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