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Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last travelled on the London Underground in the course of her official duties. [3683]

Margaret Beckett: I have not had cause to travel on the London Underground in the course of my official duties at DEFRA.

Motorcyclists

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to curb the use of roads in areas of outstanding natural beauty as race tracks by organised gangs of motorcyclists. [3418]

Mr. Meacher: There are laws already in place to deal with dangerous driving, including by motorcyclists. There are no special arrangements for either Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Parks. In each case it is for the local police to enforce the law. That has been happening in recent problem areas such as the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, through the reduction and enforcement of speed limits and the deployment of helicopters and speed traps, which are having a positive effect.

Disinfection

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent changes have been made to the disinfection regime. [3431]

Mr. Morley: I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Wind Farms (Fleetwood)

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the proposed wind farm developments off the shore of Cleveleys, Lancashire on the fishing industry in Fleetwood; and if she will make a statement. [3810]

Mr. Morley: I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Cattle Grazing

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effects of the controls on movement of cattle on the ecological management of wetlands used for cattle grazing; and what representations she has received from (a) English Nature, (b) the National Trust and (c) the RSPB on this matter. [3944]

Mr. Morley: I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

BNFL

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has received on progress made in the BNFL

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stakeholder dialogue; and what assessment she has made of the benefit to departmental policy development of the outputs of the dialogue. [3953]

Mr. Meacher: My officials have reported to me on the progress of the dialogue, which is organised by the Environment Council, and its reports are publicly available on the Environment Council website. The dialogue is between an individual company and its stakeholders and is intended to contribute to its own policy development and not that of my Department. But the UK Government and the devolved Administrations will soon publish a consultation paper on the long-term management of radioactive waste, which will start a process of national debate and decision making. We are therefore learning from this dialogue, in terms of how to work with stakeholders—including the importance of openness and trust—and in relation to any conclusions that are reached on the safe management of radioactive materials and wastes. We have asked the Council about the possibility of quoting sections of the Waste Working Group's report in our consultation paper.

Nuclear Waste

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she attended initial discussions regarding her Department's planned consultation paper on nuclear waste; and if she will make a statement. [4012]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 13 July 2001]: The Secretary of State and I have had several discussions since June on nuclear issues including radioactive waste. The UK Government and the devolved Administrations will soon publish a consultation paper setting out detailed proposals. This will begin the process leading to the implementation of a radioactive waste management policy capable of inspiring broad support across the UK.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets her Department has set for reductions of (a) carbon dioxide and (b) greenhouse gas emissions for (i) 2010 and (ii) 2040; and if she will make a statement. [4011]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 13 July 2001]: The UK's target under the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels over the period 2008–12. The UK Government have an additional domestic goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010. The Government have not yet set any targets for later years.

Ms Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what part the UK Government intend to play to meet the royal commission report on Environmental Pollution recommendations of a global 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide by 2050. [6228]

Mr. Meacher: The report from the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution recommends that the Government should now adopt a strategy that puts the UK on a path to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. from current levels by about 2050. The UK Climate Change Programme recognises that emissions reductions of 60 per cent. to 70 per cent. globally may

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be needed to avoid dangerous climate change, and that developed countries may eventually have to make even greater emissions reductions. Emissions reductions of this magnitude can only be achieved by international action involving a series of commitments of which the Kyoto agreement is but the first step. The Government have provided a clear signal of the UK's intentions by setting a domestic goal of reducing CO ₂ emissions by 20 per cent. below the 1990 by 2010. This goal goes well beyond the UK's obligation under the Kyoto Protocol and signals the UK's commitment to the long term process. The measures that could achieve the 20 per cent. CO ₂ reduction are set out in the UK's Climate Change Programme published in November 2000. The Government are currently conducting a wider review of energy policy which

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encompasses technologies for emissions reduction in the longer term. The energy review is due to be completed at the end of 2001 and will contribute to the Government's response possibly early in 2002 to the specific recommendations in the report from the Royal Commission.

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for the UK the changes in the levels of production of greenhouse gases in each year since 1990. [7759]

Mr. Meacher: The table lists the changes in the levels of emissions of UK greenhouse gases each year from 1990 to 1999, the most recent year available. The gases are weighted by global warming potential and emissions are in million tonnes carbon equivalent.

	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )	164.4	165.5	161.4	157.2	156.1	153.7	159.0	152.2	152.8	149.4
Methane (CH 4 )	21.0	20.7	20.2	19.4	17.6	17.5	17.1	16.6	15.8	15.1
Nitrous oxide (N 2 O)	18.3	17.7	15.8	14.9	16.1	15.4	15.9	16.4	15.9	11.7
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)	3.10	3.23	3.37	3.52	3.77	4.15	4.44	5.03	5.50	1.69
Perflurocarbons (PFCs)	0.62	0.49	0.26	0.22	0.27	0.30	0.25	0.18	0.18	0.18
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 )	0.20	0.21	0.23	0.24	0.29	0.31	0.35	0.34	0.35	0.36
Basket total	208	208	201	195	194	191	197	191	191	178
Percentage change from 1990 baseline(101)	—	-0.3	-3.4	-6.3	-6.9	-8.2	-5.5	-8.5	-8.6	-14.4

⁽¹⁰¹⁾ The 1990 baseline is the sum of 1990 totals for CO ₂ , CH ₄ and N ₂ O and 1995 totals for HFCs, PFCs and SF ₆ (208.4 million tonnes carbon equivalent).

Sewer Flooding

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the incidence of sewage flooding in Lancashire in the last five years. [4328]

Mr. Meacher: Information on the incidence of sewage flooding in Lancashire is not collected centrally. The Director General of Water Services publishes information on the incidence of sewage flooding for United Utilities each year in "Levels of service for the water industry in England and Wales". The most recent report for 2000–01 was published at the end of July and is available from the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers she has to require (1) North West Water to stop flooding in people's homes through faults in sewage systems; [6064]

(2) water companies to compensate people whose homes are damaged as a consequence of sewage flooding. [6065]

Mr. Meacher: Sewerage undertakers have a duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to effectually drain their area, and this duty is enforceable by the Secretary of State or the Director General of Water Services. However, there can be practical or financial constraints. The duty in the 1991 Act is not, therefore, considered to be an absolute requirement on undertakers to prevent sewer flooding in all circumstances. Each undertaker is expected to set priorities for work which may be necessary. Ofwat and my officials are currently examining the causes of sewer flooding and possible remedies. Ofwat will publish a paper on the issue early in 2002.

Householders are entitled to compensation equivalent to a year's sewerage charges up to a maximum of £1,000 under the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations every time there is internal sewage flooding.

Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the powers of Ofwat to compel water companies to carry out their statutory duties with regard to preventing the incursion of sewage into customers' homes; and if she will make a statement. [7096]

Mr. Meacher: Sewerage undertakers have a duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to drain effectually their area and this duty is enforceable by the Secretary of State or the Director General of Water Services. However, there can be practical or financial constraints. The duty in the 1991 Act is not, therefore, considered to be an absolute requirement on undertakers to prevent sewer flooding in all circumstances. Ofwat and the Department are currently examining the causes of sewer flooding and possible remedies. Ofwat will publish a paper on the issue early in 2002.

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