HC Deb 15 September 2003 vol 410 cc536-7W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of a ban on the disposal of fallen stock. [129113]

Alun Michael

The Animal By-Products Regulations 2003 permit hunt kennels to continue collecting fallen stock; however they will be required to upgrade to knackers' yard standards if they wish to collect fallen stock for the purposes of feeding to hounds. The effect of a ban on hunting would depend on decisions made by those who currently offer a service and on choices made by farmers leading to takeup of the national scheme. Most hunts already make a charge and there is no reason why such a service should not continue as a business opportunity when hunting wild mammals with dogs is banned.

DEFRA CEFAS CSL PSD
FTE % FTE % FTE % FTE %
Scotland 77.6 1.17 0.0 0.00 11.0 1.70 0.0 0.00
England, excluding G London 3,707.4 56.14 524.7 100.00 636.9 98.30 174.2 100.00
Greater London 2,680.8 40.59 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Wales 135.2 2.05 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Northern Ireland 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Overseas 3.0 0.05 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Total 6,603.9 100.00 524.7 100.00 647.9 100.00 174.2 100.00

RPA VLA VMD
FTE % FTE % FTE %
Scotland 0.0 0.00 44.0 3.40 0.0 0.00
England, excluding G London 3,370.9 99.94 1,218.3 94.15 119.3 100.00
Greater London 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Wales 0.0 0.00 31.7 2.45 0.0 0.00
Northern Ireland 2.0 0.06 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Overseas 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.00
Total 3,372.9 100.00 1,294.0 100.00 119.3 100.00

Due to the complexity of the department and the wide range of business areas that it covers, a break down of these figures in terms of responsibilities that apply to geographical areas could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The following non-departmental public bodies and independent statutory bodies are under the remit of Defra:

  • Executive
  • Agricultural Wages Board for England & Wales
  • Agricultural Wages Committee
  • Apple and Pear Research Council
  • British Potato Council
  • Countryside Agency
  • English Nature
  • Environment Agency
  • Food From Britain Council
  • Home Grown Cereals Authority
  • Horticulture Development Council
  • Horticulture Research International
  • Joint Nature Conservation Committee