here - United Kingdom Parliament

805W
Written Answers
1 DECEMBER 2010
Written Answers
806W
Ofwat review
Waste review
Animal Welfare
Act
Animal welfare
inspections
Task force on
farm regulation
Review of
national park
governance
arrangements
Secondees home
organisation
n/a
Waste and
Resources
Action
Programme
(WRAP)
n/a n/a n/a n/a
Secondees pay
rates
n/a
On loan from
WRAP
n/a n/a n/a n/a
Farming Futures: Finance
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs how much funding Farming
Futures received from her Department in each of the
last four years; and how much funding she plans to
allocate to Farming Futures in each of the next four
years. [27031]
Mr Paice: Farming Futures was set up in 2007 to
build greater awareness and provide advice to farmers
on the impacts of climate change and actions they can
take to deal with this, to increase efficiency, profitability
and competiveness. DEFRA has provided Farming Futures
with core funding of over £850,000 covering a four year
period:
2007-08 171,000
2008-09 250,000
2009-10 150,000
2010-11 285,000
DEFRA funding for Farming Futures was a substantial,
time-limited contribution to allow them to establish
themselves in playing a central role in supporting the
industry’s action on climate change, whilst they sought
alternative long-term funding. After four years, DEFRA’s
financial support will come to an end in March 2011.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the
opinion of the Council of Ministers on the proposal to
amend the GMO Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18
by introducing a new article 26b has been received by
her Department; and if she will make a statement.
[26331]
Mr Paice [holding answer 25 November 2010]: All
member states have received the opinion of the Council
Legal Service on the proposal to amend Directive 2001/18.
Opinions on this matter are also expected to be made
available soon from both the European Parliament and
the Commission legal services. Following this, further
discussions will be held at EU level on the legal implications
of the Commission’s proposal.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy
is on the commercial growing of genetically-modified
crops; and if she will make a statement. [26878]
£
Mr Paice [holding answer 29 November 2010]: The
details of the Government’s policy on GM crops are
currently under consideration, but all policies will be
based on robust scientific evidence.
National Parks
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what visits on
what dates for what purposes (a) she and (b) other
Ministers in her Department have made to (i) national
parks and (ii) national nature reserves since 11 May
2010. [26156]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 24 November 2010]:
I have expressed a keen interest in visiting all of the
English national parks to see at first hand the valuable
work being undertaken. So far I have been to
Northumberland national park on 15 June and the
Peak District national park on 27 July.
During my visit to Northumberland national park I
also went to Greenlee Lough national nature reserve to
see how national park and national nature reserve
designations can work together.
Other national nature reserves I visited are Holme
Fen and Woodwalton Fen on 10 November as part of
the Great Fen project which is designed to link up the
land between the two nature reserves.
I was also able to see Leigh Woods national nature
reserve from the Avon Gorge site of special scientific
interest which I visited on 19 July.
The Minister of State, Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member
for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice) visited Dartmoor
national park on 11 November to discuss uplands issues.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the noble
Lord, Lord Henley visited the Lake District national
park on 25 August regarding future changes needed to
adapt to climate change.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for
Meriden (Mrs Spelman) has met with key representatives
from the English national parks authority association
and spoken with a number of people who have an
interest in national parks and national nature reserves.
We are currently putting together a programme of visits
for 2011, which includes visits to our national parks.