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Marine Environment
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what extra resources her Department will provide to meet the objectives of the Government's Marine Stewardship report. [55767]
Mr. Meacher: The Marine Stewardship report contains a range of initiatives for the conservation and sustainable development of the marine environment. Sustainable development is an overarching theme for the 2002 Spending Review. The review is due to conclude in the summer.
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether spatial planning of the marine environment will take account of the review of regulations affecting development in coastal waters. [56046]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 15 May 2002]: We will certainly want to take account of the findings of the review in developing the role of spatial planning for the marine environment.
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Hinkley Point A
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of nuclear waste will be created as a result of Hinkley Point A power station in Somerset; and what plans she has to dispose of this waste. [56028]
Mr. Meacher: While it was operational the station gave rise to intermediate and low-level wastes and spent fuel which was sent to Sellafield for reprocessing. The station is in the defuelling stage which will give rise to further spent fuel and intermediate-level wastes. In due course the station will be decommissioned and this will give rise to further intermediate and low-level waste. Intermediate-level waste is stored on the Hinkley Point A site. Low-level waste is disposed of at the Drigg facility in Cumbria.
The Department and the devolved Administrations issued a consultation paper in September 2001 on "Managing Radioactive Waste Safely" as part of a process for developing policy on the future long-term management of radioactive waste. The responses to that consultation exercise are currently being considered.
Pollution
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to take to tackle diffuse pollution from (a) agricultural sources and (b) other sources. [56551]
Mr. Meacher: DEFRA is currently considering how best to tackle diffuse pollution of water, caused by agriculture, transport and urban development. We are carrying out a cross-cutting review of agricultural diffuse pollution, and expect an interim outcome from this process to inform our forthcoming sustainable agriculture strategy. The review is taking an evidence-based approach to the problem assessing the nature of the problem, including the impact of major pollutants such as phosphates, nitrates and microbial contamination, learning from wider international experience. We are also considering what additional measures, such as regulation, economic instruments, voluntary measures and awareness-raising, may be required in the future to tackle both agricultural and urban diffuse pollution, in order to implement the water framework directive.
Landfill Sites
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when her Department will publish interim and final results from studies on possible health effects associated with landfill sites; [56850]
- (2) what assessment her Department has made of the implications for landfill sites in UK of the Eurohazcon study on landfill sites throughout Europe; [56851]
(3) what studies her Department is sponsoring to investigate possible health effects associated with landfill sites. [56849]
Mr. Meacher: Following a European study (the first Eurohazcon study) published in 1998 that reported a 33 per cent. higher rate of non-chromosomal anomalies among people living near hazardous waste sites, the Government commissioned a programme of work on
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health effects of landfill sites including a much more extensive national study by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU); this was published in the summer 2001.
The SAHSU study found that 80 per cent. of the population lives within 2 kilometres of a landfill site (operational or closed). The SAHSU study looked at the rates of all birth defects (chromosomal and non- chromosomal) and found only a slightly higher rate (1 per cent.) in populations living near landfill sites and a 7 per cent. higher rate near hazardous waste sites. The Government's expert advisory committee, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, noted that this excess risk was small and could be accounted for by factors other than the landfill sites. The study has not shown, nor indeed could it show, a causal link between landfill sites and birth defects.
Earlier this year a second Eurohazcon study was published. The study investigated the rates of certain birth defects (chromosomal anomalies) around 23 European hazardous waste landfill sites, including 12 sites in Great Britain. It found a 41 per cent. higher rate of chromosomal anomalies close to sites (0 to 3km) compared to further away (3 to 7km).
The major difference between the two studies is the scale. The Eurohazcon study looked at populations around 23 landfills spread right across Europe, whereas the SAHSU study looked at populations within 2km of 9,565 sites (80 per cent. of the British population) of which 774 were known to take hazardous waste. The SAHSU study was therefore much more comprehensive. As such the results are less likely to be skewed by the pattern of birth defects surrounding any individual landfill site.
Both the SAHSU and Eurohazcon reports have recommended further work and DEFRA, the Department of Health and the Environment Agency have a considerable amount of work planned or under way. A great deal is already known about the general make-up of gases that are emitted from landfill sites. However, better information is needed on the substances present in very low concentrations in landfill emissions and the levels of exposure experienced by people living near to landfills. To obtain this information, research is currently under way to analyse over 12 months the emissions from municipal landfills. This monitoring study will provide information on which to make a more informed assessment of the likelihood of landfill sites posing a risk to health. The work will be completed next summer and published as soon as possible thereafter.
This Department hosted a seminar on 15 May 2002 to consider where there are gaps in the research on health impacts of all waste management options and to help prioritise future research. There are no risk-free options but conducting such research will allow local authorities and others to make more informed choices about the range, type and location of facility they wish to operate.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (habitat) is; how many times
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it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56804]
Mr. Meacher: The Habitats Committee is established by Article 20 of the EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EC) to assist the European Commission in measures to implement the directive.
Two meetings of the Habitats Committee have taken place in the last twelve months. UK representation usually consists of an official from my Department and a scientific adviser from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Officials from the devolved Administrations have also occasionally attended in the past.
The items currently under consideration by the committee are:
- adoption and protection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs);
selection of projects to be funded under LIFE (Nature), Council Regulation 1655/2000;
needs and opportunities for co-funding of site management measures (article 8);
species protection measures (article 12);
monitoring of conservation status;
raising awareness of the Natura 2000 network;
application of the directive in the marine zone, including the directive's extension by member states beyond their territorial waters;
forestry;
implications of enlargement, including discussions with candidate countries on proposed modification of the annexes of the directive in light of future enlargement of EU, and the participation of accession countries in the Committee.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on conservation of wild birds (ORNIS) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56803]
Mr. Meacher: The ORNIS Committee assists the European Commission in an advisory capacity on a wide range of issues concerning implementation of the EC Wild Birds Directive and has a regulatory role under article 16 of the Directive considering adaptations of the Annexes to the Directive.
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One meeting of the ORNIS Committee has taken place in the last twelve months, on 15 June 2001. UK representation usually consists of an official from my Department and a scientific adviser from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Officials from the devolved administrations have also occasionally attended in the past.
The European Commission meets the travel and subsistence costs of one UK representative at each ORNIS Committee meeting but, in addition to travel costs of any further UK representatives, the cost to public funds of the Committee's work includes policy, scientific and practical conservation work undertaken by my Department, the devolved administrations and the statutory conservation agencies, contributing to the UK's implementation of the EC Wild Birds Directive. It would therefore be of disproportionate cost to try to separately identify the cost to public funds of the ORNIS Committee's work.
Recent issues which have been considered by the Committee include:
- definition and overview of pre-nuptial and reproduction periods of huntable species
progress and perspective for classification of Special Protection Areas
progress in discussions with candidate countries on proposed modification of the Annexes of the Directive in light of future enlargement of EU
sustainable hunting initiative
action plans for endangered species listed in Annex I of the Directive
list of bird species covered by Article 1 of the directive
use of lead shot.
Mr. Meacher: This committee, established by article 21 of the Directive, has never met. Therefore the question of UK representation has not been addressed, no items are under consideration and it has not drawn on public funds. The role of the Committee, when it meets, will be to assist the Commission, mainly with technical matters relating to the Directive.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Directive on the incineration of hazardous waste is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56726]
Mr. Meacher: Article 15 of Directive 94/67/EC on the incineration of hazardous waste provides for a committee to assist the European Commission with the adaptation to technical progress of the provisions of Article 10 to 12
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and Annexes I to III of that Directive. There have been no meetings of this committee in the last 12 months and there are no items currently under its consideration.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Directive concerning integrated pollution prevention and control is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56727]
Mr. Meacher: Article 19 of Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control ("IPPC") provides for a committee to assist with the establishment and maintenance by the European Commission of an inventory of the principal emissions and sources responsible from among the member states' industrial installations covered by that Directive.
The Committee is currently considering the technical requirements for the establishment of the inventory, which will be known as the European Pollutant Emissions Register ("EPER"). It has met once in the last 12 months. The UK is represented by one official from my Department, assisted by another from the Environment Agency. Travel costs for the official are met by the European Commission. Subsistence costs amount to about £100 per meeting. Work in preparation for the meetings forms part of the general work of the Department on IPPC and cannot readily be separated and costed.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of the Directive on procedures for the surveillance and monitoring of environments concerned by waste from the titanium dioxide industry is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56825]
Mr. Meacher: The role of the Committee is to decide on amendments to parameters listed in the annexes to the Directive. There have been no meetings of the Committee over the last 12 months. The UK would usually be represented by an official from my Department. The annual cost of the work includes the time taken to prepare for and attend meetings and the travel and subsistence costs incurred. Specific information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost. There are no matters currently under consideration.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress and the implementation of the Directive on the control of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions resulting from the storage of petrol and its distribution from terminals to service stations is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration;
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if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56815]
Mr. Meacher: The role of the Committee is to decide on amendments to technical measures described in the annexes to the Directive. There have been no meetings of the Committee over the last 12 months. The UK would usually be represented by an official from my Department. The annual cost of the work includes the time taken to prepare for and attend meetings and the travel and subsistence costs incurred. Specific information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost. There are no matters currently under consideration.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress and implementation of the directive on urban waste-water treatment is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56800]
Mr. Meacher: The mandate of the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive Regulatory Committee is to assist the European Commission's work relating to implementation of the directive and to its adaptation to technical progress.
The Committee has generally met once a year with the last meeting held on 20 February 2001.
Four representatives are permitted from each member state. DEFRA is the lead Department for the United Kingdom with devolved authority representatives involved as appropriate. DEFRA will field two officials and the Scottish Executive one official for the next meeting. The Commission pays for one representative to attend from each member state. Additional experts from the UK cost between £300 and £400 per representative per meeting.
Items for discussion at the next meeting, to be held on 3 June next month, will include: progress with the provision of information for the third Commission report on member state progress with implementation of the directive; discussion of the second such report published in November 2001; discussion of provision of required treatment standards for small to medium-sized sewage works by the directive deadline of 2005; discussion of infringement procedures being taken against member states and guidelines for extensive treatment systems.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the directive on methods of measurement of sampling and analysis of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the member states is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56796]
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Mr. Meacher: This Committee has not met over the last 12 months. The question of current UK representation has not been addressed, no items are under consideration and it has not drawn on public funds. The role of the Committee, if it should meet, is set out in Article 9 of the directive. Its purpose is to take account in particular of alterations in the levels of the parameters specified in the directive.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of the decision establishing a common procedure for the exchange of information on the quality of surface fresh water in the Community is; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56799]
Mr. Meacher: This Committee has not met for more than five years. Therefore the question of current UK representation has not been addressed, no items are under consideration and it has not drawn on public funds in the last five years. The role of the Committee, if it should meet, is set out in Article 8 of the decision (Council decision 77/795/EEC, OJ L334, 24.12.1977, p29). It is to give its opinion on any measures proposed by the Commission which are necessary to adapt the decision's provisions to technical progress.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Management Committee on application of the directive on the standardisation and rationalisation of reports on the implementation of certain directives relating to the environment is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56802]
Mr. Meacher: This Committee has not met for more than five years. Therefore the question of current UK representation has not been addressed, no items are under consideration and it has not drawn on public funds in the last five years. The role of the Committee, if it should meet, is set out in Article 6 of the Council directive 91/692/EEC (OJ L 377, 31.12.1991, p 48). It is to give its opinion on any measures proposed by the Commission which are necessary to adapt the directive's provisions to technical or scientific progress.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee for the implementation of the directive on the limitation of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56817]
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Mr. Meacher: The role of the Advisory Committee is to assist the Commission with matters on which it is required to take a decision under the provisions of the directive such as reviewing the progress of member states and on the format of reports. There was one meeting of the committee over the last 12 months at which the UK was represented by an official from my Department. That meeting considered the format of reports required under the directive; there are no matters currently under consideration. The annual cost of the work includes the time taken to prepare for and attend meetings and the travel and subsistence costs incurred. Specific information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Management Committee for the control and production of substances that deplete the ozone layer (SAO) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56730]
Mr. Meacher: The Management Committee was established under Article 18 of EC Regulation 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The regulation that enforces the European Union's obligations under the Montreal Protocol. The committee's mandate is to assist the European Commission with implementation of the various controls in the regulation. It was established by Council Decision 1999/468/EC.
The committee has met twice in the last 12 months. The UK is usually represented by two officials from my Department and one from the Department of Trade and Industry, although officials from other Government Departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, have also attended meetings when items pertinent to their responsibilities were under discussion. The costs incurred by my Department in contributing to the committee's work are largely travel and subsistence costs of about £930 per meeting, incurred in attending the two-day meetings in Brussels, and staff costs of about £480 per meeting. In addition to the time spent at the meetings themselves, officials spend a similar amount of time preparing for and reporting back on the meetings.
Items due to be considered by the committee at its next meeting include proposed changes to the critical uses of halon listed in annexe VII of the regulation, a mechanism for setting import quotas of HCFCs from 1 January 2003, and information on critical use procedures for methyl bromide.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56805]
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Mr. Meacher: The Scientific Review Group was set up under the terms of Article 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 to examine scientific questions relating to the application of these regulations. These questions may be raised by the chairman, either on his own initiative or at the request of the members of the group, or by members of the Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora. It is composed of representatives from each member state and the UK is represented on the committee by scientific advisers from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (fauna) and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (flora).
The group has met three times over the last 12 months. The annual cost of its work is relatively small, although detailed figures cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. The items currently under consideration by the committee include:
- Application of Articles 4.1(a)(i) and 4.2(a) of the Regulation—opinions of the SRG on:
procedure for making and transmitting SRG opinions
imports form Madagascar
"Psittacus erithacus"/Nigeria
replies to consultations with third countries on "Phelsuma comorensis"
review of annexe B animals subject to import restrictions
"Amazona aestiva"/Argentina
"Geochelone carbonaria"/Suriname
Export quotas 2002
Private husbandry or reptiles
Coral mariculture and fossil corals
18th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee
12th meeting of the CITES Plants Committee
Preparations for the 12th Conference of CITES Parties
Mortality in transport
Negative effects of captive breeding/artificial propagation operations.
Mr. Meacher: The Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora was set up under the terms of Article 18 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 338–97 to assist the Commission in carrying out the functions set out at Article 19 of the Regulation, relating to the implementation within the Community of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It is composed of representatives from each member state and the UK is represented on the Committee by DEFRA officials.
The Committee has met three times over the last 12 months. The annual cost of its work is relatively small, although detailed figures cannot be provided without
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incurring disproportionate costs. The items currently under consideration by the Committee include:
- Preparations for the 12th Conference of CITES Parties
Imports of mahogany from Brazil
Treatment of vagrant species listed in the European Birds directive
Regulation of trade in primates, rhinos, tigers and bears and parts or derivatives thereof
Status and transmission of SRG opinions
Treatment of ecological threat species
Marking of specimens in trade
Use of transponders
Import of hunting trophies
Annual and biennial reports
Outcome of CITES Committee meetings
Imports of reptiles from Madagascar.
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
This expert Group is mandated directly by article 31 of the Euratom treaty. Three experts in radiation protection matters attend from the UK. The Group has met twice in the last 12 months. It is not possible to calculate the cost to public funds of the work of the committee without incurring disproportionate cost.
The task of the Group is to advise the Commission on the basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiations. Experts are appointed in a personal capacity and therefore do not serve a representative function.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Euratom Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (CST) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56732]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
The Euratom Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee is mandated directly by article 134 of the Euratom Treaty. Five scientific experts attend from the UK. Meetings are held two or three times a year. It is not possible to calculate the cost to public funds of the work of the Committee without incurring disproportionate cost.
The main task of the Committee is to advise the Commission on the nuclear component of the Community's work, in particular the fission and fusion content of its ongoing research programmes. Experts on the Committee are appointed in a personal capacity and
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therefore do not serve a representative function. The Treaty specifically states that they are not to be bound by mandatory instructions.
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