The Northern Ireland Assembly - Written Answers to Questions: Monday 7 February 2000

asked the Assembly Commission what steps it has taken to ensure that the Northern Ireland Assembly adopts a fair trade policy in line with War on Want’s campaign in Northern Ireland.

War on Want Northern Ireland has written to all Assembly Members asking for their support for the fair trade campaign, and I have arranged for this issue to be considered by the Commission as a matter of priority.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister whether they intend to apply the principles for appointments to public bodies issued by Sir Len Peach in 1996 in making the remaining appointments to the North/South implementation bodies.

No further appointments to the North/South implementation bodies are anticipated for the foreseeable future. Appointments to the North/South implementation bodies are made by the North/South Ministerial Council. They are not public appointments falling within the remit of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Public Appointments. In putting forward nominees for appointment, regard is had to the needs of the bodies concerned and the contribution which those nominated could provide to the work of the bodies.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what policies they will pursue to ensure openness and transparency in government.

The Executive Committee is fully committed to the principles of openness and transparency in government. Consultation is regarded as an integral part of the policy development process, and Departments are encouraged to involve as wide as possible a range of interest groups in consultation. In addition, the Assembly Committees provide a scrutiny mechanism in relation to departmental business. The establishment of the Civic Forum will assist further in opening up the process of government, as will the implementation of the statutory duty in section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Most public bodies in Northern Ireland, including Departments, follow the code of practice on access to Government information, which is based on the presumption that information should be made widely available whenever possible. As currently drafted, the Freedom of Information Bill which is before Westminster extends to Northern Ireland. The Executive Committee will consider in the near future whether to bring forward separate legislation on freedom of information for Northern Ireland.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what the expected date of the publication of their programme for government is.

We have already agreed Budget provisions for the next financial year. In preparing a full programme for government, which will incorporate an agreed Budget linked to policies and programmes, as set out in the Belfast Agreement, our timescale foresees full scrutiny in the Assembly Committees and approval by the Assembly in the autumn. To this end we are planning on agreeing a draft programme for government by the summer.

However, the Executive Committee believes that it is essential that there be the fullest consultation on the development of the programme for government. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister have already embarked on meetings with departmental Ministers and plan to meet party Leaders soon. In addition, Assembly Committees should be consulted in the near future. The social partners will also be consulted.

We expect that there will be a number of stages in developing this programme, which will be innovative, not only in Northern Ireland but, indeed, in the wider European context.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what discussions have taken place with the Irish Government about Trinity College, Dublin in the light of the Irish Government’s promise in the Belfast Agreement to take further steps to demonstrate respect for the different traditions on the island of Ireland.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what plans they have publicly to mark the 200th anniversary of the Act of Union.

As the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Michael McGimpsey stated in his earlier answer, his Department will play a full role in celebrating this important event.

The National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland and the Public Record Office Northern Ireland are currently involved in the Act of Union virtual library project. This is an initiative to increase public awareness and understanding of this important event in Irish history.

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure has established a working group to co-ordinate activities being organised in connection with the bicentenary and to ensure the historical accuracy of the information which will be collated for the celebrations. The group will also take an overview of the relevant artefacts associated with this period in history. We welcome his initiative in establishing this working group and look forward to its suggestions.

Whatever view Members may take of the Union, it is a major part of our heritage, and it is right that we should encourage an informed and balanced view of the event, particularly as its principal architect was Lord Castlereagh, a local politician. The First Minister hopes to address — in a personal capacity, of course — two conferences on this subject later this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she will make a statement about the quotas for 2000 for the fishing industry; how many people are employed in (1) fishing and (2) the fish-processing and packaging industry; and what the future of the fishing industry in County Down is to be.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms Rodgers): At the December Fisheries Council, Northern Ireland matters were given a high priority by the United Kingdom. Top of the industry’s concerns was a 25% cut proposed for nephrops — the basis for our scampi industry. We succeeded in negotiating a cut of under 10%. This quota will be sufficient to cover landings of the same average level as in previous years.

Secondly, the commission proposed a range of cuts in Irish Sea catch limits for cod, whiting, plaice, haddock and herring. Here the position remains bleak. We face severe restrictions over the next year. For four out of five stocks, however, we improved the position: cod (up 7% against proposed cuts), place (up 4%), haddock (up 9%) and herring (up 24%).

Thirdly, the industry agreed to continue to develop a cod recovery plan. This will comprise measures to safeguard juvenile cod and reduce the catching of mature cod which form the spawning stock. We were very pleased to secure a declaration by the council committing the commission to bringing forward proposals for such a plan early in the new year. We were particularly pleased that Minister Woods supported our approach, and we look forward to co-operating with Ireland on this important Irish Sea issue. This is a significant development, which offers our industry hope of scientific management aimed at the long-term improvement of the stock.

Fourthly, I achieved a continuation of the arrangements whereby there is special treatment of haddock in the Irish Sea. This is a welcome indication of the flexibility of the common fisheries policy.

Fifthly, our fishermen suffer losses of quota in the Irish Sea arising from Ireland’s invocation of the Hague Preference. The UK counter-revoked, and we carried out rational swaps which increased Irish Sea quotas by 782 tonnes.

Area VIIa	Commission Proposal (Tonnes)	Agreed 2000 TAC*
Cod	1,700	2,100
Whiting	2,640	2,640
Plaice	2,300	2,400
Sole	1,080	1,080
Herring	3,900	5,350

Area VII	Commission Proposal (Tonnes)	Agreed 2000 TAC*
Nephrops	17,200	21,000
Hake	18,550	23,600
Haddock (VIIa)	13,200 (+3,000)	13,200 (+3,400)
Saithe	6,000	6,500
Anglers	17,340	23,000
Pollack	17,000	17,000
Megrim	13,440	15,680

The most recent statistics indicate that there are 892 people employed in the fishing industry, and 876 people employed in the fish processing and packaging industry.

While the quotas for a number of Irish Sea stocks are weaker than last year, and consequently the industry will face a downturn in catches during 2000, there will still be significant landings of prawns, haddock and a range of other fish to suit local and export markets and keep the processing industry viable. I am convinced that there are good prospects for the industry, and you will be aware that the Council of Ministers in Brussels agreed a cod recovery plan which should result in an increase in the stock and higher landings in the Northern Ireland industry in the future.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what the proposed timetable is for the invitation to tender, period of construction and completion of the new ice plant at Portavogie harbour, and if she will make a statement.

The advertisement inviting tenders for the plant and equipment to be installed in the new ice plant at Portavogie harbour will appear in the European Official Journal by mid-February and will allow 52 days for receipt of tenders. It is anticipated that the contract for the plant and equipment will be awarded in May 2000. The tender process for the civil works — that is the building to house the plant and equipment — can only be undertaken when the successful tenderer for the plant and equipment has been identified. Civil tenders will be issued in May 2000, and it is expected that the contract will be awarded in mid-June. The construction of the project will commence at the end of July.

The design work for the replacement ice plant at Portavogie has been very complex and has therefore taken much longer than originally anticipated. However, the technical difficulties have now been resolved, and I expect work to progress as indicated above.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to set out the arrangements under which the additional milk quota for the Northern Ireland milk industry will be allocated.

My Department has consulted the industry on the allocation of the additional milk quota granted to Northern Ireland. The results of the consultation exercise are still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a statement on the future prospects of the Northern Ireland farming industry and to list proposals she has to implement an early retirement scheme for farmers.

It is likely that the Northern Ireland agriculture industry will continue to experience difficulties while the current relationship between sterling and other European currencies holds and while some markets remain oversupplied.

I am acutely aware of the severe financial difficulties that the industry has been experiencing in recent years and the impact that this is having throughout the rural community. One of my first initiatives on becoming Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was to announce my intention of establishing a review team to come forward with a vision for the future of agriculture in Northern Ireland. I expect to be able to announce the composition of the team shortly and will be asking it to make recommendations by late spring or early summer.

An early retirement scheme is one of a number of discretionary elements of the Agenda 2000 agreement. Following industry consultation, I am presently considering the content of the plan covering the schemes that might be operated under the rural development regulation for the period 2000-06. Due consideration must, of course, be given to the issues of funding and value for money, but it is extremely unlikely that a scheme could be funded in the early years of the plan period. However, I will wish to reflect on the views of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development before coming to a decision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a statement about the pig compensation allowance scheme operating in the Republic of Ireland and what intentions, if any, she has to implement a similar scheme in Northern Ireland.

I am aware of the Republic of Ireland’s intentions to provide up to IR£1 million of aid to certain pig producers in border counties and that EU state aid approval has not yet been given to the proposed scheme.

It would be difficult to implement a similar scheme in Northern Ireland for a number of reasons.

First, a comparable scheme would only be of benefit to about 30 producers as the rescue/restructuring provisions under which such aid is payable is limited to 3% of producers. This would not resolve the widespread problems of Northern Ireland industry and would not be an effective use of funds, even if these were available.

Secondly, the aid in the Republic is being linked to losses incurred as a result of the fire at the Lovell and Christmas factory in Ballymoney. Northern Ireland introduced a scheme in 1998 for the same reason, and it is unlikely that the EU would be supportive of a further request.

Thirdly, even if EU support could be obtained, there are no additional funds available in the Northern Ireland block, and it would, in any case, be extremely difficult to obtain the support of other UK Agriculture Ministers as this crisis is not confined to Northern Ireland.

I fully appreciate the severe difficulties currently facing pig producers, and I left Commissioner Fischler in no doubt as to the plight of our pig producers when I met him in Brussels on 24 January. I will continue to work closely with Nick Brown and Commissioner Fischler to see what can be done to alleviate the problems in the industry.

Furthermore, I am presently taking action to assist the industry in ways open to me.

I am consulting the industry on the use to which we should put the extra £400,000 of Government aid which has been made available for the better marketing of local pig meat.

I am writing to public bodies in Northern Ireland to encourage more uptake of locally produced pig meat.

I will shortly be having meetings with the main processor and retailer representatives, when I will be stressing the need for local sourcing and the promotion of welfare-friendly produce.

The Republic of Ireland’s Agriculture Minister, Joe Walsh, and I have established a joint investigation into pig processing capacity on the island of Ireland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she is aware that meat plants in Great Britain are paying £80 per head more for beef cattle than meat plants in Northern Ireland and how she intends to ensure that Northern Ireland beef farmers gain a fair return for their livestock in a United Kingdom context.

I am aware that the average price paid to beef producers in Northern Ireland is approximately 20p per kg lower than the average in Great Britain. The price paid to producers is a commercial matter, and I cannot intervene. Nevertheless, I am concerned at the disparity in prices within the UK which has arisen since the export ban was imposed in 1996. It is for this reason that the Government have committed £2 million to the implementation of the red meat strategy. This strategy, which was devised by the industry, aims to improve the position of Northern Ireland beef in its target markets and, thereby, to improve the returns to processors and producers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she is aware that local companies which have received substantial grants from her Department are paying less for locally grown potatoes than for imported potatoes of similar quality, and if she has any intention of redressing this inequality.

I am aware that the Department, through the Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme, has assisted local processors and packers.

The price paid for potatoes, whether local or imported, is, however, a separate and entirely commercial matter.

As regards imported potatoes, provided that they comply with EU rules, the Department cannot take any action to exclude or restrict them as that would be contrary to single market legislation which protects the free circulation of goods within the EU.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she considers the current labelling of food adequately informs consumers of production methods.

Responsibility for the Food Labelling Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 rests with Ms de Brún, the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Nevertheless, I am aware that current legislation does not normally require details of production methods to be included on the label. I am sure it would be helpful to consumers and perhaps to those marketing produce if information on production methods were included on the packaging.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what steps she intends to take to ensure that legislation applied to food produced in the United Kingdom is applied to imported food.

Food produced in the EU is subject to extensive legislation to ensure that it is safe for consumers. Similarly, food may only be imported into the EU from third countries after rigorous inspection of the source. Any evidence of failure of these systems would be brought to the attention of the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development how many cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were reported in Northern Ireland in the last six months and how many cases of BSE were reported in the Irish Republic for the same period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what action she has taken to get Northern Ireland declared a low incidence area of BSE.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what action she has taken to get the live export ban lifted in Northern Ireland.

As you also asked about low-incidence BSE status and proposals for lifting the export ban and your questions all concern the same subject, I am taking the liberty of answering them together.

In the six-month period ending 31 January 2000 there were two cases of BSE in Northern Ireland, and 63 in the Republic of Ireland.

I am making every effort to advance the case for Northern Ireland to be considered as a BSE low-incidence zone. I have raised this matter with the Prime Minister, and I have discussed it with the Minister of Agriculture, Nick Brown, on a number of occasions and have his support. I intend to take this to Assembly ministerial colleagues and the Agriculture Committee for consideration, and officials are finalising a proposal which can then go to Whitehall and Brussels. If this status can be achieved, it may be possible to negotiate a relaxation of export restrictions to allow for the export of live animals. However, I must stress that this will not be easy and could take some time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she is aware that the condition of Gosford Castle has seriously deteriorated, contrary to the terms of the lease agreed with her Department, and to explain how she intends to have this matter addressed.

I am aware that the condition of Gosford Castle has deteriorated, and my Department is currently pursuing action through its solicitor to have this situation remedied or, alternatively, to recover the lease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to give an assurance that the spending by the Department of the modulation money and the matching money shall not be used to offset budgetary expenditure.

Modulation receipts and match funding will be used as necessary to fund schemes put forward to the European Commission under the Rural Development Regulation (Accompanying Measures) Plan. This plan allows for some enhancement of existing schemes and for increased uptake. All of these schemes provide support to farmers.

As I indicated when I spoke to the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on 21 January, decisions on the use of the balance of modulation receipts and match funding will be taken later.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development whether she will use part of the £4·6 million in modulation surplus on a new entrants to farming scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development whether she has costed the Ulster Farmers’ Union proposals given to her on 11 January for a rural and environment development scheme, a new entrants development scheme and a farm business development scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to estimate the number of beneficiaries in each of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development schemes under modulation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she can confirm the current agricultural schemes were developed with the knowledge of forthcoming additional funds from modulation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to list all of the schemes she has considered for modulation funding.

As these questions all concern the subject of modulation, I am taking the liberty of answering them together.

I cannot use modulation receipts to fund a new entrants to farming scheme as this is not one of the accompanying measures on which these receipts may be spent. As I indicated when I appeared before the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on 21 January, I wish to allow time for consultation and reflection on how we might use the uncommitted balance of match funding in future years. In principle, all schemes permitted by the Rural Development Regulation can be considered. However, I have to say that I am not convinced of the benefits of early retirement and new entrants schemes. In particular, I am concerned at the small number of beneficiaries in relation to the 29,000 or so farmers who will be affected by modulation.

I have not costed the Ulster Farmers’ Union proposals sent to me on 11 January as it would require considerably more detail than was provided to enable this to be done. In any case, my immediate purpose was to submit a rural development regulation plan to the European Commission, and only accompanying measures are covered in this. Most of the Ulster Farmers’ Union proposals were outside the scope of these measures. The proposals will be taken into account in my deliberations over the use of the uncommitted balance of the match funding receipts.

The estimated numbers of beneficiaries under the schemes to which modulation funding is currently to be applied are as follows:

Countryside management scheme 5,000 farmers by and organic farming scheme 2006
(In addition, 4,500 farmers will continue to benefit from the environmentally sensitive areas scheme)

The schemes submitted to the European Commission under the rural development regulation plan were developed by the Department before it became known that modulation receipts would be available. However, the schemes were enhanced once it became known that such funding would be available.

Modulation funding in itself may be used only for accompanying measures — agri-environment schemes, forestry schemes on farms, aid to the less favoured areas and an early retirement scheme. All of these were considered for the rural development regulation plan, as the ex ante evaluation appended to that plan indicates. Use of the uncommitted balance of match funding is for future consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what retraining schemes she plans to introduce for those farmers facing redundancy.

In addition to a wide range of education, training and other programmes which aim to help farmers to improve the efficiency and profitability of their existing enterprises, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, through its colleges and Rural Enterprise Division, provides training and other support to assist farmers wishing to diversify their businesses. Support for farm business diversification was also provided under the last round of EU funding.

The Department is already piloting a multi-skilling programme in partnership with other training organisations and sponsored by the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment. This programme provides young people with the opportunity to train in agriculture and another discipline to develop the skills needed to secure off-farm employment and also farm part-time. It is expected that this programme will continue to be funded under the Northern Ireland transitional programme.

My Department, again with Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment support, is undertaking a survey to investigate the education and training requirements of farmers and other members of farming families wishing either to diversify their businesses into non-traditional areas or to secure off-farm employment. The Department of Higher Education already sponsors a wide range of vocational education and training programmes which farmers and others can avail of.

My Department will be seeking to satisfy any additional training and support requirements of farming families and is investigating the possibility of securing extra EU funding for this purpose. In the draft operational plan submitted to Brussels there are proposals for a measure to be funded under PEACE II. This special measure will seek to promote economic renewal and social inclusion in rural areas by helping farmers and others in farming families to reskill to secure off-farm employment or diversify their businesses, identify and exploit new market opportunities and respond to changing circumstances by collaborative enterprise.

Another proposed PEACE II measure includes support for development of non-traditional farm-based diversification enterprises by young farmers on a collaborative cross-border basis.

Department of Agriculture colleges will shortly be introducing additional course provision to help people diversifying a farm business or developing other small rural enterprises. This modular programme will adopt flexible and innovative delivery methods to suit the needs of participants.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in pursuance of AQW 163/99, if she can confirm whether the £100 million interest relief scheme has been formally submitted to her Department, and if she will make a statement.

The proposals in question have not been put formally to the Department, and it would therefore be inappropriate for me to make any statement about them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what were the levels of expenditure on agri-environment schemes, afforestation and less favoured areas compensatory allowances forecast for each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07 prior to the announcement by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on modulation, and how she intends to finance this expenditure; and if she will make a statement.

Expenditure plans for the agri- environment, afforestation of agricultural land and less favoured areas support programmes in the period covered by the rural development regulation (2000 to 2006) were not set in advance of the statement by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 7 December 1999, as these could only be established in the context of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Regulation Plan (Accompanying Measures), 2000-06, of which modulation is an integral part. The existing annual spending baseline within the Department for these three measures is £21·8 million. However, this baseline is relevant only in the period up to the end of 1999 in respect of the EU regulatory framework and 2001-02 in respect of the current comprehensive spending review period. It is also subject to review in the context of establishing the programme for government and the 2000 spending review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to confirm that if she proceeds with the current proposals on modulation, the funding and matching funding for modulation from the Treasury will not be additional in the way that the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food intended it to be.

The finances deriving from modulation and match funding from the Treasury are fully additional to the resources available within the Department’s baseline provision for the measures contained within its rural development regulation plan (accompanying measures) 2000-06. Had these additional sources of funding not been available, expenditure on these measures would have been significantly lower than that currently proposed. Nor would there have been the surplus funds, amounting to just under £30 million, which will become available after 2001 and which have not yet been committed. The allocation of this additional sum will be decided in due course, after consultation with the industry and the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to list those appointed as special advisers within her Department, detailing in each case the date the appointment was offered, the date employment commenced, the gender of the appointee, whether or not disabled, whether or not the appointment was as a result of open competition, and membership of any political party on the date appointment was offered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what discussions she has held with the representatives of the Fish Producers’ Organisation concerning the cod recovery planned for the Irish Sea.

A number of meetings were held with representatives of the fish producer organisations in the run-up to the December Fisheries Council in Brussels, and we agreed the need for a cod-recovery plan. As the Member will recall, I met with him and the Chief Executive of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation on 31 January, at which the subject of the cod-recovery plan for the Irish Sea was discussed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she will accept that under her current proposals for modulation the significant increase in expenditure announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will not occur in Northern Ireland.

No. Northern Ireland is in exactly the same position as the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr Fee asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she will consider introducing a retirement pension scheme for farmers.

I am unable at this time to consider the introduction of a retirement scheme for farmers. An early- retirement scheme is one of the discretionary elements of the rural development regulation. I have recently submitted to the EU Commission a plan outlining the measures that are to operate in Northern Ireland for the period 2000-06. It has not been possible to make provision for an early-retirement scheme. It would be a most expensive scheme to run and is therefore not affordable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she agrees that a move to all-Ireland-type structures and policies would increase her negotiating strength in Europe.

The Member is well aware that agriculture was one of those areas identified in the Good Friday Agreement and the 18 December statement as likely to benefit from increased North/South co-operation. I look forward to pursuing this with my opposite numbers from the Irish Government within the framework of the North/South Ministerial Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development which of the accompanying measures on which the modulated money must be spent she feels will deliver most benefit to the environment.

All of the measures on which it has been decided to spend the modulated money will bring benefit to the environment.

The less-favoured areas payments will have stronger environmental conditions attached.

An increase in afforestation will provide greater tree cover and more habitats for wildlife.

However, the main environmental benefit is likely to be from the agri-environment schemes under which producers receive payments for farming in more environmentally sensitive ways.