§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the 387W Advisory Committee on the Banana Trade; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee, whose main task is to advise on the supply of bananas required from non-ACP countries, gave its last advice on 17 April, which was taken into account in determining the quantities of non-ACP imports licensed to mid-May.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerOn 24 April the Advisory Committee on Pesticides furnished my Ministry and other Departments concerned with four recommendations under the Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme. In general, these concerned applications for clearance of new pesticide products and proposed safeguards attending upon their use. All these recommendations are being considered and the manufacturers concerned will be notified of the outcome in due course.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Agricultural Chemicals Approval Scheme Scientific Advisory Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerOn 4 December last the Agricultural Chemicals Approval Scheme Scientific Advisory Committee furnished my Ministry with advice on general problems arising in connection with the approval scheme and on a difficulty which had arisen over a particular approval application. Officials have taken account of this advice in operating the scheme, and where appropriate manufacturers have been notified. The Committee also gave its views on relevant recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in the report " Agriculture and Pollution". These are still being considered together with those from other interested organisations.
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§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Agricultural Construction Industry Liaison Group; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe function of the Agricultural Construction Industry Liaison Group—ACILG—is to assist in the uniform interpretation and implementation of British Standards applicable to farm buildings. Its advice is taken into account by staff of my Department, but it is primarily for the benefit of users, designers and manufacturers. The work of the ACILG is proving particularly helpful in connection with BS.5502 on the design of agricultural structures, which, on the recommendation of the group was adopted by the industry on 1 January 1980.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Agricultural Economics Technical Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee advises the Ministry on the conduct of economic surveys of farming commissioned from universities. The results of the Farm Management Survey for 1977–78 were published by the Ministry in February 1979 in the report " Farm Incomes in England and Wales". The results of the 1978–79 survey are expected to be published shortly.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Agricultural Statistics Consultative Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis committee is a valuable channel of communication on statistical matters between my Department and the agricultural industry. Written consultation with individual members is necessary at frequent intervals during the year, and at least one formal meeting is held, most recently in December 1979, when the future programme of censuses and surveys is discussed. The last correspondence occurred in March 1980. The collective views 389W of the agricultural organisations, given through their representatives, allowed my Department to assess the possible effects on the industry of proposed cuts and adjustments to, various statistical censuses and surveys, many of which are now being implemented.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Committee on Agricultural Valuation; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe fourth report of the Committee on Agricultural Valuation was published in 1977. Its recommendations led to the Agricultural Holdings Act 1948 (Variation of Fourth Schedule) Order 1978—(SI 1978 No. 742—and the Agriculture (Calculation of Value for Compensation) Regulations 1978—SI 1978 No. 809—which came into operation on 1 July 1978.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Committee on the Artificial Insemination of Cattle; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee was set up last year to bring together representatives of the industry, agriculture Departments, and outside experts to help encourage and monitor genetic improvement in the dairy and beef herds using artificial insemination. It has also been asked to consider how best the industry can participate in the future in bull approvals. I look forward to receiving its advice.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Committee of Investigation for England and Wales under Agricultural Marketing Acts; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis committee meets only if directed by Ministers to consider a report by a consumers' committee or a complaint as to the operation of a marketing scheme. It last considered and reported on such a complaint in 1977. I directed the committee in February 1980 to consider a complaint by a hops grower390W about certain aspects of the operation of the Hops Marketing Scheme. The committee will report on this complaint in due course.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Committee of Investigation for Great Britain under Agricultural Marketing Acts; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis committee meets only if directed by Ministers to consider a report by a consumers' committee or a complaint as to the operation of a marketing scheme. It has not met since 1971.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when he last received written advice from the Consultative Panel on Badgers and Tuberculosis; and what action he has since taken as a result;
(2) why he has appointed Lord Zuckerman to duplicate the work of the Consultative Panel on Badgers and Tuberculosis in respect of possible links between badgers and bovine tuberculosis in the West Country; and what advice has already been given on this subject by the consultative panel.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe consultative panel provides a convenient and effective means of exchanging views with representatives drawn from a wide range of interested organisations on the difficult problems posed by the presence of bovine tuberculosis in badgers. The advice of the panel is reflected in reports published by my Department, the latest of which was dated July 1979.
I asked Lord Zuckerman to conduct an independent policy study because of his outstanding experience and expertise in dealing with scientific problems of this type. His work will augment rather than duplicate the work of the panel.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Consumers' Committee for England and Wales under Agricultural Marketing Acts; and what action he has since taken as a result.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis committee last reported to Ministers in December 1974 on the effect of the milk marketing scheme on consumers. The committee is at present again reviewing the operation of the milk marketing scheme. I shall receive its report in due course.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Consumers' Committee for Great Britain under Agricultural Marketing Acts; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee last reported to Ministers in May 1977 on the effect of the potato marketing scheme on consumers.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the 22 Experimental Centres Advisory Committees in England and Wales; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe advisory committees at each of my Department's experimental centres advise local ADAS management on the husbandry of the centre and on the experimental programme. They form an important link between the centres and local industry and provide valuable advice for use in developing future strategy and concerning day-to-day operations.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Farm Animal Welfare Council; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe council's advice on harvesting deer antlers in velvet was dated 26 March and its advice on certain added legal safeguards for live food animals being exported was dated 17 April. A statement on the first of these will be made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland tomorrow. Advice on added legal safeguards for exported farm animals is being considered.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Fisheries Research and Development Board; and what action he has since taken as a result.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerA report by the Fish Utilisation Committee of the Fisheries Research and Development Board was received by my Department on 3 December 1979. The conclusions and recommendations in this report are currently being considered for appropriate action by fisheries Departments.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Flood Protection Research Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerIn a report submitted in May 1979 the Flood Protection Research Committee recommended the adoption of improved standards for sea defences. Following consultation with the National Water Council I accepted the recommendation and drew it to the attention of drainage authorities.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee has recently completed reports on the use in food of bulking aids and starches whose properties have been modified by physical or chemical processes. The reports will be published for comment before any action is decided upon.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he last received written advice from the Food Standards Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Food Standards Committee submitted its second report on claims and misleading descriptions in December 1979. The report was published on 10 March and interested parties have been invited to comment before any action is decided upon.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he last received written advice from the Hill Farming Advisory Committee for England, Wales and Northern 393W Ireland; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee has not provided me with written advice. It makes a useful contribution to the development and carrying out of hill farming policies through discussion at its meetings under my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary, as its appointed chairman.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he last received written advice from the Kew Scientific Advisory Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAdvice from the committee is usually given orally and recorded in agreed written minutes of meetings called to review various aspects of the scientific research being undertaken at Kew. Specific recommendations on the future direction of this research were made at the most recent meeting of the committee in November 1979 and are now being implemented by the director.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he last received written advice from the National Food Survey Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe National Food Survey Committee's annual report on household food consumption and expenditure in Great Britain in 1978, which is shortly to be published, was submitted to the Ministry in November 1979; it is in continuous use in the Department, providing as it does information on the changing pattern of food consumption and the relationship between prices incomes and food consumption levels.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he last received written advice from the Reading Cattle Breeding Centre Advisory Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe committee provides regular advice to the centre on the provision of AI services for pigs and cattle and on the selection of bulls and boars.
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§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the seven regional panels; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe most recent advice reached me on 15 April from the West Midland panel, and I am considering it.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Scientific Panel for Fertilisers and Feedingstuffs Methods of Analysis; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe scientific panel, which does not make written reports, lust met in December when it made recommendations concerning the declaration of feedingstuff constituents. The recommendations are the basis of proposals for new regulations under part IV of the Agriculture Act 1970.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Sugar Beet (Research and Education) Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe advice of the Sugar Beet (Research and Education) Committee regarding the 1980–81 programme of sugar beet research and education, was last conveyed to me in February. Following this advice, provision for carrying out the programme and for the rate of contribution to be collected was made in the Sugar Beet (Research and Education) Order, 1980, laid before the House on 5 March 1980. The order came into effect on 1 April 1980.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Thames Barrier advisory team; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAdvice is obtained from the Thames Barrier advisory team by means of regular consultations with senior officials of my Department and the Greater London Council. There have been three such meetings in the past four months. It would be inappropriate to detail the action taken as a result of the team's advice since this has related 395W mainly to contractual matters and industrial relations problems.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Veterinary Products Committee; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThis is one of the statutory committees established to assist in the control of medicines. It provides continuous expert advice on the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicinal products. The committee's activities are summarised in annual reports, the latest of which was laid before Parliament in July 1979.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last received written advice from the Wakehurst Place consultative panel; and what action he has since taken as a result.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAdvice from the panel is given orally and recorded in agreed written minutes of meetings, during the course of consultation on the development of Wakehurst Place as required under the terms of the Ministry's lease of the estate. At the most recent meeting of the panel of 21 March 1980 various suggestions were made, and have been accepted, for the improvement of facilities for the visiting public.