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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 24 March 2003

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Coastal Erosion

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when officials from her Department last visited Happisburgh, Norfolk to assess the risks of coastal erosion. [103776]

Margaret Beckett: Responsibility for assessing the risks of coastal erosion at Happisburgh rests with North Norfolk district council. While DEFRA has provided funding for related studies, it has not been necessary or appropriate for officials to visit for this purpose.

Departmental Annual Report

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will update Tables 5.1 to 5.5 from the Departmental Annual Report. [99262]

Alun Michael: We are working on revising the base data for Tables 5.1 to 5.5 for inclusion in the 2003 Departmental Report.

Eco-labelling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing eco-labelling; and what her policy on it is. [103827]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 19 March 2003]: The Government asked the Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment (ACCPE) to look at environmental labelling as one of its first tasks when it was set up in 1999. Two studies were commissioned to look at the effectiveness of different labelling approaches—these were "Environmental Labelling of Consumer Products: Lessons for the UK market from existing schemes" (carried out by Ernst & Young and Atlantic Consulting) and an in-depth study of the innovative "TerraChoice" scheme in Canada (carried out by the IEMA and BSI).

ACCPE's recommendations on this subject were included in its first report, "Choosing Green" (available on the Department's website). The Committee concluded that it would not be worthwhile setting up a national ecolabelling award scheme for the UK, alongside the existing EU ecolabelling scheme. They considered that the Government should focus its labelling "award" efforts on the EU scheme, but should also develop other approaches for improving the environmental information on products. The other approaches recommended included promoting awareness of the various good quality labelling schemes on the market; raising the standard of self-declared 'green claims' by business; and making full use of the internet. The

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Government accepted the advice of the Committee and have been following up the detail of these recommendations.

Our policy recognises that environmental labelling has a significant part to play in raising consumers' awareness of the environmental impacts of products and in helping them to make informed choices. We have actively supported the EU ecolabelling scheme (having invested over £5 million to date in running and promoting it) and are committed to improving it as a market instrument. We have also actively supported the EU energy label and its extension to an increasing range of products in the single market, as well as looking at the scope for using it in other applications in the UK market, for example on cars and homes.

We are also keen to promote awareness of other reliable labelling schemes which target a specific issue or sector, such as the FSC label for sustainable timber and comparative labels for the VOC content of paints. Our consumer information leaflet "Hi I'm Green" contains information about these and other common labels, and a new pocket-sized "shopper's guide" to green labels will be published soon.

The Government are also working to improve the quality and quantity of self-declared environmental claims. These are a major source of information for consumers about the environmental impacts of products, so it is important that such claims are clear and helpful. We continue to promote the "Green Claims Code", which advises businesses on good practice in making green claims, and more detailed guidance is now being prepared in consultation with the relevant business sectors.

We are also exploring some more novel approaches to information for purchasers. One of ACCPE's recommendations was for a new Internet information service, perhaps targeted initially on public procurement, and proposals for this are being developed.

Eggs (Compulsory Marking)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the penalties that should be applied to egg producers in breach of the EU's planned rules on compulsory marking. [103761]

Margaret Beckett: As far as possible, the relevant enforcement bodies seeks to encourage compliance with the egg marketing legislation through good communication and advice. In common with other aspects of the rules, where a minor discrepancy is discovered, producers will be given guidance on how to comply, and a reminder may be included on the inspection report. In more serious cases, Notices of Contravention will be served requiring compliance before the product can be marketed. Prosecution is normally only considered where serious breaches are found, or where there has been non co-operation in putting things right. In the event of a prosecution, the level of penalty is a matter for the court to decide but the maximum penalty for breaches of the egg marketing regulations is £5,000 per offence.

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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 455W, on egg marking, what assessment she has made of the costs to small egg producers of complying with the new rules on marking. [103740]

Margaret Beckett: Compliance costs will vary considerably depending on producers' individual circumstances. For producers selling their own ungraded eggs direct to consumers, there will be no additional costs as they fall outside the scope of these rules. Similarly, producers selling eggs through larger registered packing stations will be unaffected as the marking will take place at the packing station. For those producers who package eggs on farm for subsequent marketing, the cost will depend on the size of throughput and the degree of sophistication of the stamping equipment. For very small producers, a hand stamp can be purchased for a few pounds, and the time costs should be minimal. For larger producers, the cost of automated stamping machinery starts at between £2,000 and £3,000.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy to introduce the compulsory marking of eggs from birds other than hens. [103759]

Margaret Beckett: At present there are no plans at either EU or UK level to seek to introduce the compulsory marking of eggs from birds other than hens.

Fisheries

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will place the issue of cetacean bycatch on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers; and if she will make a statement; [102823]

Mr. Morley: I am determined to make progress to reduce cetacean bycatch. However, effective action to address the problem needs to be taken on the part of all member states involved in the fisheries concerned and the Commission. This is why we raised the need for urgent action to address the issue of cetacean bycatch at the January Council of Ministers' meeting. I have also raised this issue with Commissioner Fischler on a number of occasions both in writing and in personal contacts. I have also recently written to the Commission to press for urgent action to widen observer coverage off the south west coast where a number of other member states' vessels fish. I was pleased that the Commission included a commitment to take action in this area in papers produced as part of the recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. I am now looking for positive action in advance of 2004–05 in response to our recent approaches.

In the meantime, DERA has also committed some £140,000 for trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in the offshore bass fishery. I will also, along with the devolved

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administrations, shortly be issuing a consultation document outlining a UK bycatch response strategy. This will set out the extent of our knowledge of bycatch in UK waters and make proposals for action to address the bycatch problem. The document will be placed in the Library of the House and I will ensure that my hon. Friend receives a personal copy.

GM Crops

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what control the GM Debate Steering Board will have over the Food Standards Agency's GM public debate; [100866]

Mr. Meacher: The Food Standards Agency is organising a number of activities as a contribution to the wider GM Public Dialogue announced by the Secretary of State last July. The Agency is an independent body and has taken this action on its own initiative in coordination with the GM dialogue. The Agency will continue to update the Public Debate Steering Board on its activities and provide it with a copy of its findings, which will feed into the wider GM Public Debate.

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