Animal Welfare (Hansard, 1 July 2002)

§ Norman Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors have spent on animal welfare in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by category. [63648]

§ Mr. Morley
[holding answer 24 June 2002]These figures represent the outturn for the Animal Health and Veterinary Group (AHVG) and the amount spent on animal welfare R&D for the last five years. The reduction in expenditure in 2001–02 reflects the diversion of effort on to foot and mouth disease. The total figure for that year actually continued the upward trend of previous years.
Together with member states, the commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the commission".
As an obligation to this decision, the commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Library of the House on 26 February (Commission Document 5685/02).
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61704]

§ Mr. Morley
The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries is a permanent committee set up within the European Commission as a source of highly qualified scientific assistance (particularly in the application of marine and fisheries biology, fishing technology, fishing economics or similar disciplines) in relation to the implementation of the Community system for fisheries and aquaculture. The committee holds two plenary meetings per year, plus ad hoc expert groups. The UK is currently represented by scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the FRS Marine Laboratory. The commission pays travel and subsistence costs: only the cost of the experts' time, as part of their broad duty to provide scientific advice, falls to national Governments. The committee draws up annual reports on the biological, technical and economic 47W aspects of the fisheries resource situation and on work and requirements in relation to the co-ordination of research for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It also provides advice to the commission on prospective proposals for action.
As the committee's role is to provide scientific, technical and economic advice to the commission, there are no issues over accountability and transparency to Parliament.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Community Policy Regarding Forestry and Forzest-based Industries is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61727]

§ Mr. Morley
The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Community Policy regarding Forestry and Forest-based Industries is to encourage the forest-based industry to become a model sector in the field of sustainable development.
The Committee has met once in the last 12 months. The UK is represented by members of the forestry industry. The cost to public funds for the last 12 months was £200.
The key issues currently under consideration are securing sufficient supplies of sustainable produced raw material and the enhanced use of wood.
Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Library of the House on 26 February (Commission Document 5685–02).
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Non-Food and Textile Crops is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61719]
48W

§ Mr. Morley
The Advisory Committee on Non-Food and Textile Crops is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with industry representatives with an interest in the EU regime for natural fibres but we understand it has not met for some time. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56818]

§ Mr. Meacher
The mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos is to make changes to the technical annex on methods of sampling and analysis of asbestos concentrations in air or water. This Committee has not met in the last 12 months, so has had no costs to public funds and has not considered any items.