House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Jan 2002 (pt 43)

Rural Work Force

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farm workers, (b) ancillary workers and (c) other employees, by category, there were in rural areas by (i) constituency and (ii) local authority for each year since 1990. [24899]

Mr. Morley: Figures showing the number of farm workers by constituency and by local authority for 1990, 1995 and 2000 are being made available in the Library of the House. Figures are not readily available for the years in between. Employment figures in the non-agricultural sector are available from the Office for National Statistics. The ONS Local Area Database, which is also available in the House of Commons Library, can provide employment data for local authorities for the period 1994–1999. There are no employment figures for the non-agricultural sector by constituency.

Domestic Gas

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average cost of fuel required to heat a home to a reasonable level of warmth is for properties that are (a) connected to the gas network and (b) not connected to the gas network. [25281]

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Mr. Meacher: The table sets out the average heating and hot water costs for a typical semi-detached house. The data are derived using the BRE Domestic Energy Model with average fuel costs from SAP 2001 and is based on:

Property with a floor area of 89 sq. metres.

Home heated to a temperature of 21 degrees C in the main living area, whole house heated.

Loft insulation installed.

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Standard heating pattern of two hours in the morning and seven hours in the evening during weekdays, and 16 hours/day at weekends.

The actual costs incurred by householders can vary greatly according to the construction of the property, the age and type of heating systems and occupation patterns. A discussion of these varying costs for fuel poor households is provided at Annexe D of the consultation paper, "Fuel Poverty: The New HEES" published in May 1999.

£ per year

	Heating and hot water cost for home
Heating system	With cavity wall insulation	With uninsulated cavity walls	With solid walls
Connected to the mains gas network
Using high-efficiency gas-fired central heating system	200	270	310

Not connected to the mains gas network
Using an oil-fired central heating systems	210	290	340
Using an electric storage heating system	495	675	785

Fixed Penalty Litter Notices

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fixed penalty litter notices were issued in each year since 1995. [25447]

Mr. Meacher: Details of the number of fixed penalty litter notices issued since 1997 in England and Wales are given in the table. Figures for 1995–96 and 2000–01 are not available.

Penalties issued Penalties paid to local authorities Total of fines received by local authority and being forwarded to DEFRA (£)

1997–98 727 660 16,505.00

1998–99 4,778 2,532 63,240.00

1999–2000 2,970 1,563 39,075.00

	Penalties issued	Penalties paid to local authorities	Total of fines received by local authority and being forwarded to DEFRA (£)
1997–98	727	660	16,505.00
1998–99	4,778	2,532	63,240.00
1999–2000	2,970	1,563	39,075.00

Micro-CHP

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policies are for encouraging the use of micro-CHP; and if she will make a statement on their impact. [25622]

Mr. Meacher: Micro-CHP is a technology which offers great potential for energy efficiency improvements, and reduced energy costs for both homes and small businesses. This Department and the Department of Trade and Industry are carrying out work to investigate the benefits of, and possible barriers to, introducing micro- CHP, through the Government/Industry Distributed Generation Co-ordinating Group.

As part of its fuel poverty strategy, the Government intend to invite micro-CHP manufacturers to take part in a £10 million large-scale pilot to test the suitability of the technology for fuel poor households. If successful, the intention is to include micro-CHP in the main fuel poverty programmes for those homes that are hard to heat with conventional heating systems.

Bushmeat

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to tackle the trade in bushmeat (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) internationally. [25811]

Mr. Morley: In the UK our concern about the effects of the bushmeat trade on endangered species led in early 1999 to our drawing the issue to the attention of the UK's Tropical Forest Forum, encouraging it to establish a UK Bushmeat Working Group. The group, supported with funding from the Department, brings together all those in the UK with an interest (Government Departments, conservation NGOs, the timber trade and others) and ensures that information on actions and opportunities for addressing the bushmeat problem is pooled and disseminated as widely as possible. We shall continue to support this initiative.

Internationally, many animals hunted and traded as bushmeat are listed in the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Any international trade in these animals, their parts or derivatives is therefore either banned completely or controlled by means of a permitting system. Due to increasing international trade in bushmeat and its impact on listed species, the Department raised the issue within CITES in April 2000. We were successful in our proposal that a CITES Bushmeat Working Group be established, and the Department provided £55,000 towards this. To support the group's work we have commissioned research to analyse existing knowledge and expertise on the bushmeat trade in west and central Africa, highlight gaps in data and understanding, and make recommendations for further action. We intend presenting the results of this research to the next meeting of the working group. The CITES conference taking place in November 2002 will assess the group's progress and consider any further action required.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the extent of the trade of bushmeat into the United Kingdom. [25810]

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Mr. Morley: Many animals hunted and traded as bushmeat are listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Any international trade in these animals, their parts or derivatives is therefore either banned completely or controlled by means of a permitting system. Other animals which may be defined as bushmeat, such as small game animals, may be traded legally under Community rules. Since April last year 1,136 seizures of illegally imported animal products have been made of which 55 have been identified as bushmeat.

British Waterways

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to transfer inland waterway and navigation management from the Environment Agency to British Waterways. [25380]

Mr. Meacher: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Shona McIsaac) on

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20 November 2001, Official Report, column 193W, which explains why we decided that current responsibilities should continue.

Recycled Waste

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collated for each London borough on the proportion of waste that is recycled; and if she will provide information on the proportion of (a) glass, (b) wood, (c) cloth and (d) paper that is recycled. [25822]

Mr. Meacher: The latest data available (for 1999–2000) on the percentage of household waste recycled in each London borough, and in each of the four Joint Waste Disposal Authorities in London, are given in the table. This table also gives the statutory performance standards for the recycling and composting of household waste for each borough.

Data for 2000–01 are currently being collated from local authorities. The Government do not hold this information broken down by material.

Local authority standards and performance data

Household waste recycling (including composting)

1998–99 1999–2000 2003–04 2005–06

Authority Recycling rate⁽⁴⁰⁾^,⁽⁴¹⁾ Recycling rate⁽⁴⁰⁾^,⁽⁴²⁾ BV standard⁽⁴¹⁾ BV standard⁽⁴¹⁾

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham 3 3 10 18

London Borough of Barnet 9 8 18 27

London Borough of Bexley 18 18 33 36

London Borough of Brent 5 6 10 18

London Borough of Bromley 7 13 14 21

London Borough of Camden 11 13 22 33

London Borough of Croydon 14 13 28 36

London Borough of Ealing 10 12 20 30

London Borough of Enfield 9 9 18 27

London Borough of Greenwich 4 4 10 18

London Borough of Hackney 2 2 10 18

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 8 7 16 24

London Borough of Haringey 5 5 10 18

London Borough of Harrow 8 10 16 24

London Borough of Havering 9 ⁽⁴³⁾n/a 18 27

London Borough of Hillingdon 7 11 14 21

London Borough of Hounslow 14 14 28 36

London Borough of Islington 3 2 10 18

London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 11 13 22 33

London Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames 15 18 30 36

London Borough of Lambeth 7 8 14 21

London Borough of Lewisham 4 4 10 18

London Borough of Merton 9 11 18 27

London Borough of Newham 2 3 10 18

London Borough of Redbridge 7 8 14 21

London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames 14 ⁽⁴³⁾n/a 28 36

London Borough of Southwark 3 3 10 18

London Borough of Sutton 16 ⁽⁴⁴⁾— 33 36

London Borough of Tower Hamlets 3 3 10 18

London Borough of Waltham Forest 6 9 12 18

London Borough of Wandsworth 8 7 16 24

North London Waste Authority 6 7 12 18

East London Waste authority 4 3 10 18

West London Waste Authority 9 9 18 27

Western Riverside Waste Authority 8 12 16 24

	Household waste recycling (including composting)
	1998–99	1999–2000	2003–04	2005–06
Authority	Recycling rate⁽⁴⁰⁾^,⁽⁴¹⁾	Recycling rate⁽⁴⁰⁾^,⁽⁴²⁾	BV standard⁽⁴¹⁾	BV standard⁽⁴¹⁾
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham	3	3	10	18
London Borough of Barnet	9	8	18	27
London Borough of Bexley	18	18	33	36
London Borough of Brent	5	6	10	18
London Borough of Bromley	7	13	14	21
London Borough of Camden	11	13	22	33
London Borough of Croydon	14	13	28	36
London Borough of Ealing	10	12	20	30
London Borough of Enfield	9	9	18	27
London Borough of Greenwich	4	4	10	18
London Borough of Hackney	2	2	10	18
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham	8	7	16	24
London Borough of Haringey	5	5	10	18
London Borough of Harrow	8	10	16	24
London Borough of Havering	9	⁽⁴³⁾n/a	18	27
London Borough of Hillingdon	7	11	14	21
London Borough of Hounslow	14	14	28	36
London Borough of Islington	3	2	10	18
London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea	11	13	22	33
London Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames	15	18	30	36
London Borough of Lambeth	7	8	14	21
London Borough of Lewisham	4	4	10	18
London Borough of Merton	9	11	18	27
London Borough of Newham	2	3	10	18
London Borough of Redbridge	7	8	14	21
London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames	14	⁽⁴³⁾n/a	28	36
London Borough of Southwark	3	3	10	18
London Borough of Sutton	16	⁽⁴⁴⁾—	33	36
London Borough of Tower Hamlets	3	3	10	18
London Borough of Waltham Forest	6	9	12	18
London Borough of Wandsworth	8	7	16	24
North London Waste Authority	6	7	12	18
East London Waste authority	4	3	10	18
West London Waste Authority	9	9	18	27
Western Riverside Waste Authority	8	12	16	24

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Household waste recycling (including composting) rates are based on data from the DEFRA Municipal Waste Management Survey.

⁽⁴¹⁾ The best value statutory performance standards for 2003–04 and 2005–06 and baseline recycling/composting rates for 1989–99 were published in "Guidance in Municipal Waste Management Strategies" published by DETR in March 2001.

⁽⁴²⁾ Local authority recycling rates for 1999–2000 are provisional.

⁽⁴³⁾ N/a not available, authority did not respond to 1999–2000 Municipal Waste Management Survey.

⁽⁴⁴⁾ Estimates under review.

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