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Sewage

23. Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the placing of combined sewage overflow tanks; and if she will make a statement. [13087]

Mr. Meacher: The siting of combined sewer overflow tanks is subject to local authority planning development control.

Local Farm Produce

24. Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with large retailers about developing more local sourcing of farm produce. [13088]

Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent meetings with large scale retailers about local sourcing of farm produce. However, Food from Britain, whom we grant aid, have been working with the major supermarkets to encourage them to source more local produce and we are aware that there has been a considerable expansion in local sourcing in recent years.

CHP

25. Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the target for combined heat and power is reached by 2010; and what assessment has been made of the impact upon capacity of the introduction of the new electricity trading arrangements in March 2001. [13089]

Mr. Meacher: The Department is developing, in close collaboration with other Departments, a draft CHP strategy, which will set out the measures needed to achieve the Government's target of at least 10,000 MW of installed CHP electrical capacity by 2010. I expect to issue the draft strategy for consultation around the turn of the year.

The recent report by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, 'Report to DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators' issued in August, indicated that the export of power from CHP has reduced by around 60 per cent. since the introduction of

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NETA. The Government have issued a response to Ofgem's review and through this are consulting on a number of specific points to address the issues that CHP generators face under NETA.

Kyoto Protocol

26. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on those countries who are signatories to the Kyoto agreement and whose carbon dioxide emissions are increasing. [13090]

Mr. Meacher: As of 28 September, there were 84 signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Nearly 40 of these are developed countries with emissions reduction or limitation targets. Carbon dioxide emissions in about two thirds of these countries increased between 1990 and 1999, which is the most recent year for which data are available, but total emissions from developed countries (including the US) were about the same as in 1990.

The Protocol gives developed countries considerable flexibility as to how they meet their Kyoto targets, including using international emissions trading and projects to reduce emissions in other countries to supplement domestic action. The Protocol also allows countries to count increased carbon uptake by forests and soils (so-called "sinks"), and to make reductions across a basket of six greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide.

BSE

28. Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tests for BSE are carried out on livestock destined for human consumption; and what plans she has to review this in the future. [13092]

Mr. Morley: The EU surveillance programme for TSE's requires testing for BSE in all cattle over 30 months destined for human consumption. In the UK, this applies only to a small number of animals belonging to Beef Assurance Scheme herds which can be sold for human consumption up to 42 months old. These cattle have been tested since January this year.

The EU programme has been extended to cattle aged 24–30 months which have died on farm or in transit and are casualties. A small proportion of casualties will be eligible for human consumption and arrangements are being made for them to be tested.

In line with EU requirements, arrangements are also being made to test 20,000 sheep aged over 18 months.

The Commission will be reviewing the testing programme in the light of results from member states.

Online Services

29. Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of her Department's progress in meeting the Government's targets for making all its services available online. [13093]

Mr. Morley: Regular progress reports are made to the Office of the e-Envoy. The latest figures submitted in October show that 53 per cent. of DEFRA's services are available electronically.

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Rights of Way

31. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in identifying and mapping public rights of way under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [13095]

Alun Michael: The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 provides for a cut-off date in 25 years time for the recording of certain rights of way on definitive maps and the extinguishment of those not so recorded by that date. In order to ensure that the definitive maps are as complete as possible by this date, we have asked the Countryside Agency to consider ways of co-ordinating the efforts of user groups in researching any, as yet, undiscovered rights of way.

The Countryside Agency is currently in phase 1 of this project, which will assess the scale of the task. The contractors (made up of a consortium led by Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education) will be consulting all interested parties on the best way of supporting the research and on providing information and training. The aim is that by spring 2002 the Agency will have sufficient information to put in place a mechanism for managing grant aid to provide support and training and for undertaking research.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 does not include a separate requirement to identify and map public rights of way. Definitive maps of public rights of way were first required to be produced under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949. They are the responsibility of the local highway authority who (under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) have a duty to keep the definitive map and statement under continuous review and to make such modifications as they deem necessary.

Foot and Mouth

32. Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the reports of the independent inquiries into foot and mouth disease; and if she will make a statement. [13096]

Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Sayeed) on 1 November 2001, Official Report, column 804W.

34. Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the extent of the foot and mouth epidemic. [13098]

Mr. Morley: The last confirmed case of foot and mouth disease was on 30 September. We have made progress on lifting infected area restrictions and most counties are now classified as foot and mouth disease free. However, there is no room for complacency and we may yet identify isolated pockets of remaining infection as our testing programme proceeds. Any relaxation of restrictions must be proportionate to the risks involved.

36. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the report by Devon county council on the Government's handling of the foot and mouth outbreak. [13100]

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Mr. Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 1416 in another place.

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence she has collated recently of meat from animals vaccinated against foot and mouth disease entering the UK from (a) France, (b) Holland, (c) other EU countries, (d) Argentina and (e) South Africa. [14057]

Mr. Morley: None. Within the EU the Netherlands was the only country that vaccinated against foot and mouth disease (FMD). However, the vaccinated animals were subsequently slaughtered and meat from them was not exported.

The importation into the UK of fresh meat derived from FMD susceptible animals originating in Argentina is currently prohibited. Prior to the prohibition, meat from vaccinated animals could be imported from Argentina, but had to be deboned and fully matured so as to remove any risk of the live FMD virus being present. Following outbreaks of FMD in South Africa, the UK prohibited imports of fresh meat with effect from January 2001. Following an improvement in the FMD situation in South Africa, and appropriate guarantees from the South African authorities, this prohibition was lifted in June 2001 in line with EC law. This meant that meat originating in certain areas of South Africa which are FMD free can be imported into the UK. Imports of meat from vaccinated animals in South Africa is not permitted; however, meat imports must still be deboned and matured.

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