21 December 2000
EU Sugar Regime

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): Judging from ministerial responses in a recent European Scrutiny Committee, is the Minister not a little embarrassed that he still cannot say if and when the EBA initiative will begin? Is that not woefully inadequate, given that the first 20 per cent. tariff cut is due on 1 January 2001? Consultation has been almost non-existent and impact assessments will be shown to be worthless.  When will the Government start to stand up for British interests and seek to halt this over-hasty policy, which will cripple both the sugar industry of the United Kingdom and of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries?

Mr. Brown: The hon. Gentleman is dramatically overstating the case. I was standing up for British interests at the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. It is in the clear interests of consumers and taxpayers in this country that we reform the sugar regime, and there is nothing new in that. Back in March 1990, the then Parliamentary Secretary, the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), said:

Is the hon. Gentleman saying that the Conservative party has changed its mind? I thought that Conservatives believed in markets.

16 November 2000
Veterinary Products

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): We are all well aware that the high cost of veterinary products in Britain represents a heavy burden on British farmers. As has been said, those costs are higher than in the rest of Europe, but is not the real problem the over-zealous red tape of the kind highlighted by Lord Haskins in the better regulation taskforce report, published yesterday? That report paints a nightmarish scenario of farmers struggling against some of the strictest animal health and welfare controls in Europe, with hordes of pestering inspectors descending on them daily. When will the Government get off farmers' backs?

Mr. Brown: We have already had the red tape reviews, and the Government have accepted the overwhelming bulk of their recommendations, but we need to be careful because the culture of deregulation and the ferocious assault that was made on the Meat Hygiene Service in the late 1980s and early 1990s contributed to the BSE disaster that overwhelmed our country and had the most tragic implications for human health. So those who simply call for a bonfire of the regulations are wrong. Lord Haskins has adopted the right approach: he aims for better regulation, not no regulation.

27 July 2000
Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): In the light of the recent report of the Lords Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Deregulation, which points up an important human rights implication for the inclusion of income losses in any compensation scheme for fur farmers, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill, which is currently in the other place, guarantees that mink farmers will be compensated for losses of income by the compensation scheme?

Mr. Morley: I am aware of the Scrutiny Committee recommendations in the other place and my colleague, Baroness Hayman, will of course consider that issue carefully. We take the opinions of such Committees seriously. The Bill will be debated in Committee, which is the appropriate place to consider all those aspects.

29 June 2000
Hill Farmers

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): Does the Minister agree that it is extremely helpful to hill farmers to have easy access to small abattoirs, which, as we all know, currently suffer under considerable cost burdens? When asked his opinion of the Meat Hygiene Service, the chief executive of the Food Standards Agency said that it was

an outdated system, one which provides little protection to consumers while placing considerable burdens on businesses.

Does the recommendation of the Maclean report, to introduce a new formula for meat inspection charges, find acceptance with the Government? Does the right hon. Gentleman believe that that "ingenious proposal"--the words of the FSA chief executive--may avert the annihilation of small and medium-sized abattoirs, and so give support to hill farmers?

Mr. Brown: There is much in what the hon. Gentleman says, although were I to set out to close down as many abattoirs as were closed down under the previous Government, I could not do so, because there are not that many left. However, he is right to ask whether the Government support the change to a hazard analysis critical control point system, or HACCP system, from the current system of veterinary inspections. We are taking that issue forward with other EU Ministers. On the related question of charges, as the House will know, since 1 April, that has not been my direct ministerial responsibility, although I retain an interest because of my industry sponsorship. That question is now being examined by the FSA, which has the lead role, and myself.

25 May 2000
Abattoirs

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): In order to help the hard-pressed abattoir sector, will the Minister tell the House what steps the Government are taking to relax the restrictions on the date-based export scheme? When did the Minister last raise with the French Government their illegal ban on British beef? Will she confirm that this matter will be discussed with the French Agricultural Minister in the meeting scheduled for tomorrow?

Ms Quin: As the hon. Gentleman knows, representations have been made on many occasions in private meetings at the margins of Agriculture Councils, in public and in the French media about the illegality of the action that the French have taken. However, that action is now before the courts. Commissioner Byrne has said that he wants the process to take place as quickly as possible. We believe that the French will lose the case, and those are the procedures that should be adopted.

The hon. Gentleman is wrong to accuse us of being dilatory in respect of the Meat Hygiene Service, or in our action with the French. This Government's record in promoting and getting accepted the date-based export scheme and in getting the ban on British beef lifted in a large number of countries--I recently produced figures on how many more countries have lifted the ban as a result of our efforts--bears favourable comparison with the pathetically slow progress made by the previous Government.

3 May 2000
Harbour Grant Scheme

Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the projects under the harbour grant scheme which had formal approval in May 1999 have been granted their grant allocation; and which of the projects in respect of which only applications had been submitted at that date, (a) have been allocated grant and (b) are being processed. [118828]

Mr. Morley: Of the 10 applications for harbour grant which were formally approved to receive grant at 21 May 1999:

projects at Amble, Hartlepool, Mevagissey, Polperro and Scarborough (two projects) are now complete and have received their grant in full;

projects at Cadgwith Cove, Grimsby, Scarborough and Whitby have so far received part payments.

Of the 22 projects in respect of which applications had been submitted at 21 May 1999:

projects at Bridlington, Grimsby, Mevagissey, Padstow and Whitehaven have since been given formal approval to receive grant;

projects at Amble, Brixham, Gosport, Hull, Leigh on Sea, Looe, Margate, Newhaven, Newlyn, Poole (two projects), Port Isaac, West Bay and Yarmouth are still under consideration.

Since the closure of the scheme on 21 May 1999 the applications for projects at Calshot, Hole Haven and Langstone have been withdrawn by their sponsors.

13 April 2000
Common Fisheries Policy

Mr. Malcolm Moss (North-East Cambridgeshire): Following the question from the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. George), in a recent written answer to me the Minister confirmed that a voluntary agreement had been reached with the Belgians to withdraw their flat fish beam trawlers from the cod protection zone in the north Irish sea. It has now come to light that that was no ordinary voluntary agreement but involved a "bung"--as Fishing News described it--of extra quota of 190 tonnes of North sea plaice and 10 tonnes of valuable Dover sole from the English channel. What authority does the Minister have for dishing out extra quota in that way, without consultation and in secret? Will he reiterate his guarantee that no UK fishermen will lose out as a result of that bribe to the Belgians? How does he reconcile those actions with his shameful treatment of the Fleetwood inshore fishermen who have had no income for two months because of his failure to pay them rightful compensation?

Mr. Morley: When the Belgians helped us to keep the channel cod fishery open, we did not describe that as a bung or a bribe. I repeat that we have a voluntary agreement with them. We have recognised the good will that has been shown to us by Belgium and other countries. The fish come from an undershoot. The allocation of both plaice and sole in the North sea for this year is more than was caught by our fishermen last year. I give a guarantee in relation to plaice that no British fisherman will suffer as a result of that arrangement.

30 March 2000
Inshore Fishing

Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has received from the inshore fishermen at Hastings and Rye with regard to illegal fishing in their traditional waters by boats of over 10 m in length which hold licences for 10 m and under; [116090]

(2) what assessment he has made of the extent of illegal fishing in inshore waters along the South Coast of England by boats with under 10 m licences but which are above 10 m in length; how many such boats are involved; and what action his Department is taking and planning to take. [116092]

Mr. Morley: Following representations from inshore fishermen and my hon. Friend for Hastings and Rye (Mr. Foster), the Ministry identified more than 20 vessels, licensed as 10 m and under vessels, whose overall length appeared to have been extended by adding structures (removable or otherwise) and which were effectively operating as over 10 m vessels.

The owners concerned have been advised that they must reduce the overall length of their vessel to 10 m or under, or acquire over 10 m licences by 30 June 2000. If they fail to do so their fishing vessel licences will not be renewed from 1 July 2000. A number of owners have already taken appropriate action and others are planning to do so.

29 March 2000
Inshore Fishing

Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will support the lifting of the ban on the Fleetwood inshore fishing fleet from fishing in their traditional waters in zone VIIa; if he will act to curtail the activities of Belgian and Irish beam trawlers catching cod in the same zone; and if he will compensate the Fleetwood inshore fleet for the time they have been laid-up under the ban under Article 16 of the Structures Regulation. [116094]

Mr. Morley: The priority at present in the Irish Sea (zone VIIa) is to protect cod spawning given the serious state of cod stocks in this area. With this in mind the European Commission decided in February to close the area to most demersal fishing from 14 February until 1 May 2000. Shrimp and nephrops fisheries (in designated areas), however, remain open. I announced on 10 March that a voluntary agreement had been reached between the UK, Belgium and Ireland to withdraw flatfish beam trawlers from the closed area until 1 May. This has been welcomed by the industry.

In conjunction with the Fleetwood Fish Producers' Organisation, CEFAS is conducting trials in the inshore fishery to see what proportion of cod is likely to be taken. Results from these trials will enable us to decide what inshore fisheries could remain open without jeopardising the recovery of cod stocks in the event of closures in future years.

There are a number of conservation closures in place. The Government do not believe it is appropriate to compensate fishermen for a decline in stocks or for conservation measures designed to improve stocks and hence fishing opportunities in the future; there is no history of this under preceding Governments. Those fishermen who are unable to work in the nephrops and shrimp fisheries or in other fisheries outside the closed area may be entitled to claim Job Seeker's Allowance and other benefits.

28 March 2000
Harbour Grants

Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what harbour grants were granted for each of the last five years broken down by amount and location; when harbour grants were discontinued; and how many schemes were pending at that juncture. [116108]

Mr. Morley: The table shows awards of national harbour grant made in England over the last five financial years.

The Harbour Grant Scheme was closed to new applications in England on 21 May 1999. At the time the scheme closed, there were 10 projects which had been formally approved, plus a further 22 projects where applications had been submitted. All these projects are being considered for payment of grant.