| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Aquatic Mammals
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the population of (a) grey seals, (b) common-seals and (c) dolphins in the waters around England and Wales. [32597]
Mr. Meacher: In 2000, the grey seal population around England and Wales was estimated at 10,100 individuals and the common seal population of eastern England (few breed elsewhere in England and Wales) was estimated to be between approximately 3,800 and 4,500.
The inshore populations of bottlenose dolphin (primarily off Wales) are estimated at about 160 (not including the Channel Islands). No separate estimate of numbers of other dolphins in waters around England and Wales has been made, but a 1994 survey of small cetacean abundance in the North Sea and adjacent waters gave an estimated population of white beaked and white sided dolphins of 11,760.
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the trends over the past 20 years in the populations of (a) grey seals, (b) common seals and (c) dolphins in the waters around England and Wales. [32596]
5 Feb 2002 : Column 896W
Mr. Meacher: (a) Surveys carried out by the Natural Environment Research Council for the Home Office and the Scottish Executive over the past 20 years have shown that the British population of breeding grey seals is growing at a rate of about 6 per cent. per annum since 1984. There is considerable variation around this rate of increase at English and Welsh colonies.
(b) The common seal population of eastern England (few breed elsewhere in England and Wales) crashed in 1988 due to an outbreak of phocine distemper virus. Prior to this, the population was over 4,000; in 1989 the numbers approximately halved. It has now recovered to between 3,800 and 4,500.
(c) The majority of the bottlenose dolphin population in English and Welsh waters is located in Cardigan Bay. The population has remained stable over the last decade, with an estimated population of 127 in mid 1990s compared with an estimated 121 in 2000. No assessment has been made of trends of other dolphin populations in the waters around England and Wales.
Marine Law
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government are taking to implement proposals for the comprehensive reform of UK marine law and policy. [32243]
Mr. Meacher: The forthcoming Marine Stewardship report will set out our vision for the sustainable development and conservation of the marine environment. Within this context, and alongside existing initiatives such as the review of marine nature conservation, we are considering whether legislative changes are needed.
Environmental Protection Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many individuals have taken action against (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council under Section 91 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and in how many cases they were successful. [32178]
Mr. Meacher: No individuals have taken action against (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council under Section 91 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Litter
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people in Buckinghamshire were prosecuted for littering in each of the last five years; and in how many cases they were convicted. [32176]
Mr. Meacher: In each of the last five years, no people in Buckinghamshire have been prosecuted for littering offences.
Water Meters
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water
5 Feb 2002 : Column 897W
meters were installed in houses (a) in England and Wales and (b) in the Buckingham constituency in each of the last five years. [32186]
Mr. Meacher: The net increase in the number of household customers charged on the basis of metering in each of the past five years, in England and Wales, was as shown in the table.
| Net increase in household customers charged on the basis of metering(26) | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | (27)278,000 |
| 1997–98 | 559,000 |
| 1998–99 | 486,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 353,000 |
| 2000–01 | 244,000 |
(26) To the nearest thousand
(27) Figures for 1996–97 were not collected on the same basis as for later years.
5 Feb 2002 : Column 898W
Information is not collected on a constituency basis.
Noise/nuisance Complaint
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) noise and (b) nuisance complaints were investigated by (i) Buckinghamshire county council and (ii) Aylesbury Vale district council in each year since 1997; what proportion of reported complaints this represented; how many abatement notices were issued in each year; and how many fines were levied for non-compliance in each year. [32173]
Mr. Meacher: Buckinghamshire county council do not have responsibility for investigating or reporting noise complaints as this rests with the district councils within its area. Figures requested for Aylesbury Vale district council are shown in the table.
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02(28) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of complaints received (including pest control) | 4,171 | 4,698 | 5,022 | 6,437 | 4,648 |
| Number of Pest Control Complaints | 2,301 | 3,018 | 2,850 | 3,855 | 2,367 |
| Number of Nuisance Complaints | 380 | 356 | 312 | 349 | 239 |
| Proportion of total complaints (percentage) | 9.1 | 7.6 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Number of Noise Complaints | 531 | 410 | 531 | 683 | 639 |
| Proportion of total complaints (percentage) | 12.7 | 8.7 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 13.7 |
| Number of Other Complaints | 959 | 914 | 1,329 | 1,550 | 1,403 |
| Number of Abatement Notices Served | 21 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Number of Fines Levied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(28) To 31 January 2002
Dog Fouling
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fines for dog fouling were issued by (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council in each of the last five years; what the average fine levied in each year was; and what the total sums raised in each year were. [32177]
Mr. Meacher: In each of the last five years there were no fixed penalty fines issued for dog fouling offences by (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council.
Pollution
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many successful prosecutions have been undertaken by the Environment Agency concerning pollution in Buckinghamshire in the last five years; and what was the average level of fine imposed. [32181]
Mr. Meacher: Buckinghamshire is served by two Environment Agency regions, Anglian and Thames.
The Anglian region has successfully undertaken 13 prosecutions in the last five years and fines totalling £366,350 have been imposed averaging £28,180 per prosecution.
Since 1999, the Thames region have taken successful prosecutions on seven occasions and fines of £12,100 have been imposed averaging £1,871 per prosecution. Information on prosecutions in Thames region prior to 1999 is held manually and its retrieval from archives would involve disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints have been received by the Environment Agency concerning pollution in the Buckingham constituency in each year since 1997. [32180]
Mr. Meacher: Since 1 June 2000, the Environment Agency has received 198 complaints about pollution in the Aylesbury Vale district council area, which equates approximately to the Buckingham constituency. Information on earlier complaints is held manually and its retrieval would involve disproportionate cost.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost savings resulting from energy efficiency measures introduced by (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council in accordance with the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995. [32179]
Mr. Meacher: This Department has not made any estimates of the cost savings arising from the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) 1995. Nor is there any requirement for energy conservation authorities to make such an assessment. This would be an extremely difficult exercise, since the financial savings resulting from energy
5 Feb 2002 : Column 899W
saving measures under HECA fall to individual householders through cheaper fuel bills. This information is therefore not readily available.
Buckinghamshire county council does not have any responsibilities under HECA, which applies only to local housing authorities.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |