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Vol. 758 Tuesday No. 79 6 January 2015 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................. 1 Written Answers ................................ ................... 12 [I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Proposed corrections should be sent to [email protected] for review. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows. Minister Responsibilities Baroness Stowell of Beeston Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Lord Wallace of Tankerness Advocate-General for Scotland and Deputy Leader of the House Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government Baroness Anelay of St Johns Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Whip Lord Astor of Hever Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Bates Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Whip Lord De Mauley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Lord Deighton Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Lord Faulks Minister of State, Ministry of Justice Lord Freud Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Lord Gardiner of Kimble Whip Earl Howe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health Baroness Jolly Whip Baroness Kramer Minister of State, Department for Transport Lord Livingston of Parkhead Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Lord Nash Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education Baroness Neville-Rolfe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Lord Newby Deputy Chief Whip Baroness Northover Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development Lord Popat Whip Baroness Randerson Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip Baroness Verma Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change Lord Wallace of Saltaire Whip Baroness Williams of Trafford Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/ Written Statements 6 January 2015 Page 1 This Government is pursuing a comprehensive Strategy, Written Statements based on best international practice, supported by leading vets and endorsed by the Government’s Chief Scientific Tuesday, 6 January 2015 Adviser, Defra’s Chief Scientist and the Chief Veterinary Officer. This approach includes cattle movement Anti-Corruption Plan restrictions, badger vaccination in the edge area [HLWS136] (bordering the high risk area) and culling where the disease is rife. Baroness Neville-Rolfe: My Rt hon Friend the Minister for Business and Enterprise and Energy Cattle measures remain at the heart of the Strategy and (Matthew Hancock) has today made the following that is why we have steadily reinforced them over this statement. Parliament. In the coming months we plan to launch a consultation on further cattle measures including statutory Today I am making a joint statement with my hon post-movement testing for cattle entering the low risk Friend the Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised area. This measure will help us remain on course to Crime (Karen Bradley). Together we wish to inform the achieve TB free status for the low risk area of England by house that the Government is publishing the UK’s first 2019. cross-government anti-corruption plan. On 2 September 2014, I announced our Badger Edge Corruption harms societies, undermines economic Vaccination Scheme which will create a buffer zone to development and threatens democracy. help prevent the spread of TB to new parts of the country. The UK is recognised as having strong institutions, and We are working closely with wildlife organisations, vets has led the way in implementing world-leading legislative and farmers to establish large areas within which a high standards through the Bribery Act 2010. But we recognise proportion of the badger population will be vaccinated for that more can be done to improve our coordination at a minimum of four years. home and better manage how we deal with bribery and Badger culls were carried out in the Autumn. Culling corruption overseas. ended on 20 October 2014 and I am today publishing the As part of our second Open Government Partnership report and supporting data of the independently audited National Action Plan, we committed to bring together all results. I have placed the summary report and the Chief of the UK’s anti-corruption efforts under one cross- Veterinary Officer’s advice in the Library of the House. government plan. This plan will bring more coordination In West Somerset, 341 badgers were safely and and coherence to our efforts and ensure that future humanely removed, against a minimum of 316, while in activity to tackle corruption is joined up and West Gloucestershire, 274 badgers were safely and collaborative. humanely removed, against a minimum of 615. The The plan highlights that, our priorities are: to build a results in Somerset show that this approach works. The better picture of how corruption is affecting our society results in Gloucestershire reflect the challenges of and economy; strengthen our legal and operational tools extensive unlawful protest and intimidation. and activity; enhance our law enforcement response; deny The Chief Veterinary Officer reviewed the use of our financial system for those who are trying to effectiveness and humaneness data and supports the abuse it; and step up our efforts internationally. continuation of culling by a combination of cage trapping In my role as the Government Anti-Corruption and controlled shooting as part of our comprehensive Champion I will jointly chair, with the Minister for strategy. In his view the outcome of this year’s cull in Modern Slavery and Organised Crime, an Inter Somerset indicates that industry-led culling can, in the Ministerial Group to oversee delivery of the plan. We will right circumstances, deliver the level of effectiveness work with colleagues across government and civil society required to be confident of achieving disease control to drive forward work on this agenda. benefits. A copy of the plan will be placed in the House Library. As part of our focus on practical measures to reduce the It will also be available on the government website: risk of disease spread, I am today publishing a Biosecurity www.gov.uk. Action Plan developed by industry and government. We have recently awarded £50,000 in small grants to Bovine TB livestock markets to support voluntary risk-based trading [HLWS139] of cattle and we have been working with the private sector to develop a TB-risk accreditation system for cattle herds. Lord De Mauley: Today I am updating the House on To help all farmers manage the risk of TB we plan in the measures we have taken to tackle TB in cattle since early 2015 to launch a web-based map showing locations we published our Strategy in April 2014. of TB breakdowns and to publish TB reports for the edge Between 1997 and 2010, TB in cattle increased nine- and low risk areas. We will also be starting a trial of a fold, threatening the future of our beef and dairy new service to provide farmers within the two badger cull industries and our food security. England has the highest areas with bespoke advice on how better to protect their incidence of TB in Europe, and that is why we are taking farms from TB. strong action to beat the disease. Page 2 6 January 2015 Written Statements TB can also affect other animals and humans. We have British Council Annual Report 2013-14 [British introduced additional TB measures for South American Council Annual Report 2013-14.pdf] camelids including statutory compensation and consolidated existing legislation concerning TB in deer. The material can be viewed online at: We are planning a further review of TB controls in non- http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written- bovine animals. questions-answers-statements/written- We have continued to invest in TB research and I am statement/Lords/2015-01-02/HLWS138/ today publishing a summary of the research that we are funding this year. Over this Parliament, we have invested Defence Support Group over £24 million into TB vaccine research. An independent report on the design of field trials of cattle [HLWS148] vaccine and a test to detect infected cattle among Lord Astor of Hever: My hon Friend the Minister for vaccinated cattle (DIVA) shows that before cattle Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Mr Philip vaccination field trials can be contemplated, we need to Dunne) has made the following Written Ministerial develop a better DIVA test. This research is likely to take Statement. a further two years. We are also investing in research on I am pleased to announce the successful sale of the badger diagnostics and improving epidemiological Defence Support Group (DSG) land business to Babcock analysis of the disease, while the dairy industry is for £140 million. As part of the transaction, a 10-year progressing Defra-funded research potentially to enable contract (with options to extend to 15 years) worth some farmers to breed cattle with greater genetic resistance to £900 million has been agreed for the delivery of DSG TB.