§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government has put in place in enable dairy farmers to add value to their products. [137892]
§ Mr. BradshawSupport is available through the England Rural Development Programme for farmers wishing to add value to their produce. The Processing and Marketing Grant can provide up to 30 per cent. of eligible costs towards projects to improve the processing and marketing infrastructure of mainstream agricultural products. The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) provides assistance of up to 50 per cent. to farmers to diversify their businesses, which might involve on-farm processing and retailing of their produce. Help can also be given through RES to market added value, quality, agricultural products.
§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government has sought to amend EC Regulation 2597/97 in accordance with the Milk Task Force recommendations of December 2001. [137896]
§ Mr. BradshawWe wrote to interested parties on changing the rules on the fat content of drinking milk in Council Regulation (EC) No. 2597/97 in February 2002, as part of our follow-up to the Milk Task Force and to prepare for possible Commission proposals to amend the regulations. The response we received was mixed. Whilst there was some support for liberalising the rules, there was also concern that it might undermine the well established categories of drinking milk to the detriment of consumers and dairy processors. The Commission in their report on these rules, which was published earlier this year, also found no consensus in favour of changes. It has therefore proposed no changes for the time being, but will initiate a review in 2007, with a view to harmonising rules across the enlarged Community in 2009 when the existing derogations from the rules for Finland, Sweden and several accession countries will expire.
§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government supports decoupling of the dairy sector in 2005. [138026]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Government believes that by breaking the link between farm subsidies and production, decoupling will reconnect farmers to their markets, reduce damaging environmental impacts and reduce bureaucracy. Our economic assessment also indicates that decoupling should have a beneficial impact on farm incomes. We are therefore minded to
1206W
UK imports of birds' eggs, in shell and powdered, 1993–2002 Tonnes Product/country 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Eggs in shell Netherlands 7,797 12,421 9,240 10,864 8,775 5,098 7,905 17,946 10,952 14,865 Germany 2,544 2,389 2,256 3,300 2,292 2,934 3,792 10,807 14,621 9,011 France 1,382 2,642 3,118 3,338 2,217 2,443 1,513 2,845 6,809 8,723 Irish Republic 714 1,875 2,216 1,359 1,774 1,472 865 1,801 2,245 1,981 Spain 42 68 99 115 — — — 32 4,440 9,499 Belgium-Lux 1,350 2,954 2,447 1,681 663 169 681 1,320 1,039 934 Denmark 935 1,313 1,649 993 527 664 816 761 698 1,000 Finland — — 278 1,398 1,282 674 122 309 132 392 decouple dairy direct payments in 2005. We will make a final decision once we have the results of our ongoing consultation on the dairy elements of the reform package, which closes on 3 February.
§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets the Government has set for(a) levels of production and (b) the number of producers in dairy farming. [138027]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Government has not set targets for levels of milk production or for the number of producers in dairy farming.