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Ozone Depletion
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the environmental effects which will follow from the use of ozone depleting substances for the eight year period allowed under the EU Regulations on Ozone Depleting Substances. [48074]
Mr. Meacher: Under EU regulation number 2037–2000, the production and use of virgin ozone depleting HCFCs is due to be prohibited in Europe by 2010. In the interim 8-year period, we anticipate that there will be a maximum HCFC emission of 27 thousand ODP (ozone depleting potential) Tonnes in Europe. This is a small figure in comparison to peak emissions of CFCs during the 1980s, which reached a maximum of 435 thousand ODP Tonnes per year, and thus makes a very small addition to the current atmospheric chlorine burden. The additional effect on ozone depletion is likely to be very small relative to other factors which influence the stratosphere. HCFCs have a much smaller impact on ozone depletion than CFCs, which they replace in many applications, and HCFC use until 2010 has allowed a more rapid move away from reliance on CFCs.
Bushmeat
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response her Department has made to the report of Evan Bowen-Jones, David Brown and Elizabeth Robinson entitled "Bushmeat—a Pilot Study". [48149]
Mr. Meacher: Evan Bowen-Jones, David Brown and Elizabeth Robinson submitted their final report on the Government's research project, "Bushmeat—A Pilot Study", in January 2002. The report, entitled "Assessment of the Solution-orientated research needed to promote a more sustainable Bushmeat Trade in Central and West Africa", examines the trade in terms of institutions, policies, biodiversity and livelihoods and sets out principles for further action in promoting more sustainability.
The report is an extremely thorough and useful piece of work. Arrangements have been made for its publication on the Department's website and on the UK's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) website, as well as on that of the Overseas Development Institute. We have drawn it to the attention of key stakeholders—including UNEP's Great Ape Survival Project—through the UK Tropical Forest Forum's Bushmeat Working Group, encouraging them to use it as the basis for further targeted work. We shall also be presenting it to the next meeting of the CITES Bushmeat Working Group later this year, to obtain the maximum engagement of African range states in identifying subsequent actions and taking them forward.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what actions her Department proposes to tackle the trade in bushmeat; [48151]
- (2) what plans she has to raise the subject of the trade in bushmeat internationally. [48150]
Mr. Morley: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 272.
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We have also now published our Action Plan for combating the illegal trade in all meat and animal products, including those commonly referred to as "bushmeat". High priority actions include enhanced co-operation for effective inter-agency enforcement, strengthened intelligence to counter smuggling, increased powers to search for illicit produce and increased public awareness through more publicity.
The Action Plan has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Abandoned Cars
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned cars local authorities have had to remove each year since 1997. [47380]
Mr. Meacher: Information on the number of abandoned vehicles removed by local authorities was collected for the first time in the Department's 2000–01 Municipal Waste Management Survey which should be published in July 2002.
Hazardous Waste (Shoreham Harbour)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 272W, on hazardous waste, on what date the shipment of hazardous waste passed through Shoreham Harbour; and what safety measures were taken. [47559]
Mr. Meacher: The Environment Agency area office report that the waste was offloaded at the port of Shoreham on 27 February 2002.
Safety measures for the carriage of dangerous goods are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive within the UK and the port authority at the point of entry into the UK. The port authority, once informed of the nature of a cargo, will enforce any special measures they deem necessary.
In this case, the Environment Agency local office report that two of their officers visited the port on 27 February 2002 to inspect the waste, and were satisfied that the waste was packaged appropriately. They further report that the waste arrived at its destination facility within 24 hours of being inspected.
Waste Disposal
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to increase provision to local authorities to help combat (a) fly-tipping and (b) abandoned cars. [47379]
Mr. Meacher: The financial pressures on local authorities generated by waste management, including abandoned cars and fly-tipping, will be considered in the course of the current spending review (SR2002).
Local authorities' waste management services are funded through council tax revenue and revenue support from Government via the Environmental Protection and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of funding. The spending review 2000 announced the framework for the Government's support to local authorities for the next three years up to 2003–04. This included an annual
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increase in the revenue support to local authorities for EPCS. By 2003–04 this support will have risen by £1.1 billion over the 2000–01 provision. Consistent with the general local authority financial framework, it is for individual local authorities to decide the proportion of their budget that should be directed to waste management work and what proportion of spending on waste management should go towards areas of work such as combating fly-tipping and abandoned cars.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) individuals and (b) companies since 1997 have been prosecuted for illegal fly-tipping; and if she will make a statement as to the range of penalties imposed. [47378]
Mr. Meacher: Both local authorities and the Environment Agency may prosecute for fly tipping offences. Between 1996 and 2001 the Environment Agency recorded prosecutions for waste offences generally and on a financial year basis. Therefore, this information did not distinguish fly tipping offences from other waste offences. From 2001, data is collected on a calendar year basis and records whether an incident involves the unlawful deposit of waste (breach of section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990), and whether an individual or company is involved. From December 2001 the data now specifically records whether an incident involves fly tipping. The information is as follows:
| Number of prosecutions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prosecutions for general waste offences | ||
| 1996–97 | 241 | |
| 1997–98 | 345 | |
| 1998–99 | 367 | |
| 1999–2000 | 342 | |
| 2000–01 | 439 | |
| Prosecutions under section 33 (1)(a) | ||
| 2001 | (73)234 | |
(73) 196 individuals and 38 companies
No central register is kept of local authorities' prosecutions.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether liquid animal carcases were dumped in the Irish Sea from 1 May 2001 to 28 February 2002; and if she will make a statement. [47050]
Mr. Morley: Liquid animal carcases have never been dumped in the Irish Sea but I can confirm that between 1 May 2001 and 10 December 2001, the leachate from the Watchtree (Great Orton) mass burial site was discharged via a long sea outfall at Workington, into the Irish Sea.
Between 8 April and 15 June, the leachate (including body fluids, the breakdown products of animal carcases and any rainfall or surface water ingress into the pits) was pH adjusted for FMD virus control purposes. The Department installed a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) treatment plant on the site during June and from 15 June all leachate underwent additional primary treatment in the DAF plant before being tankered to Workington. On 2 October the pH adjustment ceased and on 10 December all use of the long sea outfall was stopped.
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Since the 10 December, leachate has been tankered off site and disposed of at suitably licensed sites.
Air Pollution
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department will implement EU requirements to reduce emissions of air pollutants from industrial plant and power stations. [46734]
Mr. Meacher: Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control addresses emissions to all environments from a wide range of industrial plant, including power stations. It is being implemented through the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (SI 1973). Any industrial installation covered by these Regulations which is newly constructed or substantially changed needs a permit from the Environment Agency or, for some smaller installations, from the relevant local authority. These permits will contain pollutant emission limits and other conditions concerning the operation of the installation. Operators of installations which were in existence before 31 October 1999 have to apply for permits according to a timetable for each of the main industrial sectors. This timetable, laid down in Schedule 3 to the Regulations, extends overall to March 2007. Existing power stations, which generally fall into the 'combustion' sector, have until 31 March 2006 to make permit applications under these Regulations.
Directive 1999/13/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations is being implemented by Directions to the Environment Agency, in respect of some plants. The Department expects to consult on draft implementation proposals for other plants later in the year.
Directives 2000/69/EC relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air, 2000/76/EC on the incineration of waste, 2001/80/EC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants, 2001/81/EC on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants, and 2002/3/EC relating to ozone in ambient air have not yet been transposed. The Department expects to consult on draft implementation proposals later in the year.
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