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Energy Efficiency
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage improvement of energy efficiency is of each Governmental department from 1990 levels; and whether these improvements are in line with the objectives laid out in the Model Policy Statement for Greening Government Operations. [45790]
Mr. Meacher: Details of the improvements in departmental energy efficiency for Government Departments for the years between 1990–91 and 1999–2000 can be found in Tables 1 to 4 of Part 2 of the Greening Government Third Annual Report 2001. Copies are available via: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/gm2001/part2/search.asp?choose Section=5.1 or in the Library of the House. For convenience the relevant data, without the footnotes, are reproduced in Tables 1 to 3. Positive figures represent an improvement in performance.
Data for 2000–01 will be published in the next Green Ministers Report in Autumn 2002.
The Government's targets to achieve a 20 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency over 1990 levels by 31 March 2000 was included within Objective 7(a) of the Model Policy Statement for Greening Government Operations. Until 1998–99, steady progress had been made towards meeting the targets with an overall improvement of around 19 per cent. compared with 1990. In 1999–2000, however, performance slipped back to an overall improvement of around 17 per cent. compared with 1990. Paragraphs 5.7 and 5.8 of the Greening Government Third Annual Report 2001 give a fuller explanation of this situation. Copies are available via http://www.sustainable-development.gov. uk/gm2001/part1/05a.htm or in the Library of the House. Government Estate Energy Efficiency Performance 1990–91 to 1999–2000
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| MoD Department or Agency | Adjusted for estate size changes and weather correction 1999–2000 Percentage |
|---|---|
| Civil | 0 |
| Navy | 33 |
| Army | 20 |
| RAF | 22 |
| Procurement Executive | –7 |
| DERA | –4 |
| MOD Total | 21.1 |
| Adjusted for estate size changes and weather correction 1999–2000 Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Civil Departments Total | 8.3 |
| MoD Total | 21.1 |
| Civil and MoD Total | 17.1 |
Environmentally and Socially Responsible Investment
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Government have taken to encourage environmentally and socially responsible investments in least developed countries. [46561]
Mr. Meacher: There is an increasing understanding by institutional investors and financial service providers of the benefits of environmentally and socially responsible investment. The demand for more disclosure by investors on social and environmental policy has been stimulated by the disclosure requirements of the 2000 amendment to the Pension Act, and the debate about replicating these requirements in other areas.
The Department has taken the lead in working with the UK financial services sector on the "London Principles—finance and insurance for sustainable development". The Principles encompass three key areas: pricing asset and exercising ownership; providing new finance; and risk management. The Principles will be launched later this year as part of the UK's contribution to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. We hope that they will serve as a model for resolutions on financial sustainability at the World Summit.
11 Apr 2002 : Column 595W
We and the Department for International Development are also working with the FORGE consortium of banks and insurance companies to develop management and reporting guidelines on corporate social responsibility for the sector, to follow up on their environmental management guidelines published last year.
The Department for International Development has also undertaken several studies and consultations to identify those tools which most effectively encourage equitable and sustainable investment in developing countries, and the best ways to mainstream them in the investment community. An example is the Just Pensions project which is concerned with encouraging trustees to use their influence to persuade fund managers to invest in socially responsible investment.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the diseases and infections for which imported livestock is checked; and how many (a) positive results, (b) negative results and (c) dangerous contacts were identified through livestock tests in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [45841]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Livestock are inspected by an official veterinarian of the exporting country immediately prior to export in order to certify that the animals are free of the diseases mentioned in the export health certificate.
Post import checks on livestock are carried out for the following diseases and exposure to infections:
- Cattle
- Foot and Mouth Disease;
- Enzootic bovine leucosis;
- Brucellosis;
- Warble fly; and
- Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
- Sheep and goats
- Contagious agalactia;
- Brucella ovis;
- Brucella melitensis;
- Bluetongue.
- Pigs
- Aujeszky's disease;
- Swine vesicular disease;
- Classical swine fever.
- Other ungulates
- Trypanosoma;
- Caprine arthritis-encephalitis syndrome;
- Internal and external parasites;
- Leptospirosis;
- Johnes's disease;
- Malignant catarrhal fever;
- Piroplasmosis;
- Yersiniosis.
Tests for other diseases may additionally be made if the veterinarian carrying out the post-import check suspects the presence of other diseases.
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The total number of positive test results on livestock imported into Great Britain for the period 22 March 2001 to 21 March 2002 was 14.
The total number of negative test results on livestock imported into Great Britain for the period 22 March 2001 to 21 March 2002 was 11,207.
No figures are available for dangerous contacts but all suspicious animals are isolated and placed under movement restriction.
All figures are provisional and subject to change.
Job No: CW0126 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator Number 3. Date: 11/04/02
Unpaid Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names of the unpaid advisers appointed by her and her predecessors since June 1997, stating in each case (a) the date of their appointment, (b) the duration of their appointment and (c) the project or projects on which they have been engaged. [43385]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 25 March 2002]: For details of unpaid appointments made by this Department to task forces, review groups and other ad hoc advisory groups, I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Christopher Leslie) on 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 958W.
Genetically Modified Crops
Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the interested parties with whom she discussed the measures necessary to allow for practical co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. [46623]
Mr. Meacher: DEFRA officials have had preliminary discussions on this issue with the National Farmers Union, the Soil Association, the National Consumers Council, the British Retail Consortium, national bee-keeping groups, Organic Farmers and Growers Limited, the Food and Drink Federation and the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops.
Organic Farming
Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the change in the external costs of agriculture which would be achieved if 30 per cent. of all agricultural land in the UK was converted to organic.[46625]
Mr. Morley: It is not possible to make reliable estimates of the reduction in the external costs of agriculture arising from organic farming, however, the Department has commissioned the University of Cambridge to carry out an evaluation of the "Organic Farming Scheme" which will provide information on the environmental impacts of the scheme. We expect this to be completed in April 2002 and it will be published on the Department's website.
11 Apr 2002 : Column 597W
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what powers the proposed new advisory body on organic standards will have; [48056]
- (2) what plans she has to disband the UK register of organic standards; what it will be replaced by; with whom she has held discussions on her proposals; and what representations she has received from the Food Standards Agency on the UK register of organic standards; [48054]
(3) what powers the proposed new UK accreditation service will have in respect of organic standards; [48057]
(4) what representations she has received from organic producers on her proposals to disband the UK register of organic standards. [48055]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The consultation period on the Quinquennial Review of the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) ended on 31 March. A summary of responses will be available shortly and will be placed on the Department's website www.defra.gov.uk. The Government has made no proposals on whether the Review's conclusions should be accepted, and no decisions have been taken.
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