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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Rural Bus Services

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 427–28W, if she will list the rural authorities and settlements that have a bus service (a) six days, (b) seven days and (c) six/seven days a week. [35226]

Alun Michael: The most comprehensive information about parishes and settlements and the extent to which they have a bus service (a) six days, (b) seven days and (c) six/seven days a week is based on completed parish clerk questionnaire responses to the Countryside Agency's Rural Services Survey. This is information collected in the year 2000 and is available on the Countryside Agency's website at: www.countryside.gov.uk/ruralservices/ index.htm

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It is not possible to provide a list in respect of rural authorities and settlements as requested because the information is not available in the format requested.

It should be noted that a combined list of parishes and settlements in 2000 would be over 14,000 rows long with information from 6,100 parish councils covering 12,200 settlements.

For 1997 information was collected only at parish level by the Rural Development Commission (one of the Countryside Agency's predecessor organisations). It is not readily available in a parish list format.

Suckler Cow Premium

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list, by region, the value of outstanding payments for suckler cow premium. [32618]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 1 February 2002]: The value of claims awaiting payment at 31 January 2002 is as follows:

£

RPA office	Value
Cambridge	2,512,448.00
Carlisle	8,430,340.90
Crewe	3,231,748.40
Exeter	11,613,583.00
Newcastle	1,337,837.70
Northallerton	7,883,602.80
Nottingham	3,234,627.40
Reading	1,895,917.20
Total	40,140,105.40

EAGA

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring and evaluation systems she has in place for measuring the progress of EAGA. [33132]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 February 2002]: EAGA Partnership is one of the two scheme managers for the Government's Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) in England. HEES is marketed as the Warm Front Team and is the Government's main programme for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector.

DEFRA keeps in regular contact with EAGA Partnership. EAGA is set annual performance targets for each of its three regions. This is further broken down into the six catchment areas used by the Government Offices. These targets include: levels of spend per area and the number of householders to be assisted at the £1,000 and £2,000 grant levels. The number of central heating installations, repairs and replacement boilers to be fitted are also incorporated into the annual targets.

Monthly performance reports assess delivery against targets and covers issues such as customer care and heating capacity. This process is further strengthened by the use of an external contractor, White Young Green, to biannually audit both HEES scheme managers quality control systems.

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Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on what procedures EAGA have for developing liaison with (a) energy advice offices at local level and (b) installers, with particular reference to warm zones. [33131]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 February 2002]: EAGA Partnership, is one of the two scheme managers for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). It works with the Energy Efficiency Advice Centres (EEACs) throughout England to promote the benefits of the scheme. A number of EEACs undertake the initial home survey where a client's eligibility for assistance under HEES is assessed. The surveyor also recommends the appropriate insulation and heating measures to be installed. The advice centres use EAGA's publicity materials to promote the scheme. EAGA is working to further strengthen its partnership links with EEACs to assist in the delivery of the scheme.

HEES installers are appointed by the scheme managers through open competition following UK Public Procurement Rules and Regulations. Appointments are made on the basis of ability to meet the technical and quality requirements of the scheme and the price tendered. Installers' catchment areas may include areas covered by The Warm Zones pilot initiatives. A number of installers work with EAGA in these areas to refer potential clients to the scheme and are required to follow a code of practice on customer care.

Aggregates Tax

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ensure that moneys from the aggregates tax sustainability fund are used to support projects in areas where quarrying has the greatest environmental impact. [27839]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 January 2002]: Consultation on how to distribute the sustainability fund in England ended on 27 November 2001. We are currently reflecting on all the issues raised by the consultation, and decisions on the final shape and distribution of the fund are expected to be made soon.

Recycling Plants

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member states have implemented EC Regulation 2037/2000; and if she will list the commencement date in each case. [32057]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 31 January 2002]: EC Regulations are directly applicable in all member states, once they enter into force they form part of the law in each member state. EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 applied from 1 October 2000. The provisions relating to the management of waste domestic refrigeration equipment came into effect on 1 January 2002.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in her Department are engaged in ensuring the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000. [32059]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 31 January 2002]: Five officials (the equivalent of approximately two full- time posts) are engaged in ensuring the implementation

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of the regulation with regard to the manufacture, use, trade and export of ozone depleting substances. A further six officials (the equivalent of approximately three full-time posts) are engaged on the waste management aspects of the regulation.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has had with outside bodies regarding the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000; when they took place; and who was present on each occasion. [32060]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 31 January 2002]: I have not met with outside bodies regarding this matter. However, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment met with a number of electrical retailers on Thursday 24 January—those present at the meeting included representatives from Dixon Group plc, RETRA (Radio Electrical and Television Retailers Association) and Kingfisher plc. There have also been a number of official level meetings with representatives from local authorities, the commercial refrigeration sector, electrical retailers, the voluntary sector, trade associations, and waste management companies too.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress towards meeting the recycling targets of EC Regulation 2037/2000. [32061]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 31 January 2002]: EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 does not contain specific targets for recycling. However, there are a number of options for dealing with waste fridges including re-use, export to other member states for treatment, disposal in the UK via high temperature incineration and storage pending treatment in the UK. Investors are in the process of providing a network of new recycling facilities in the United Kingdom. I understand that the first new facilities are likely to be operational in the spring.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish detailed specifications for the design and construction of recycling plants to meet the obligations of EC Regulation 2037/2000. [32058]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 31 January 2002]: Draft standards for the extraction of ozone depleting substances from waste refrigeration equipment were issued in early December. These standards are currently being finalised by the Environment Agency and will be published shortly. All plant will need to meet these standards, but other decisions regarding the design and construction of recycling plants are matters for companies investing in these facilities.

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