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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Illegal Logging (Indonesia)
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2002, Official Report, column 1064W, what the timetable is for negotiations with Indonesia to tackle illegal logging and associated trade; and when agreement will be reached. [53757]
Mr. Meacher: The Governments of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Indonesia signed on 18 April 2002 a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation to improve Forest Law Enforcement and Governance and to combat illegal logging and the international trade in illegally logged timber and timber products. We are placing a copy of the Memorandum in the Library of the House.
Farming
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments were made in each of the last five years broken down by (a) scheme, (b) county and (c) farm size, for (i) the countryside stewardship scheme, (ii) arable stewardship (up to 2000), (iii) the energy crops scheme, (iv) the environmentally sensitive areas, (v) the farm woodland premium scheme, (vi) the hill farm allowance scheme, (vii) the organic farming scheme, (viii) the woodland grant scheme, (ix) the processing and marketing grant, (x) the rural enterprise scheme and (xi) the vocational training scheme. [54476]
Alun Michael: The following table shows expenditure on the England Rural Development Programme schemes for the last five years. A further breakdown by county or farm size is not readily available.
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Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total area of genetically modified crops to be grown in the farm scale evaluations in England in 2002 is; and how many trials there are for (a) spring oilseed rape, (b) winter oilseed rape, (c) fodder beet, (d) sugar beet and (e) fodder maize. [54477]
Mr. Meacher: The total area to be grown with GM crops in the farm scale evaluations in England to date is approximately 400 hectares. In autumn 2001, 30 oilseed rape sites were sown. This year, there are 22 spring oilseed rape sites, 33 maize sites, six fodder beet sites and 12 sugar beet sites. The proposed site locations for the 2002 round of winter oilseed rape will be announced later this year.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the data from the farm-scale evaluations of GM crops will be available for the advisers in ACRE and ACP; and when she will publish the data. [54986]
Mr. Meacher: Data from the farm-scale evaluations will be available to this Department, to advisers on the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, and the wider public generally, once we have received the advice of the scientific steering committee overseeing the progress and publication of the ecological studies and the results are published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This is anticipated to be in the summer of 2003 for spring-sown crops (spring-sown oilseed rape, maize and beet) and in summer 2004 for winter-sown oilseed rape.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will announce her decision on the proposals put forward by the Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology Commission for public debate on the possible commercialisation of GM Crops. [54984]
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Mr. Meacher: The Government welcome the AEBC's advice on the proposal for a public debate on the possible commercialisation of GM crops. AEBC has provided an important contribution which the Government are considering. We will announce our response as soon as possible.
Sustainable Environmental Schemes
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to HM Treasury in advance of the Comprehensive Spending Review on funding to assist the transition from direct subsidies to sustainable environmental schemes; and if she will make a statement. [54488]
Mr. Meacher: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has submitted advice and proposals to my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Andrew Smith), as he is in charge of other spending Departments. The proposals are consistent with the Government's policy of promoting a sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming industry. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced in Parliament in due course.
Waste Regulations
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what levels of (a) business packaging waste recovery and (b) business packaging recycling in the United Kingdom were in each year since 1997; what assessment has been made of how the United Kingdom compares with Europe; and if she will make a statement. [54828]
Mr. Meacher: Packaging waste recovery and recycling achieved by businesses obligated under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) from 1997 to 2001 was as follows:
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | (1)n/a | 1,894,086 | 1,820,732 | 1,880,414 | 2,030,944 |
| Glass | — | 503,800 | 582,577 | 715,037 | 735,594 |
| Aluminium | — | 14,517 | 15,402 | 16,299 | 29,030 |
| Steel | — | 182,409 | 225,216 | 238,668 | 278,079 |
| Plastic | — | 125,539 | 198,461 | 204,430 | 269,962 |
| Wood | — | 170,000(1) | 94,000(1) | 296,437 | 573,951 |
| Alt. evidence | — | — | — | — | 30,741 |
| Total recycling | — | 2,890,351 | 3,084,296(2) | 3,351,285 | 3,917,560 |
| Percentage | (2)27 | 28 | 33.5 | 36.5 | 42 |
| EfW | — | 448,354 | 496,269 | 500,047 | 513,939 |
| Total recovery | 3,338,705 | 3,506,611 | 3,851,332 | 4,462,240 | |
| Percentage | (2)30 | 33 | 38 | 42 | 48 |
| Tonnes in waste stream | — | 10,240,000 | 9,189,981 | 9,179,981 | 9,313,900 |
(1) Breakdown by material not available for 1997
(2) Approximate
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The UK's current recovery and recycling rates of 48 per cent. and 42 per cent. have been achieved in the four years from 1998 to 2001. Other member states began focusing on packaging waste recovery/recycling in the early 1990s. A number of them have achieved much higher recovery/ recycling rates while others remain close to or just above the UK rate.
Figures from the European Commission show the following recovery and recycling rates for European Union member states in 1998.
| Recovery rate | Recycling rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 70 | 65 |
| Belgium | 73 | 64 |
| Denmark | 89 | 50 |
| France | 56 | 45 |
| Germany | 67 | 65 |
| Italy | 35 | 28 |
| Netherlands | 62 | 62 |
| Spain | 37 | 34 |
| Sweden | 68 | 61 |
| UK | 33 | 28 |
Source:
European Commission
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps her Department is taking to review the notice period on annual targets under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997; and if she will make a statement; [54802]
- (2) for what reason the targets for packaging and packaging waste for 2002 did not appear until 19 March; when she expects to publish targets for 2003; and if she will make a statement. [54843]
Mr. Meacher: We make every effort to publish the annual targets for recovery and recycling of packaging waste as early in the year as possible. Businesses have an opportunity to plan on the basis of the proposals and analysis in the consultation exercise carried out in the previous year. However, where the Government do not have the latest relevant packaging data until the end of a year, this means that it is not always possible to decide on the final targets for the following year to our intended timing.
It is too early to say when we might publish targets for 2003. However, it is the Government's intention to consult this year on targets for 2003 and 2004.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has received (a) between September and December 2001 and (b) since 1 January regarding the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997; and if she will make a statement. [54841]
Mr. Meacher: We liaise regularly with industry and receive a good deal of correspondence relating to the packaging Regulations. The period in question covers the consultation exercise undertaken on proposed packaging waste targets for 2002. The consultation document was
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issued in September 2001 and 66 responses were received to this alone. Since January 2002, we have received about 70 letters relating to packaging waste matters.
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