§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for allowing GM crop trials in the North Essex constituency in the next 12 months; what consultation there has been with local communities and their representatives; and what representations he has received about such trials from them. [157577]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 9 April 2001]: The public register of releases shows that no GM crops are presently being grown in the North Essex constituency under research consents. I also understand that no National List trials of GM crops are presently taking place in Essex. My Department announced the locations of the spring 2001 Farm Scale Evaluations on 3 April; two of these sites, near the village of Wivenhoe, are in the North Essex constituency (TM051 221 and TM056 221). Details of any further GM crop releases, including their locations, will be placed on our web site at www.detr.gov.uk or in the case of National List Trials, on MAFF's web site at www.maff.gov.uk.
East Devon District Council £million Nature of funding 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 92001–02 Revenue support grant1 2.510 2.173 2.086 1.742 2.063 Income from national non-domestic rates1 3.924 3.949 4.272 4.738 4.738 Housing investment programme 20.518 0.671 1.007 31.715 43.220 Capital receipts initiative 0.162 0.495 0.000 n/a n/a
Mid Devon Council £ million Nature of funding 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 92001–02 Revenue support grant1 1.917 1.842 1.769 1.695 1.894 Income from national non-domestic rates1 2.096 2.118 2.286 2.567 2.547 Housing investment programme 20.744 0.667 0.747 31.772 42.554 Housing revenue account subsidy 0.570 0.324 0.182 50.191 — Capital receipts initiative 0.171 0.581 0.538 n/a n/a Cash incentive scheme 0.100 0.080 0 n/a n/a Loan charges defective housing 0.047 0.047 0.047 60.047 60.047 Capital challenge (supplementary credit and basic credit approvals) 0.120 0.080 0 0 0 458W
Devon County Council £ million Nature of funding 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 92001–02 Revenue Support Grant1 7266.389 155.634 158.924 150.930 166.866 Income from national non-domestic rates1 7205.912 138.460 151.558 173.050 170.054 Local government reorganisation supplementary credit approval 1.812 0.765 0 0 0 Transport supplementary grant 1.738 1.238 1.861 0 0 Transport annual capital guideline 1.738 1.238 1.861 0 0 Transport block supplementary credit approval 2.560 1.214 2.842 10.281 20.703 Rural bus challenge grant8 0 0 0.640 0.300 10— Rural bus subsidy grant 0 1.409 1.409 1.409 1.799 Capital challenge (supplementary credit and basic credit approvals) 2.694 2.257 1.554 0 0 Notes 1 The amounts of revenue support grant and income from national non-domestic rates shown for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are the revised amounts allocated under "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997–98 Amending Report 1999" and "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1998–99 Amending Report 2000" respectively. 2 1997–98 HIP allocation inherited from the previous Government's spending plans. Present Government introduce CRI from 1997–98. My officials have written to parishes and local authorities in which a Farm Scale evaluation is to take place to provide information about the trial and to offer speakers for any public meetings the parish may wish to hold. We have received correspondence from members of the public in the Wivenhoe area about the siting of FSE sites in the parish.