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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 18 December 2002
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Abandoned Vehicles
Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policies to deal with abandoned motor vehicles. [85930]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 17 December 2002]: In October 2001 we published a consultation document on measures to remove abandoned and untaxed vehicles from the streets more quickly and, for the longer term, bring forward changes to vehicle registration and licensing procedures to ensure greater accuracy of DVLA's vehicle record.
Regulations reducing the statutory notice periods after which local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles from the highway and the storage periods for unlicensed vehicles came into force on 9 April. Local authorities can now remove those vehicles that they consider merit destruction from the highway after the expiry of a 24 hour notice placed on them.
We have supported pilot schemes in the London boroughs of Newham and Lewisham in which the local authority was given DVLA's powers to wheelclamp and remove unlicensed vehicles after 24 hours. Following the success of the Newham pilot on 10 April, we announced that all councils who wished could operate in the same way.
In addition, councils have targeted over 6,000 abandoned unlicensed vehicles in multi-agency XOperation Cubits" with over 4,000 vehicles crushed and more operations are planned. To date we estimate that the operations have induced more than 15,700 motorists to relicense their vehicles voluntarily bringing in over #2.3 million in additional revenue.
The Government are currently developing proposals for the reform and modernisation of vehicle registration and licensing, to reduce evasion and to bear down on vehicle crime. In response to the recommendations of a report commissioned by the Department for Transport from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, that Department has established a Modernising Vehicle Registration Implementation Board (MVRIB). This includes representatives of motorists' organisations, the motor trade, the police and the insurance industry to advise on and develop those proposals.
The 2002 Finance Act contained provisions under which the responsibility for licensing and taxing vehicles will be placed on the registered keeper, who will remain liable for doing so until such time that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has properly been notified of a change of keeper. These proposals will also mean that it is not necessary for a vehicle to be detected
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on the road for effective enforcement action to take place. The implementation of these new powers is at the heart of MVRIB's agenda.
Agri-environment Schemes
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the timetable for the review of land based English rural development programme agri-environment schemes. [87862]
Mr. Meacher: The agri-environment schemes review consists of three phases. The first phase centred on an initial consultation, held between March and May 2002. This asked for views on the existing schemes and explored what people would like to see in future schemes. There were over 130 responses to this consultation, which were analysed in a report produced in July 2002. This is available on the DEFRA website at: http://defraweb/erdp/schemes/landbased/review/consultnew.htm.
The second phase of the review is currently in progress. It consists of two main areas of work: the production of a framework document setting out the future direction of agri-environment schemes, and the development of a pilot scheme to test the proposed entry-level scheme. The framework document was issued for consultation on 16 December 2002, and responses are sought by 28 February 2003. I announced the pilot areas for the entry level scheme on 14 November 2002 and the pilot scheme is due to be launched next spring.
The third phase of the review will involve the detailed design and development of the main entry-level scheme and a revised higher-tier scheme, intended to incorporate the best features from both the countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive areas schemes. It is hoped to complete the review in the summer of 2004, when details of both schemes are sent to the European Commission for approval. The new schemes should open for applications early in 2005.
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the review of access arrangements within English Rural Development Programme agri-environment schemes; and when the results of the review will be published. [87863]
Mr. Meacher: The analysis of replies to the public consultation on this review will be published on the Department's website shortly and a copy placed in the House Library and the conclusions will feed into the wider Agri-environment Schemes Review.
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the change in use of CHP by companies covered by climate change agreements; and if she will make a statement. [87880]
Mr. Meacher: There has been no assessment made of the change in use of HFC by companies covered by climate change agreements. It is estimated that total
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HFC emissions arising from all business will be about 29 per cent. below 1995 levels, the baseline year that the UK has chosen to use for its fluorinated gases, in 2010.
Consultation Document
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the organisations to which her Department has issued copies of their consultation document, XLiving Places, Powers, Rights and Responsibilities". [87222]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We have sent copies of the consultation to:
- 370 local authorities (355 English and 15 Welsh). 394 local authority planning officers also received copies.
97 police authorities and constabularies, including the metropolitan police.
17 Government Departments and offices, including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Home Office, Cabinet Office and No. 10.
23 Government related agencies.
114 public bodies and non-governmental organisations.
168 companies.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when copies of XLiving Places, Powers, Rights and Responsibilities" were distributed to local authorities. [87223]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 December 2002]: Copies of the consultation were mailed out to local authorities the week beginning 4 November, following the urban summit which was held on 31 October and 1 November, when the consultation was launched.
Fisheries
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long the principle of relative stability in fisheries management will be continued in its present form. [87630]
Mr. Morley: The future provisions on relative stability, along with all other elements of the Common Fisheries Policy, are due to be determined by the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers at its current meeting.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make contingency plans to establish a fisheries management committee in the event that no Council of Ministers' agreement is established for European Union fisheries management for 2003 onwards. [87631]
Mr. Morley: The Government's objective is to secure a meaningful reform of the Common Fisheries Policy at this Council. We shall strive to ensure that an acceptable agreement is reached. Should there be no agreement on a reformed CFP, the current system for Fisheries Management will continue.
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Hydrofluorocarbons
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons she has made; and what targets exist for future progress; [86494]
- (2) if she will make a statement on the progress in securing voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons. [86495]
Mr. Meacher: In 1996, the Government concluded a voluntary agreement on the use of HFCs with the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) and its member organisations to ensure emissions to atmosphere were minimised. The agreement took the form of a Xdeclaration of intent" in recognition of the fact that the industry is very widely dispersed and that signatories to the agreement could not make a commitment on behalf of those they did not directly represent.
The UK climate change programme published in November 2000 sets out the key elements of the Government's policy on HFCs. During 2000, discussions with ACRIB led Government to conclude that a national registration and competence scheme for refrigerant handlers would be a more effective way of limiting and minimising HFC emissions from the refrigeration sector. The industry is developing a scheme which it proposes to put to Government in early 2003. The Government's intention is to make registration and minimum competence mandatory for companies and refrigerant handlers.
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