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English Nature
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the budget for English Nature in (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96, (c) 1996-97 and (d) 1997-98. [7207]
Mr. Clappison: English Nature's grant in aid for the financial years in question are:
| Year | Grant in aid £ million |
|---|---|
| (a) 1994-95 | 40.405 |
| (b) 1995-96 | 40.419 |
| (c) 1996-97 | 39.166 |
| (d) 1997-98 | (33)38.904 |
(33) Baseline planning figure.
Countryside Commission
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the budget for the Countryside Commission for (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96, (c) 1996-97 and (d) 1997-98. [7206]
Mr. Clappison: The grant in aid budget for the Countryside Commission was £46.137 million for 1994-95 and is £42.124 million for 1995-96. The allocation for 1996-97 is £25.787 million and the planning figure for 1997-98 is £24.727 million.
The reduction in 1995-96 included £2 million for the national forest, work on which was commenced by the commission but which is being taken forward by the National Forest Company. The reductions in 1996-97 and 1997-98 take account of agreed transfers to MAFF-- £13.293 million in each year--to support the transfer of responsibility for countryside stewardship, and to the groundwork foundation, £1.200 million in each year, for work in groundwork trust areas formerly funded by the Commission, as well as the 5 per cent. reduction in running costs being applied generally to the Department's sponsored bodies.
Pesticides (Drinking Water)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has made to improve the standard of drinking water in response to the publication of the National Rivers Authority report into the levels of pesticides being found in water supplies; and if he will make a statement. [7335]
Mr. Clappison: The report makes it clear that serious incidents of pesticide pollution are rare, and that the data presented did not reflect drinking water quality. The quality of drinking water is very high; in 1994, of 3.5 million tests carried out, 99.3 per cent. met the
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relevant standards. Where standards were not met, water companies have provided legally binding undertakings to carry out the necessary improvements.
Advisory Committee on Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the final report of the advisory committee on Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; and if he will make a statement. [7435]
Mr. Clappison: I am today placing a copy of the committee's final report in the Library of the House, together with responses by the inspectorate and the Environment Agency.
I am grateful to the committee for producing a final report, which will assist in preparing for the inspectorate's entry into the agency. The report provides a valuable independent assessment of the inspectorate's strengths, and it provides a set of recommendations to guide the further development of the effectiveness and efficiency of pollution regulation in the future.
I am pleased that the inspectorate and the agency have responded constructively to the committee's recommendations and are taking the necessary action to implement them.
Mr. Peter Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made for appointing the members to the new national park authorities provided for by the Environment Act 1995. [7437]
Mr. Clappison:
The new independent national park authorities, whose creation was provided for by the Environment Act, are intended to be established in England on 1 October 1996, and to take over their full powers and responsibilities on 1 April 1997.
During the passage of the Environment Act, the importance of the role for the Secretary of State's appointed members in bringing the wider national viewpoint to the deliberations of the national parks was emphasised.
My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside has today written to all Members who have a constituency interest in national parks, inviting nominations for Secretary of State members of the new authorities. Officials will also seek nominations from a wide range of organisations.
Candidates are sought from a wide range of backgrounds and interests. All those with an interest in the parks are encouraged to put forward names for consideration. Local publicity will be arranged in the individual national parks.
Nominations are required by 29 February 1996.
In making these appointments to the new authorities, we will wish to bear in mind the desirability of maintaining some continuity of membership as well as of introducing some new members. We will select individuals for their personal qualities and experience, and not as representatives for specific groups or organisations.
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We expect them to have regard to the interests of all those who are concerned with a specific park, but our primary concern is that those members should bring the wider national viewpoint to the authorities' discussions.
The Secretary of State will continue to be advised on his appointment by the Countryside Commission, which provides an independent input in to the selection process, and whose advice has always been valuable.
Mr. Congdon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the UK round table on sustainable development has held another meeting; and if he will make a statement. [7694]
Mr. Gummer:
The UK round table on sustainable development held its fifth meeting on 11 December, with Professor Sir Richard Southwood and me in the chair. The meeting discussed the liberalisation of the supply of gas and electricity to domestic consumers, freight transport and environmental audit. Reports by the round table on each of these topics will be published shortly. The round table also considered a framework for a sustainable transport policy, on which discussion will continue at the next meeting in February, and agreed to undertake further work on the structure and powers of economic and environmental regulators in the UK, and how these can best reflect the needs of sustainable development.
Mr. Congdon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the outcome of his meeting with the packaging industry on producer responsibility on 15 December. [7695]
Mr. Gummer:
On 15 December, I met 30 representatives of leading businesses involved in packaging to hear their views on the best form of legal obligation to implement producer responsibility for packaging. This was a final opportunity to hear industry views before Government make their decision.
The first part of the meeting was chaired by Sir Peter Parker, president of the Industry Council on Packaging and the Environment, whom I had asked to help resolve remaining differences of view in industry on alternative methods of achieving a shared approach to producer responsibility for packaging. As a result of his discussions a proposal combining elements of both approaches and agreed by the meeting has now been submitted to me.
The main elements of this industry proposal are as follows:
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Information. The Environment Agency should develop and acquire data on major package material flows, waste streams and recovery processes and make this available to the industry.
The legal obligation to valorise packaging to specific targets. A staged approach should be applied as follows, with the introduction of regulations in summer 1996:
By the end of Year 1 (mid-1997) individual businesses or schemes should be under an obligation to provide packaging flow data to the Environment Agency;
By Year 3 (1998-99) individual businesses or schemes should be assessed on completion of the first (3 year) tranche of recycling/recovery obligations. Compliance with Interim targets should not be enforced before 1998.
A review of the legal obligation involving all sectors of the packaging industry should be carried out on behalf of the Secretary of state by the end of 1997.
I welcome the very real efforts made by businesses in all sectors to achieve a consensus on the best means of implementing a shared responsibility approach in which they can have confidence.
An Advisory Committee, giving balanced representation to the industry sectors involved, should be established early in 1996 to advise the Secretary of State on the drafting and implementation of the regulations and on arrangements for carrying out a review of the legal obligation, including consideration of actual burden on individual companies.
The principles on which the legal obligation should be based are:
1. the use of packaging;
2. the need to ensure effective co-operation throughout the packaging chain to achieve recycling and recovery, taking account of equity and the different roles of each sector.
c. that each sector must play an equitable part in relation to the domestic waste stream.
For the first two years, the legal obligation for sectors having taken into account exports and imports at all levels should be initially as follows (these would be the basis for figures applied to businesses outside a collective scheme):
Raw materials and imports: 5½ per cent.
Converters and imports: 14½ per cent.
Packer fillers and imports: 35 per cent.
Retailers, importers and distributers: 45 per cent.
In the operation and monitoring of the obligation, the maximum practicable use should be made of sampling; "ready reckoners" and counting at the interface between 2 sectors.
Companies supporting this approach are clearly committed to the principle that costs will be passed down the chain and through to the ultimate consumer.
Companies supporting this approach and wishing to join a collective scheme would be expected to commit themselves for the first 2 years (or such longer period as may be agreed) to raise funds through a turnover-related annual membership fee, subject to a maximum of £50,000 for the largest UK turnover and with proportionately smaller fees for smaller companies.
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