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Greenhouse Gases
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in terms of million tonnes of carbon, were in (a) 1990 and (b) 2001; and if she will make a statement on whether the United Kingdom is on course to meet its emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. [63185]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 20 June 2002]: The UK is still on course to achieve its Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2008–12.
In 1990, the UK's emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol were 204.9 million tonnes of carbon (MtC). The emissions data for 2001 are still being collected and analysed. My Department plans to publish it in April next year. In 2000, the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions were 177.9 MtC, which is about 13.2 per cent below 1990 levels.
A provisional estimate for CO2 emissions alone in 2001, based on energy use, was published by the DTI in March in its Energy Trends Publication. That estimate of 154 MtC, which would be a slight increase on the previous year, caused by higher emissions from power
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stations due to increased coal burn and colder outside temperatures, is about 5 per cent below the level of the UK's CO2 emissions in 1990 of 161.6 MtC.
Recycling
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to publish guidance to local authorities on the best means of collecting and recycling (a) plastic bottles and (b) cardboard boxes; and if she will make a statement. [62272]
Mr. Morley: We have no plans to publish guidance to local authorities on the best means for collecting and recycling plastic bottles or cardboard boxes. It is for individual local authorities to decide how best to deliver recycling in their area, taking account of local circumstances and the contractual arrangements for the recyclate.
However, WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) is in the initial stages of producing Best Practice Guidance, on collection methods, for local authorities.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the Warm Front Scheme in (a) delivering health benefits to recipients, (b) reaching people who are defined to be living in fuel poverty, (c) reducing levels of fuel poverty and (d) reducing excess winter deaths. [63118]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 20 June 2002]: We will carry out a review of Warm Front during this financial year to look how its delivery has been, the issues faced, solutions found, examples of best practice and future priorities. This will include consideration of the impact of Warm Front on reducing the number of vulnerable fuel poor households and benefits to those assisted.
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to consult on her proposed revisions to the Fuel Poverty Strategy; and if she will make a statement. [60713]
Mr. Meacher: We plan to consult shortly on a clarificatory statement to the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.
Committee Mandates
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on bathing water is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [62919]
Mr. Meacher: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow), on 21 May 2002, Official Report, column 184W. No date has been set for the next meeting.
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UK representation can vary according to the agenda for each meeting and may include members of the Scottish Executive and other devolved Administrations where there are items of sufficient interest. A member of the Scottish Executive has attended both the meetings held over the past 12 months.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee on the Directive on packaging and packaging waste is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [62917]
Mr. Meacher: The mandate of the Committee on the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC) is advisory in the terms laid down in Article 21 of the Directive as follows:
- The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgent of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
(a) The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee.
If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if not opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.
The Article 21 Committee has met four times over the last 12 months and is next due to meet on 10 July 2002. The DTI has lead responsibility for representatives, along with DEFRA, and officials from both Departments are present at most meetings. All the devolved Administrations are kept fully informed of the work of the Committee and may send experts to the meetings if they wish.
Noise Forum
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to make publicly available the publications issued by the Government and on behalf of the Government which were distributed at the United Kingdom Noise Forum's inaugural conference on 20 May. [62570]
Mr. Meacher: These were placed on the DEFRA website http://defraweb/environment/noise/research.htm on 20 May 2002.
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Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the press was excluded from the United Kingdom Noise Forum's inaugural conference. [62572]
Mr. Meacher: Attendance at the Conference was by invitation only. The Conference held three separate workshops in the afternoon, which sought to generate ideas and solutions, which could assist Government in considering different ways in which to tackle the different problems noise cause. It was felt that it would be inappropriate for the press to be present during these sessions as this might have prevented fully frank and open discussions. However, the press attended the Conference at 4.00pm both to listen to my statement to the Conference and the summaries that arose from the workshops.
Packaging Waste
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure a swift conclusion to the debate in Europe on the review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC); and if she will introduce interim targets for recovery and recycling over the next three years in advance of new EU targets. [62362]
Mr. Meacher: The Government are fully involved in the negotiations in Europe on the review of the EC Directive on packaging and packaging waste. It has always been the UK Government's policy in these negotiations to urge a swift conclusion to the debate on the targets for the next 5-year period.
It is my intention to consult this year on interim business recovery and recycling targets for 2003 and 2004.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government intends to take to ensure that the requirements of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 are uniformly enforced across the UK. [62364]
Mr. Meacher: I will be looking, with my colleagues in the devolved Administrations, at the Regulations to see whether there are any amendments needed to ensure the most effective functioning of the UK's packaging waste recovery system. Any changes the Government propose to make will be included in a consultation paper to be issued this summer.
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