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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 26 February 2003
PRIME MINISTER
Bali Bombing Report
Roger Casale: To ask the Prime Minister when he will respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Inquiry into Intelligence, Assessments and Advice prior to the terrorist bombings on Bali on 12 October 2002. [99878]
The Prime Minister: I am today laying before the House the Government's response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report.
DEFRA
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the level of grant which would need to be provided to householders to enable them to install a micro-combined heat and power plant instead of a high-efficiency boiler without incurring additional costs; what the carbon dioxide savings from such an installation would be; and what the savings to the householders' fuel bills would be [98668]
Mr. Morley: At present it is not possible to accurately estimate the level of grant needed or the savings in carbon dioxide or fuel bills as, to date, no manufacturer has brought a fully trialled and tested micro combined heat and power product on to
Energy Generation
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on encouraging industry to invest in developing (a) micro combined heat and power, (b) domestic heat pumps and (c) other technology that could reduce emissions of CO2 in the long term [98670]
Mr. Morley: Government is keen to encourage the development of low carbon technologies. We are working closely with industry in fora such as the Distributed Generation Co-ordination Group to remove any technical or legislative barriers to the development of micro-CHP. We will also support field trials designed to evaluate the benefits of micro-CHP. In addition, the Carbon Trust supports the development of a low carbon economy in the UK and their Low Carbon Innovation Programme provides loans, grants and financing for a wide range of innovative low carbon projects, which can include domestic heat pumps, micro-CHP and other technologies.
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, has also taken vigorous action for the promotion of renewable energy generation, including the introduction of the Renewables Obligation, the setting up of substantial capital grants schemes, expanded provision for research, and the promotion of regional plans and targets.
Agricultural Exports
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 20 January to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George), Official Report, column 93W, on agricultural exports, if she will place a copy of (a) the letter from the Minister of State for International Trade and Investment and (b) the ERM Consultancy report in the Library. [97925]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply. I have placed a copy of the ERM Consultancy Report in the Libraries of the House. However I will not publish the letter from my noble Friend, Minister of State. It is not the practice to publish such letters, under Exemption 2—Internal advice anddiscussion, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Cetaceans
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with which European fisheries ministers she has had discussions regarding cetacean bycatch in the last 12 months; and what the outcome of each communication was. [96734]
Mr. Morley: I have raised this issue several times with Commissioner Fischler, both in person and in writing. Most recently, I wrote to him earlier this month, reinforcing the intervention made by the UK at the January meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council and pressing in particular for wider observer coverage off the South West coast where a number of other member states' vessels pursue the pelagic fishery. I have also written to the French minister and spoken individually to ministerial colleagues from Spain, Germany and Denmark. The outcome has been, progressively, the inclusion of action on cetacean bycatch firstly in the Commission's roadmap on CFP reform and secondly in the action plan on environmental matters under the CFP, and publication of the Commission's discussion paper on the reduction of cetacean bycatch in December 2002. I shall continue to fund our scientific work and to press for action, with a view to securing concrete proposals from the Commission and then their adoption by the Council.
Flooding
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance is available to councils in which areas are flooded in 2003. [98286]
Mr. Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has in place financial arrangements known as the Bellwin Scheme to assist Local Authorities, including police and fire authorities, in England in emergencies. (In Wales these arrangements are dealt with by the National Assembly
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for Wales which operates similar arrangements). Assistance is available to authorities to help with uninsurable clear-up costs following a disaster or emergency in their area which involves destruction of, or danger to, life or property. In March last year the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all authorities reminding them of the existence of the scheme and advising them how to go about getting assistance under it.
Under this scheme authorities are themselves responsible for the first tranche of expenditure on emergency work. The amount each authority affected will be expected to find is just 0.2 per cent. of its annual budget. Expenditure above that will be eligible for 85 per cent. assistance from Government.
Radioactive Waste
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the volume of reprocessing radioactive waste that will arise over the next 10 years from the reprocessing of British Energy-owned spent nuclear fuel at Sellafield. [95267]
Mr. Meacher: There are contracts for the reprocessing of about 65 per cent, of the spent fuel from British Energy's advanced gas-cooled reactors. If all of the spent fuel was reprocessed, conditioned waste volumes are estimated to be a maximum of about 28,000 m 3 of low-level waste, 14,000 m 3 of intermediate-level waste and 470 m 3 of high level waste. An estimate of the amounts to be reprocessed in the next 10 years is not available.
Sharks
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the populations of (a) white, (b) hammerhead and (c) thresher sharks in each of the last 15 years; and what measures her Department is taking to protect shark populations. [98001]
Mr. Morley: The Department has made no assessment of populations of white, hammerhead or thresher sharks, as these species are rare in UK waters. I am concerned at the decrease in shark populations, and so have been working to protect sharks at national and international level. In particular I have pressed for early adoption of a strict measure based on the Commission's welcome proposal to restrict shark finning; I have also introduced measures to protect the basking shark under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and secured improved international protection for basking sharks through strengthened CITES listing.
Tangerine Advertising
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on European Union funding for the advertising of tangerines. [98419]
Mr. Morley: In 2001 a programme for the promotion (including advertising) of oranges, Clementines, and mandarins in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Romania and Bulgaria was approved under Council Regulation 2702/1999 (measures to
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provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products in third Countries). In 2002 a programme for the promotion, within the European Union, of oranges and Clementines was approved under Council Regulation 2826/2000 (information and promotion actions for agricultural products on the internal market). The Community contribution will have been 50 per cent. of the costs for both programmes.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Iraq
7. Mr. Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian consequences of war against Iraq, with special reference to medical aid. [98733]
Clare Short: The Iraqi people are already very vulnerable, their coping strategies worn away by years of misrule. Any disruption to their current situation could lead to a serious humanitarian crisis. The Government is committed to minimising the suffering of the Iraqi people. In the event of military action a key priority will be to re-establish critical humanitarian infrastructure as quickly as possible, including the Iraqi hospitals, clinics, sanitation facilities and water treatment plants which already suffer from a terrible lack of maintenance. The medical risks of the use of chemical and biological weapons are horrendous. Most traditional deliverers of medical aid are not adequately prepared for the worst case scenarios.
11. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met representatives of the Kurdish people to discuss human rights in Iraq. [98737]
Clare Short: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office regularly meets with representatives of the Kurdish people to discuss a wide range of issues, including human rights.
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