EC Directive 64/432/EEC. But neither this nor the current regime can guarantee that new foci of infection do not occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her best estimate is of the incidence of TB in cattle arising from (a) cattle-to-cattle spread and (b) the spread from a wildlife reservoir. [158378]

Current, continuing, research is designed to inform the Government on the relative importance of cattle and badgers as vectors of the disease. At present it is not possible to give a valid estimate for either.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest advice issued by her Department is concerning cattle biosecurity measures. [159067]

In 2001, Defra published "Golden Rules for a Healthy Herd". This guidance sets out the most important rules for minimising the risk of introducing diseases onto farms. It applies to those purchasing and selling cattle.In 2002, Defra developed a concise biosecurity guidance poster with a number of livestock farming and veterinary organisations. "Better Biosecurity Provides…" was sent to every livestock farm in England and is available on the Defra website at: http:// www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/biosecurity/farmguidance/biosecleaf.pdf

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the likely incidence of TB in the badger population in 2007. [159072]

The current incidence of TB in the national badger population is not known, so it is not possible to predict the incidence for future years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long after exposure to an infective dose of M. bovis bacilli a bovine animal becomes infectious; and what the typical duration of infectivity is. [159074]

Published figures for the time from exposure to being infectious include 87 to 226 days after natural exposure in a United Kingdom study and up to seven years in an Australian study. The typical duration of infectivity is not known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reasons have been adduced for the relatively low density of badgers in the eastern counties of England. [159075]

The relatively low densities of badgers in eastern counties (excluding the south-east) compared to western counties is thought in part to reflect the east-west divide in the rural landscape. The predominantly pastoral west is thought to provide more preferred habitat for badgers than the arable east of the country.However, this does not entirely explain the differences. In East Anglia badger densities are lower than would be expected based on landscape alone

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent different (a) age groups and (b) sexes of badgers are more likely to be trapped than others. [159077]

Research carried out by Oxford University and the Department's Central Science Laboratories suggested that the likelihood of badger capture using cage traps did not vary between the sexes but did vary significantly between adults and cubs. However, the direction of this age effect was not consistent between different study areas suggesting that other local factors were also important.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there have been any significant differences between the pattern of TB lesions observed in badgers subject to post-mortem examination pre-2000 and those examined during and after 2000. [159078]

Information about lesion distribution in badgers since the start of the randomised badger culling trial has not been available to Defra officials for analysis. This information is held on behalf of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the ideal geological conditions are for a badger habitat; and whether there are conditions which (a) prevent and (b) deter colonisation by badgers. [159083]

Badgers can exist in a wide variety of habitat types. They typically locate setts in sandy or chalky, well drained soil that is easy to excavate. Setts are also usually located on hillsides or otherwise sloping ground where drainage is good, and excavated soil is easy to clear from the sett entrance. However, badgers are also known to dig setts into flat ground where such optimal conditions are not available. Badgers are much less likely to dig setts in clay soil types that are less well drained and less easily dug. Given that setts are an important resource for badgers, it has been argued that the availability of suitable sett sites has a direct effect on the density of setts, and hence social group density.For further information, see:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been conducted by her Department to determine whether badgers infected with M. bovis are capable of transmitting infection to cattle. [159108]

Apart from the study by the Central Science Laboratory at Woodchester Park in which infected badgers have been identified as excreting M. bovis in faeces, urine, tracheal aspirates and suppurating skin lesions, there has been a study in which naturally infected badgers were housed with uninfected calves. Several of the calves developed sensitivity to the tuberculin skin test and were found to have TB lesions when subject to post mortem examination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many carcasses of red deer have been examined by the State Veterinary Service in the last 10 years at the Baronsdown deer sanctuary; and how many were found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis. [160170]

Defra does not provide disease statistics on individual premises, but does so on a parish basis.Since 1998 there have been nine confirmed cases of "M. bovis" in red deer in the parish of Dulverton, which includes Baronsdown.Defra does not have data on the number of carcases of red deer examined by the State Veterinary Service in Dulverton prior to 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of (a) whether deer populations on the Baronsdown deer sanctuary are sustainable and (b) whether the deer are infected with bovine tuberculosis. [160171]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the purpose is of the six-day rule for auction marts; what representations she has received on lifting the six-day rule of auction marts; if she will lift the six-day rule of auction marts; and if she will make a statement. [162028]

Livestock moving to auction markets does not trigger a six day standstill on arrival at a market. But in order to balance the significant disease risk that results from animals from different sources mixing at a market, animals are only permitted to move to a market if the farm from which they originate is not under a standstill (20 days for pigs or six days for other species).This rule is waived where the market is a dedicated slaughter market. In this case the livestock must go from the market direct to slaughter. The disease risk is accordingly less than if the stock were dispersed to other farms.The standstill that applies to farm premises is based on a scientific Cost Benefit Analysis of the disease risks associated with various standstill lengths. I do not propose to amend the standstill regime, which represents the best available balance between minimising disease risk and the needs of the farming community to trade livestock.I have received no representations from livestock farmers or market operators on lifting the requirement for livestock to observe a standstill before they move to auction markets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has (a) allocated and (b) spent on scientific research into preventing cetacean strandings in UK waters in each of the past five years for which records are available. [155948]

Figures for scientific research allocated and spent by Defra, in each of the past five (financial) years, on mitigating cetacean bycatch are;

• 2003–04—£173,232
• 2002–03—£220,582
• 2001–02—£171,912
• 2000–01—£155,308
• 1999–2000—£93,510

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on discussions between her Department and the Department of Trade and Industry on (a) effects on the environment of future computer production and (b) who should pay the costs of environmental effects. [160815]

[holding answer 16 March 2004]: Defra work closely with the DTI, who lead on the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and the Restriction of the use of Certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) Directives. These Directives are producer responsibility Directives, and aim to reduce the environmental impact of all electronic equipment, including computers. The environmental impact is reduced by restricting the use of hazardous substances during manufacture; and through reprocessing WEEE, so that materials can be returned to the economic cycle and avoid being landfilled. The WEEE Directive also aims to assign financial responsibility, for the collection, treatment and recycling of WEEE, to producers and business users, when a computer reaches its end of its life.In addition, both Defra and DTI are currently negotiating two other Directives that will have a positive effect on the environmental impact of computers. Batteries are a significant component of laptop computers, and the proposed Batteries Directive will make producers of batteries responsible for their collection and recycling.Similarly the proposed Eco design for Energy using Products (EuP) Directive will ensure that producers take responsibility for the whole life cycle of their products, from the initial design stage, right through to end of life and disposal. Defra, via the Market Transformation Programme, has also been working with the DTI, among others, to seek to reduce the energy consumption of IT equipment in use. Current measures include the EU Energy Star Regulation and the Government Quick wins initiative which specifies minimum standards for government procurement of IT equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she will reply to the letter to her from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated 5 February 2004 with regard to Ms C.Holden; [161802](2) when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 5 February, with regard to Ms C.Holden. [163300]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State responded on 16 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the re-opening of the Cotswolds canals; and what discussions she has had with the Heritage Lottery Board with regard to the bid that has been submitted. [162830]

The Government wishes to encourage restoration projects to expand the canal network, which has clear economic, environmental and social benefits. It is for the Heritage Lottery Board to assess and decide on the funding application to support the restoration of the Cotswold Canals but we look forward to the outcome of the Board's major grant meeting in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce an active management plan on deer sanctuaries in co-operation with neighbouring land managers. [160174]

The management of wildlife on privately owned land is primarily the responsibility of the relevant landowner, and it has not been the policy of this or previous governments to become actively involved unless the landowner is the recipient of funds from the public purse or if the landowner is in breach of his / her legal obligations.As the larger deer species range widely we encourage neighbouring landowners to co-operate in managing deer if agricultural damage or other problems arise. Advice on deer and guidance on preparing management plans are available from the Deer Initiative (Tel: 0870 774 3677; e-mail: info@thedeerinitiative.co.uk; www. thedeerinitiative.co.uk).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her current targets are for domestic energy efficiency improvements. [161007]

The Energy White Paper issued in February 2003 made clear that more than half the emissions reductions in the UK Climate Change Programme—around 10 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2010—are expected to come from energy efficiency, with household energy efficiency accounting for around half of these. Beyond 2010, the Government believes that energy efficiency can contribute around half the additional 15–25 million tonnes of carbon we are likely to need by 2020, of which 4–6 million tonnes might be accounted for by the household sector.An aim for energy efficiency in residential accommodation in England, as required by the Sustainable Energy Act 2003, is likely to be set out in the Government's Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan, to be published after Easter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on farm income levels for farmers in Crosby in the past five years. [160394]

Due to the small number of farms in Crosby, there is no robust data available on farm incomes for farmers in Crosby over the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the 20 largest payments made under the (a) Arable Area Payments Scheme, (b) Beef Special Premium Scheme, (c) Suckler Cow Premium Scheme, (d) Sheep Annual Premium Scheme, (e) Hill Farm Allowance Scheme, (f) Slaughter Premium Scheme, (g) Integrated Administration and Control System, (h) Dairy Premium Scheme, (i) Dairy Additional Payments Scheme and (j) Extensification Payment Scheme were in the most recent EU budget year for which figures are available. [156141]

The figures in the following table represent the total of the 20 largest payments made under the listed schemes. These are based on the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) Year which runs from 16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum amounts of fish allowed to be caught daily in Welsh waters were in each year since 1997. [160910]

There are no specific limits as to the amount of fish that can be taken in Welsh waters. For certain stocks total allowable catches are fixed annually by the EU but in relation to sea areas as defined by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas. These areas do not correspond with Welsh or other territorial waters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fisheries have been closed to protect stocks since 1997. [160874]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the tonnage of fish caught in UK territorial waters by fishing vessels registered in each EU member country was during the latest period for which figures are available. [161369]

The arrangements for access to the coastal waters of the United Kingdom between 6 and 12 nautical miles are set out in Article 17 and Annex I of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy. Data on catches and landings made by UK vessels and vessels from other Member States is collected in relation to sea areas as defined by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas: this data includes, but does not separately identify, the quantities of fish taken from the United Kingdom's coastal waters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the (a) operations and (b) efficiency of claimants' associations in respect of loss of fisheries in the fishing industry. [159678]

This is not a matter I can comment on. It is up to individual associations to negotiate compensation for the possible loss of fisheries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice and assistance on (a) financial and (b) legal issues is available to fishermen who wish to explore compensation opportunities for loss of fisheries. [159681]

As one of the statutory regulators of marine works under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, the Department takes account,

Since 1997 restrictions have been introduced in the following areas to close fisheries to protect stocks:Legislation has also been introduced to restrict fishing in a number of areas for the protection of the wider marine environment:among other things, the extent to which any proposed project is likely to affect the legitimate interests of other uses of the sea.However, the Department does not offer advice or assistance on legal and financial issues with regard to seeking compensation from a licence applicant for any loss of fisheries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fishing vessels were licensed in each year since 1997. [160873]

Information is not readily available for 1997 but details on the number of vessels licensed by the UK Fisheries Departments since 1998 are given in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department withheld any evidence on the origins of the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak from Dr. Iain Anderson's inquiry. [161521]

[holding answer 15 March 2004]: A full report on the origins of the outbreak was submitted to Iain Anderson's inquiry and is published alongside the inquiry report. That was based on wide-ranging evidence including rigorous epidemiological investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether evidence prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's vet Mr. J. Dring in respect of her inspection of Burnside Farm, Northumberland during early February 2001 was presented to Dr. Iain Anderson to assist him with his inquiry into the cause of the foot and mouth disease outbreak. [161522]

[holding answer 15 March 2004]: Mr. Dring contributed to the epidemiological investigation underpinning the Department's official submission to the Inquiry on the origins of the outbreak. His inspection of Burnside Farm on 24 January 2001 was also discussed at a meeting in Newcastle with lain Anderson on 4 March 2002. Both the submission and the report of the meeting were published alongside lain Anderson's final report of his Inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of why the gamma interferon test achieves sensitivity of 60 to 65 per cent. in UK trials; [158363](2) what assessment she has made of the difference in gamma interferon test sensitivity in UK trials compared with test sensitivity in Australia. [159120]

The gamma-interferon pilot currently running in Wales, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire, and the work carried out in Northern Ireland, have not been designed to assess the sensitivity of the gamma-interferon test. No comparisons can therefore be drawn with test sensitivity in trials run in other countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she was informed that cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize had been requested by the (a) Advisory Committee on Releases into the Environment and (b) Advisory Committee on Animal Feedstuffs. [160574]

Neither the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment nor the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) has requested cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize. ACAF has advised, on the basis of the data already submitted, that it is content that the T25 maize grain and its products pose no more risk as animal feed than non-GM maize varieties. The results of recent feeding trials to cattle have not yet been published or peer reviewed but I am not aware they have come to any different conclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether she has given consent for harvested Chardon LL fodder maize from farm-scale evaluation sites to be taken-off site and used in cattle-feeding studies at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research; [160575]

The GM maize used in the farm scale evaluations has Europe wide marketing consent for use in animal feed so no consent was required to use the harvested crop in the cattle feeding study carried out at the University of Reading.The agreement made with the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops (SCIMAC) in November 1999 requires that none of the produce from GM crop plantings in the UK will be used in a way which is of direct commercial benefit to the consent-holders during the farm scale evaluation period. The policy on use of harvested material, as outlined in the SCIMAC agreement, has not changed.Although there is no legal requirement to withhold the milk or meat from the food chain and there is no discernable difference between meat and milk from animals fed GM feed and those not, the protocol for the Reading University study required that the milk from the dairy cows did not enter the food chain during the period of the study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she was first informed that cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize had been requested by (a) the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and (b) the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs. [160633]

Neither the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment nor the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) has requested cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize. ACAF has advised, on the basis of the data already submitted, that it is content that the T25 maize grain and its products pose no more risk as animal feed than non-GM maize varieties. The results of recent feeding trials to cattle have not yet been published or peer reviewed but I am not aware they have come to any different conclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make public the locations proposed in applications to grow Chardon LL T25 maize. [161362]

We will consider whether the locations of commercial GM crop sites should be made public when we consult stakeholders in due course on the co-existence issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish who paid for the research on the GM farm scale evaluations undertaken by members of the Scientific Steering Committee and published by Nature on 5 March. [161520]

[holding answer 15 March 2004]: The research published in the Nature paper "Ban on triazine herbicides likely to reduce but not negate relative benefits of GMHT maize cropping" (Nature AOP; published online 4 March 2004) was undertaken by the authors at the expense of their respective institutes (listed on the paper). Defra and Scottish Executive paid for the data collected in the farm-scale evaluations, on which the paper was based, but did not commission this work. None of the authors were members of the Scientific Steering Committee. The research was peer reviewed by scientists not involved in the FSEs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her statement of 9 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1381–84, on GM policy,(1) what new evidence applicants for the recently approved GM fodder maize need to provide before the renewal of the contract to grow this crop before October 2006; [161523](2) what new evidence is required by consent holders prior to the renewal of their consents in October 2006 that is not required now. [161614]

[holding answer 15 March 2004]: Existing consents for genetically modified organisms issued under Part C of Directive 90/220, including that for GM maize T25 issued in 1998, continue in force until October 2006. At that time new consents must be obtained or the product withdrawn. Directive 2001/18/EC and EC Food and Feed Regulations 1829/2003 set out the required information and assessments to be provided by the applicants. Information provided to support the original 90/220 application must be updated to account for technical progress and relevant new information. The applicants must also provide an environmental risk assessment as set out in Annex II of the new directive. In the case of GM crops this must include an assessment of the GMO and its use which have the potential to cause adverse effects as compared with those presented by the non-modified crop and its use under corresponding situations, such as weed management with herbicides. Applicants must also provide a post market monitoring plan and information on methods for detection and identification to facilitate post marketing control and inspection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the preliminary results of research carried out by Professor Terje Traavik of the Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology on the health implications of GM maize crops for those living close to the crops. [161724]

[holding answer 16 March 2004]: We understand that at a recent meeting in Malaysia, Professor Terje Traavik reported that farm workers from the island of Mindanao in the Phillipines had an immune reaction to genetically modified Bt maize (event MON 810). No scientific evidence has yet been published by the Norwegian research team on the health implications of Bt maize crops for those living close to such crops and Professor Traavik is quoted as stressing that more tests are needed before any definite conclusion can be drawn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her oral statement of 9 March, Official Report, columns 1381 to 1396 on GM crops, if she will assess the work of Aaron de Grassi at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, on GM crops in Africa. [161727]

[holding answer 16 March 2004]: We are aware of the work published by Aaron de Grassi evaluating various projects involving the development of GM crops for cultivation in Africa. While we have no plans to assess his work, we are always interested in quality research on GM crops and their application.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish her Department's assessment of the section of the GM national consultation concerned with the practicality of co-existence between GM and non-GM crops. [161758]