§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many and what percentage of the(a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129849]
§ Mr. Nick Brown[holding answer 12 July 2000]: The numbers and percentages of women appointed between 1 May 1997 and 31 December 1999 to paid and unpaid posts in Non-Departmental Public Bodies sponsored by my Department are given in the following table:
organophosphate sheep dips; and what is his estimate of the cost of training, certification and protective clothing to sheep farmers during the same periods. [130399]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 13 July 2000]: No new organophosphorus sheep dip has been authorised in the period 1997 to 1999. There has been one variation of a marketing authorisation for an OP sheep dip during this period, at a cost to the marketing authorisation holder of £155. The use of veterinary medicines, including sheep dips, is not supervised by the Ministry.
From the inception of the Certificate of Competence Scheme in 1995 to 7 July 2000, 16,188 certificates have been issued. The cost of the test for the certificate is either £30 or £60 depending on whether an applicant wishes to 9W be assessed for Part 1 only or Parts 1 and 2. Training for the certificate is not compulsory but is available from agricultural colleges or training establishments or instructors registered with Lantra National Training Organisation. Figures for the cost of training are not held centrally but training costs could be expected to average about £100 per day. The cost of personal protective equipment will vary depending on a number of factors, including supply and demand, and durability and suitability of a sheep farmer's existing equipment. At current prices, the cost of a full set of PPE for someone handling the concentrate would be likely to be in the region of £45.