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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 10 March 2003
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's official estimates are for the total of UK carbon dioxide emissions in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002; what proportion of each total is attributable to emissions from the domestic sector, as defined in the UNECE definitions of end user groups; and whether the Government has made an estimate of what those levels will be in 2003. [100878]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 6 March 2003]: The most recent UK carbon dioxide emissions data, published in March 2002 show that total UK carbon dioxide emissions were 152.1 million tonnes of carbon per year (MtC/yr) in 2000. Provisional data suggest that while emissions were around 3.4 MtC higher in 2001 than in 2000, they declined between 2001 and 2002. Final data for 2001 will be available later this month.
Data based on the UNECE classification are available for 2000. This classification includes coal, oil and gas delivered for combustion in dwellings. The use of these fuels produced emissions of around 23 MtC/yr in 2000. In addition, approximately 18 MtC/yr were emitted from power stations, refineries and other energy industries serving the domestic sector. End user data for 2001 based on the UNECE classification will be available in April 2003.
Compulsory Purchase
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties have been compulsorily purchased by the British Waterways Board in each year since 1999. [101817]
Electronic Correspondence
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy for it to be possible for correspondence between hon. Members and Ministers to be carried out electronically. [95021]
Alun Michael: A great deal of progress has been made recently on tackling the significant difficulties experienced by DEFRA on dealing effectively with Member's correspondence since it's formation in June 2001 and the situation continues to improve. I have asked officials in DEFRA to look at how we might introduce an electronic correspondence system with Members. However, as our highest priority on
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correspondence at the moment is to ensure that we continue to improve Departmental performance under the existing system.
Environment Agency Inspections
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets were set by her Department for the number of inspections carried out by the Environment Agency in each year since 1997; what percentage were met; and if she will make a statement. [93708]
Mr. Meacher: Operational decisions are delegated to the Environment Agency. Although the Agency publishes a number of output and performance statistics, the departmental requirement upon the Agency is that they should assign resources to inspections that address environmental risk.
The Agency makes information about its regulatory inspection activity available in its published Corporate Plans. These record the Agency's performance against its internally-generated targets. The Agency has recorded the following statistics for its planned inspections for each year ending 31 March as follows:
| Year | Waste target | Percentage achieved | Process industries target | Percentage achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 171,940 | 82 | 3,998 | 80 |
| 1999 | 180,000 | 83 | 4,342 | 76 |
| 2000 | 150,000 | 84 | 4,835 | 79 |
| 2001 | 125,000 | 96 | 4,227 | 70 |
| 2002 | 125,000 | 81 | 4,276 | 84 |
The Agency only sets targets for inspecting waste and process industries. Other inspections are not "planned" and therefore do not have targets set for them.
Foot and Mouth
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts which her Department and its agencies signed with companies to incinerate animal carcases under the over thirty months scheme have been cancelled since 1996; and if she will list the reasons for those cancellations. [101265]
Alun Michael: 24 contracts for the incineration of over thirty month scheme animal carcases have been cancelled since 1996. The reasons for cancellation, are as follows:
- One contract was terminated for failure to comply with a contractual requirement to commence full operations, Eighteen contracts were terminated at the end of their term, with new contracts being introduced following a competitive tendering exercise; Five contracts terminated following the cessation of the foot and mouth emergency.
GM Crops
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she will support the 18 applications for marketing consents for GM crops and foods under consideration by the European Commission. [100867]
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Mr. Meacher: The United Kingdom has not yet reached an opinion on any of the 19 applications to place GMOs on the market under EU directive 2001/18. Each application is considered initially by the member state where the GMO is to be placed on the market for the first time. Once the lead member state is satisfied that the application complies with the directive it is passed to the other member states with an assessment report. The UK will consider each application on its own merits on a case-by-case basis using the criteria laid down in the EU legislation. The Government's view will be informed by the advice of its relevant independent expert groups, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, together with advice from the statutory nature conservation bodies, the Food Standards Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. If the UK has comments or reasoned objections to the placing on the market of the GMO in question these will be forwarded to the European Commission. A collective decision will then be taken by member states as to whether or not the GMO in question should be placed on the market in accordance with the provisions of the Directive.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the public debate on genetically modified organisms will be concluded. [100868]
Mr. Meacher: The Public Debate Steering Board is due to submit its report on the debate to Government by the end of September.
Greenhouse Gas
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what she estimates the cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the UK between 1990 and 2010 will be, relative to the target of 12.5 per cent. [101731]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 7 March 2003]: The UK published its Climate Change Programme in 2000. It contains an integrated package of policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the UK economy. The programme estimates that these policies and measures could reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 23 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010, and could reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 19 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010. A formal review of the Climate Change Programme will take place in 2004.
Ruddy Ducks
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her written ministerial statement of 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 71WS, for what reason domestic legislation was introduced to protect the ruddy duck population. [101380]
Mr. Morley: Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all wild birds, as defined by Section 27(1), are protected. As ruddy ducks have been present in this country in the wild since 1953, the Department considers that they fall within this definition.
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Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her written ministerial statement of 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 71WS, on ruddy duck culling, whether those ruddy ducks culled under the control scheme will be made available for human consumption. [101621]
Mr. Morley: All recovered carcases of ruddy ducks are subject to post-mortem examination to determine age and sex of the animals. This information is used to help assess the consequences of control on population growth rates and productivity. The Department has no plans to make ruddy duck carcases available for human consumption.
Secondments
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her Department's officials have been seconded to (a) British Energy, (b) BNFL and (c) other (i) companies and (ii) NGOs involved in the nuclear sector since 1 January 2002; and on what areas of policy seconded individuals have worked. [101701]
Tallow
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much compensation from the European Union her Department has received for the incineration of tallow produced under the over thirty months scheme since its inception. [101263]
Alun Michael: Compensation paid to producers under the OTMS scheme is funded approximately 70 per cent. by the EU and 30 per cent. by HM Treasury. Of the element that can be reimbursed by the EU, 80 per cent. is payable at the time animals are rendered, and the remaining 20 per cent. after the Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) and Tallow produced by the rendering process have both been incinerated.
To date, £106,057,555 has been reimbursed following the incineration of MBM and Tallow.
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