Protecting England and Wales from Plant Pests and Diseases: Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written EvidenceThe Stationery Office, 2004 - 30 pagina's Following on from a NAO report on this topic (HCP 1186, session 2002-03; ISBN 0102923590) published in October 2003, the Committee's report focuses on the work of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in trying to prevent plant pests and diseases from entering the country and in managing and preventing the spread of outbreaks when they occur. The main impacts from plant pests and diseases are economic ones, and DEFRA spends £8 million each year on import controls and a further £14 million researching the diagnosis and control of pests. Its work is subject to two main international agreements, as well as WTO requirements that stipulate import controls must have a scientific basis and must not be used as a barrier to trade. Recommendations include that DEFRA should: reassess current inspection targets using cost-benefit analyses; establish a peer review system to provide assurance on the quality of inspections; work with industry and supermarkets to improve food labelling to raise consumer awareness of the UK's standards for plant health; address the inconsistencies in current farmer compensation arrangements and explore the feasibility of alternatives such as insurance or levy schemes. |
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accept the need Bacon British C&AG's Report Central Science Laboratory Chairman Committee of Public crops Data Protection Act Defra Department for Environment Department's documentation trail Dr Hunter Edward Leigh England and Wales eradicate European Union European Union countries expertise exported farmers and growers Field Food and Rural food labelling Food Standards Agency foot and mouth going Horticultural industry inspection targets inspectors issue Jim Sheridan Jon Cruddas Jon Trickett livestock sector look low detection rate MP Conservative MP Labour National Audit Office non-European Union countries number of detections number of inspections nurseries origin outbreaks of Sudden pest or disease pests and diseases planting material Potato Ring Rot premises of growers problem Protecting England Public Accounts require Rhizomania Richard Bacon Rural Affairs single market Sir Brian Bender species Sudden Oak Death supermarkets taxpayer trying Wales from plant weeks of entry Williams