| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Bio-security
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) food imports and (b) livestock imports were impounded or refused entry to the UK on the grounds of bio-security in each of the last five years. [43565]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 15 March 2002]: The information below relates to consignments of products of animal origin correctly presented at border inspection posts from non-EU countries but rejected because they did not fully meet import requirements. The reason for rejection is not recorded. Information on other imported food and products of animal origin from other EU member States is not held centrally.
| Year | Percentage of imported food of animal origin rejected |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1.7% (790 rejected out of 45,842) |
| 1998 | 2.0% (994 rejected out of 49,152) |
| 1999 | 2.3% (1,004 rejected out of 42,900) |
| 2000 | 2.8% (1,274 rejected out of 44,616) |
| January to November 2001 | 3.9% (1,690 rejected out of 43,597) |
In addition, since April 2001, we have been advised of 1,183 seizures of illegally imported products of animal origin. We do not hold figures for the last five years.
The information below relates to imports of livestock into the UK from all EU and non-EU countries which were rejected or detained because they did not fully comply with the import requirements. The information includes birds and poultry but excludes fish and bees since statistics can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The reason for rejection or detention is not recorded.
| Year | Percentage of imported livestock rejected or detained |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 0.02% |
| (852 rejected/detained out of 4,289,874) | |
| 1998 | 0.002% |
| (301 rejected/detained out of 15,340,000) | |
| 1999 | 0.0005% |
| (234 rejected/detained out of 40,450,000) | |
| 2000 | 0.007% |
| (534 rejected/detained out of 7,796,332) | |
| 2001 | 0.005% |
| (374 rejected/detained out of 8,391,686) |
All figures are provisional and subject to change.
Transitional Derogations
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report,
26 Mar 2002 : Column 828W
column 276W, on Poland, if she will list the transitional derogations relating to agriculture and fisheries upon which Malta and Poland are negotiating with the European Union. [44100]
Mr. Morley: In the fisheries and agriculture negotiations Malta and Poland have put forward a range of requests relating to issues such as access to their waters by other EU vessels, marketing specifications for agricultural products, and to food processing establishments. These are set out in negotiating documents submitted to the Intergovernmental Conference on enlargement. Detailed disclosure is at the discretion of the candidate country.
Negotiations on agriculture are continuing, but fisheries negotiations with all candidates except Malta and Poland have been provisionally concluded. Details of the requests provisionally agreed are available on the Commission's website: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/negotiations/chapters/index.htm.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of (a) the average effect on SAP ratings, (b) the average reduction in fuel bills and (c) the energy saving resulting from the measures taken to date of properties subject to the home energy efficiency scheme. [43571]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 March 2002]: Information from the scheme managers indicates that:
- (a) average improvements in SAP ratings for properties receiving grants under the Scheme range from 12–18 points;
- (b) information is not collected on actual reductions in fuel bills. The maximum potential saving is estimated to be in excess of #200 with estimated actual savings, taking account that some of the benefit will be taken in the form of increased thermal comfort, ranging between #110–155;
- (c) the estimated CO2 reduction per property is estimated to be between 1.47–1.89 tonnes/pa.
Hemswell Cliff
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total tonnage is that can be stored in the Hemswell Cliff Cold Stores; and what alternative storage facilities there are in the UK. [44625]
Mr. Morley: The refrigerated storage capacity of Hemswell Cliff Cold Store is 10,000 tonnes spread equally over two sheds. A Government owned cold storage facility at Locharbriggs near Dumfries, capable of holding 5,000 tonnes is also available to the Rural Payments Agency and further commercial storage can be acquired to supplement these facilities as necessary.
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual cost is of providing the refrigerated storage at the Intervention Board facility at Hemswell Cliff. [44627]
Mr. Morley: Hemswell Cliff is one of two Government owned cold stores which are in the process of being sold. The store is currently in care and maintenance mode with average monthly costs of #2,400.
26 Mar 2002 : Column 829W
Annual running costs before decommissioning of the refrigeration plant would have been in the order of #260,000. If product was being stored there would also be receipt, handling and discharge fees payable which would vary according to commodity being stored.
Recycling
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the 2005–06 waste-recycling targets for local waste collection authorities set out in her Department's waste consultation document were arrived at. [44349]
Mr. Meacher: Waste Strategy 200 sets out a commitment to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005. Under the national Public Service Agreement we committed to targets of 17 per cent. household waste recycling/composting by 2003–04 and 25 per cent. by 2005–06.
Taking a baseline of 1998–99 performances, targets for 2003–04 and 2005–06 were calculated for each waste collection and disposal authority in England. 2005–06 targets were calculated as follows:
- authorities with 1998–99 rates of under 6 per cent. should achieve at least 18 per cent. by 2005–06;
- those with 1998–99 rates of between 6 per cent. and 12 per cent. should at least treble their recycling/composting rate by 2005–06;
- the remainder should recycle or compost at least 40 per cent. of household waste by 2005–06.
These standards were proposed in the consultation document XBest Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2001–02" and were implemented in the Best Value Order 2001. Performance standards for individual authorities are detailed in the XGuidance on Municipal Waste Management Strategies" published in March 2001.
Flood Relief
Mr Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what type of waterborne craft were available to the Environment Agency for flood relief purposes in (a) 1998 and (b) 2000; and if she will make a statement. [44705]
Mr. Morley: The information requested is not held centrally by the Environment Agency and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. However, I understand the total number, by region, of waterborne craft currently operated by the Agency available for deployment in an emergency situation is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| North East | 70 |
| Midlands | 54 |
| Southern | 17 |
| Thames | 119 |
| North West | 22 |
| Anglian | 18 |
| South West | 49 |
| EA Wales | 50 |
| Total | 399 |
Additional craft are made available for use in an emergency by bodies such as the RNLI and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
26 Mar 2002 : Column 830W
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which public service agreement targets that are scheduled to be met in 2002 will not be achieved by the due date. [44837]
Mr. Morley: Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department's 2002 Departmental Report.
Registered Fishing Vessels
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many registered fishing vessels there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [45211]
Mr. Morley: The available information is set out below:
| Number | GT * | Power (kW) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 8,667 | 271,875 | 1,054,927 |
| 1997 | 8,458 | 269,726 | 1,026,542 |
| 1998 | 8,271 | 268,803 | 1,006,071 |
| 1999 | 8,039 | 262,777 | 978,644 |
| 2000 | 7,818 | 260,333 | 980,636 |
Source:
RSS and UK Fisheries Department
GT * represents a measure of fleet tonnage, based on International Tonnage Convention 1969, to which the Community fishing fleet is being progressively remeasured. The process should be completed by end 2003. The series gives figures on a consistent basis over the period shown.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |