Tag: Huw Irranca-Davies

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the causes and effects of falls in beef farm gate prices; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice

With supplies of cattle outstripping demand both at home and abroad, domestic prime cattle prices have been under pressure and have fallen throughout 2014. In May, prices were at their lowest level since mid-2012 and 15-20% lower than the peak reached in 2013. The European Commission (EC) Short Term Outlook expects beef prices to remain firm although below the 2013 record highs.

On 1 July, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment will be hosting a senior-level beef industry summit with retailers, meat processors and farmers to discuss falling farm gate beef prices and develop strategies for a sustainable British beef sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on meat containing ractopamine entering the UK food-chain; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The use of beta-agonists such as ractopamine for growth promotion purposes is banned under Council Directive 96/22/EC. Third countries permitted to export to the EU are required to have equivalent standards, therefore meat from those countries entering the EU should not contain residues of these substances.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many herd owners have (a) failed to complete TB surveillance tests on time and (b) received reductions in their Single Payment Scheme payments since the introduction of a revised TB testing regime in January 2014.

George Eustice

Owners of cattle herds are given a two or three month window to complete their TB surveillance tests, depending on whether they are subject to annual or four yearly surveillance testing. The enhanced cross compliance rule for overdue surveillance tests applies to cattle keepers with a testing window that started on or after 1 January 2014. In April 2014 (the most recent date for which we have data) 264 herd owners had failed to complete their TB tests on time, which compares to 689 overdue tests in April 2013. All of these herd owners who are Common Agricultural Policy scheme recipients will be liable to reductions in their payments once these become due, unless they can show that the late testing was beyond their control.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take in response to falls in beef farm gate prices.

George Eustice

With supplies of cattle outstripping demand both at home and abroad, domestic prime cattle prices have been under pressure and have fallen throughout 2014. In May, prices were at their lowest level since mid-2012 and 15-20% lower than the peak reached in 2013. The European Commission (EC) Short Term Outlook expects beef prices to remain firm although below the 2013 record highs.

On 1 July, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment will be hosting a senior-level beef industry summit with retailers, meat processors and farmers to discuss falling farm gate beef prices and develop strategies for a sustainable British beef sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the investigation into criminal prosecutions as a result of the adulteration of beef products with horsemeat; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The Food Standards Agency and the City of London police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are taking forward complicated and far-reaching investigations into the Europe wide horsemeat fraud. The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that criminal proceedings have been instituted for the mislabelling of goat meat and the failure to comply with traceability requirements in relation to horsemeat. It would not be appropriate to comment further on ongoing criminal investigations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 37W, on rural areas: broadband, what the latest figures are for how much funding is for projects (a) granted, (b) under pre-contract approval and (c) still under consideration for funding.

Dan Rogerson

The current breakdown of funding to date that has arisen from the Rural Community Broadband Fund is as follows:

a) Projects granted (contracted and in delivery) total: £0.459 million;

b) Projects with pre-contract approval total: £0.634 million; and

c) Projects under consideration total: £14.0 million.

Until contracted, all costs are estimated and subject to revision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of mango lots or number of shipments infested by tephriditae were rejected by Fera in each of the last five years; and from which source country each infected shipment was exported.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6
2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1
2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2
2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1
2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) economic and (b) infection risks to UK and EU fruit and vegetable production arise from the importation of mangoes or other fruit infested with tephritidae.

Dan Rogerson

Tephritidae is listed as a ‘quarantine’ pest under European Union (EU) legislation. All quarantine pests have been assessed as presenting a significant economic or environmental risk to the EU and therefore their introduction into its territory is prohibited.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the recent EU ban on Indian mangoes.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6
2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1
2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2
2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1
2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any alternatives to a full ban on the importation of Indian mangoes were (a) considered by his Department’s officials and (b) put forward to European Commissioners.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6
2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1
2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2
2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1
2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt