Previous Section Index Home Page


24 Feb 2003 : Column 97W—continued

Timber

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 564W, on timber, if she will list (a) the local authorities who were putting or considering putting policies on timber procurement in place, (b) the respondents that did not specifically stipulate that timber should be sourced from both legal and sustainably managed sources and (c) the local authorities using other strategies. [96517]

Mr. Meacher: The following local authorities in England indicated in October 2002 that they were putting or considering putting policies on timber procurement in place: Basingstoke and Deane, Blackpool, Bolton, Broadland, Bury, Calderdale, Chelmsford, Cotswold, Derbyshire, Eastleigh, Epping Forest, Fareham, Harlow,Harrow, Hart, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewes, Liverpool, Malvern Hills, Newcastle under Lyme, North Shropshire, North Somerset, North Yorkshire, Purbeck, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rochdale, Shepway, St. Albans, St. Edmundsbury, Tonbridge and Malling, West Lindsey, Wolverhampton.

It was not clear from the following authorities' replies whether their policies did in fact specifically stipulate that timber should be from both legal sources and sustainable sources: Braintree, Copeland, East Cambridgeshire, East Sussex, Gateshead, Gloucester City, Gosport, Hampshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Manchester, New Forest, North Devon, Richmondshire, South Oxfordshire, Staffordshire CC, Stockport, Swindon, Tandridge, Tendring, Tunbridge Wells, Westminster and Wyre Forest.

The six authorities that reported using other strategies were: Buckinghamshire, Huntingdonshire, Melton, Norfolk, Northumberland and South Ribble.

Waste Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of municipal waste recovered in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2015 she expects to be (i) recycled, (ii) composted and (iii) incinerated. [96475]

Mr. Meacher: The Government have set the following targets for recycling and composting of municipal waste as set out in Waste Strategy 2000:


24 Feb 2003 : Column 98W

We have not set targets for waste incineration. We have, however set the following waste recovery targets:


Wildlife Trade

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to ban the trade in birds and animals taken from the wild except for scientific and conservation reasons. [97124]

Mr. Morley: We have no current plans to ban the trade in all birds and animals taken from the wild. International trade in birds and animals is subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented within the EU under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/1. All commercial trade in those species listed as endangered is prohibited, while the trade in the other less vulnerable species is strictly regulated to ensure that it will not be detrimental to their wild populations.

Last month we began a public consultation exercise outlining proposals to strengthen the existing domestic controls over wildlife trade. This included increasing the penalties for certain offences to up to five years imprisonment, and strengthening the relevant powers of police officers and wildlife inspectors. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we intend to introduce revised provisions as soon as possible thereafter.

Within Great Britain the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the possession or control of any live or dead wild bird or animal listed on Schedule 5 of the Act, or any part of or anything derived from such a bird or animal. A licence can be issued derogating from this protection. The penalty for taking an animal or bird illegally is a maximum of £5,000 and/or six months custodial sentence.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-social Behaviour

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, (b) Parenting Orders and (c) Curfew Orders have been issued in the City of Portsmouth, South in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [97278]

Mr. Denham: The table shows the number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued within the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCCs) area (in which the City of Portsmouth is situated) and by local government authority up to 30 September 2002 (latest available).

We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under-reported in returns made by magistrates' courts, and are considering how reporting can be improved.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 99W

Youth Justice Board figures indicate that between January 2001 and September 2002, a total of 262 Parenting Orders were imposed in the Youth Offending Team (YOT) area of Wessex, which includes the City of Portsmouth.

Figures from the electronic monitoring contractors indicate that 104 Curfew Orders with electronic monitoring were imposed within Portsmouth, South during the period 2000–02. Of this total of 104 Curfew Orders, 12 were imposed on juveniles aged 10 to 15 years.

No applications have yet been received to establish a local child curfew scheme under section 14 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Some local authorities and police forces have considered the possibility, but concluded that other measures should be taken to tackle relevant local problems.

Table A: the number of ASBOs as notified to the Home Office, by Magistrates' Courts Committee and local authority area within England and Wales, April 1999 to September 2002

Magistrates' Courts Committee/local authority areaTotal issued
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Magistrates' Courts Committeeof which12
from 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 by police force area1
from 1 June 2000 to 30 September 2002 by local authority area11
Portsmouth CC3
Southampton council8

Note:

Between 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000, data available by police force area (pfa) only.


Table B: the number of Curfew Orders imposed in Portsmouth, South on juveniles and adults for the years 2000 to 2002

Number of orders
Juvenile Curfew Orders (aged 10 to 15)
20000
20014
20028
Total12
Adult Curfew Orders (aged 16+)
200026
200121
200245
Total92

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been made in respect of individuals in (a) Hertsmere, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) the United Kingdom in each year since the orders came into being. [97002]

Mr. Denham: Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) were introduced from 1 April 1999. From this date up to 30 September 2002 (latest available) the total number of ASBOs issued within England and Wales, as reported to the Home Office, is 706. The table shows the number of notifications of ASBOs issued within the Hertfordshire Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) area, which includes Hertsmere, by local government authority up to 30 September 2002.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 100W

We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.

Information for matters related to Scotland and Northern Ireland are for the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly respectively.

Burglaries (West Yorkshire)

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries were (a) reported and (b) solved in West Yorkshire in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2002. [96621]

Mr. Denham: Numbers of burglary offences recorded and associated detection rates in West Yorkshire are given in the table.

YearOffences recordedDetection rate—percentage
1997(15)67,68628
2001–02(16)68,81812

(15) Recorded on a calendar year basis

(16) Recorded on a financial year basis

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

There was also a change in counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.



Next Section Index Home Page