§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Advisory Committee on waste management is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [70577]
§ Mr. MeacherThe most recent EU Advisory Committee on Waste Management was held on 27 March 2002. The committee convenes approximately every 6 months. Dates have not been finalised for the next scheduled meeting.
UK representation varies according to the agenda for each meeting and may include members of the Scottish Executive and other devolved administrations where there are items of sufficient interest.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2002,Official Report, column 607W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos; and if she will make a statement. [73181]
§ Mr. MeacherThe EU Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos has not met since the establishment of the Scottish Executive, so its officials have never attended it.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2002,Official Report, column 606W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on the Directive on packaging and packaging waste; and if she will make a statement. [73177]
§ Mr. MeacherThe devolved administrations are kept fully informed of the work of the Committee and may send experts to the meetings if they wish. In this case, the Scottish Executive has judged its interests to be adequately covered by the representation from DTI and DEFRA. The representatives from the DTI and DEFRA262W on the Committee advance UK interests, and negotiating lines are agreed in advance between the departments and the devolved administrations.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2002,Official Report, column 69W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on the implementation of the Directive establishing a Community policy regarding water; and if she will make a statement. [73170]
§ Mr. MeacherI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 July 2002,Official Report, column 69W. Since this committee has never met, members of the Scottish Executive have not attended any meetings.
However, other meetings to consider aspects of implementation of the Water Framework Directive have taken place. Representatives from the Scottish Executive regularly attend meetings of the Water Directors of member states. Of late, this group's work has concentrated on the Water Framework Directive. It last met in Valencia on 10–12 June 2002 and a representative of the Scottish Executive attended. Scottish Executive officials also attend meetings of the Strategic Co-ordination Group on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This group last met on 29–30 April 2002 in Brussels and the UK team included a representative of the Scottish Executive.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2002,Official Report, column 1124W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Management Committee for Fisheries Products; and if she will make a statement. [73171]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Scottish Executive has been represented at all of the meetings which took place in the last year.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2002,Official Report, column 124W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Management Committee for the fisheries and aquaculture sector; and if she will make a statement. [73182]
§ Mr. MorleyIn the last six months, the Scottish Executive has been represented at 3 of the 6 meetings which took place.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2002,Official Report, column 691W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee for the implementation of legislation on ambient air quality assessment and management; and if she will make a statement. [73291]
§ Mr. MeacherThere have been no meetings of this committee so the attendance of members of the Scottish Executive would not have arisen.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2002,Official Report, column 691W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Advisory Committee for the 263W implementation of the directive on the reduction of the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels; and if she will make a statement. [73290]
§ Mr. MeacherThe answer of 8 July,Official Report, column 691W, said that there had been no meetings of this committee in the last 12 months. That is incorrect: there was a meeting in April 2002. That was the first and only meeting of the committee. No members of the Scottish Executive attended that meeting.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2002,Official Report, columns 368-369W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the directive on water intended for human consumption; and if she will make a statement. [73295]
§ Mr. MeacherI refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham on 10 June,Official Report, column 915–916W.
A representative of the Scottish Executive attended meetings held in November 2001 and in April 2002 of the Committee established under Article 12 of the Drinking Water Directive 1998.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2002,Official Report, column 842W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources; and if she will make a statement. [73173]
§ Mr. MorleyIn the period from September 2001 (the start of the new session) to date, Scottish Executive officials did not attend any of these meetings
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2002,Official Report, column 371W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for pigmeat; and if she will make a statement. [73178]
§ Mr. MorleyTo date, no members of the Scottish Executive have attended the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for pigmeat.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2002,Official Report, column 914W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on geographical indications and protected designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs; and if she will make a statement. [73292]
§ Mr. MorleyMembers of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on geographical indications and protected designations of origin 6 times within the last 5 years.
264W
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2002,Official Report, column 914W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture; and if she will make a statement. [73293]
§ Mr. MorleyTo date, no members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of this Committee.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2002,Official Report, column 248W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for sheep and goats; and if she will make a statement. [73176]
§ Mr. MorleyIn the period from September 2001 (the start of the new session) to date, Scottish Executive officials have attended 3 of these meetings.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with regard to the answer of 26 June 2002,Official Report, column 913W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Implementation Committee for Spirit Drinks; and if she will make a statement. [73296]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Spirit Drinks Implementation Committee (SDIC) is mandated by Council Regulation 1576/89 and is responsible for the general rules on the definition, description and presentation of spirit drinks as laid down in that Regulation.
UK representation on SDIC meetings is determined according to the agenda items that are proposed for discussion and can include members of the Scottish Executive and other devolved administrations. Following consultation with devolved administrations about each SDIC agenda so far, it has been agreed that Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs alone would represent UK interests.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2002,Official Report, column 370W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on certificates of specific character for agricultural products and foodstuffs; and if she will make a statement. [73179]
§ Mr. MorleyMembers of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Committee on certificates of specific character once within the last 5 years.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2002,Official Report, column 248W, when members of the Scottish Executive have attended meetings of the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for beef and veal; and if she will make a statement. [73175]
§ Mr. MeacherThe UK delegation to the Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress on the EC Nitrates Directive ("the Article 9 committee") 265W included officials from the Scottish Executive on the 26 October 1999 (12 meeting), 6 December 2001 (15 meeting) and 17 June 2002 (16 meeting).
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Standing Committee for Foodstuffs is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [70567]
§ Ms BlearsI have been asked to reply.
The Standing Committee for Food was replaced by the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain (Section: Food Safety and Controls) from 21 February 2002, by virtue of EP/Council Regulation 178/2002. The United Kingdom is represented on this Committee by officials, usually from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Scottish Executive is regularly consulted on, and is fully involved in discussions, at official and Ministerial level, with both the FSA and DEFRA on the formulation of European Union policy which touches on matters which fall within the responsibilities of the Scottish Executive. Representatives of the Scottish Executive may attend as part of the UK delegation, should the subject matter require this. The Standing Committee is next due to meet on 11/12 September 2002.
[This information is correct as at Friday, 2 August 2002]