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28 Apr 2003 : Column 29W—continued

BSE

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the amount of funds from (a) the BSE control and monitoring schemes, (b) the over 30 months scheme casualty collection service and (c) the fallen stock TSE surveillance scheme which would be used for a national scheme for collection and disposal of fallen stock. [107595]

Mr. Morley: We are already contributing nearly £30 million annually for the collection and disposal of fallen stock for TSE testing purposes. We envisage utilising, and building on the existing infrastructure to form a wider service which will reduce the costs to the industry.

Climate Change Levy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in respect of climate change levy agreements, if she will list each of (a) those facilities whose targets set for them in the relevant underlying agreement have been met and for which there is not a tolerance band in the underlying agreement in relation to that target, (b) those facilities whose targets set for them in the relevant underlying agreement have been met and for which there is a tolerance band but the target has been met without needing to take it into account, (c) those facilities whose targets set for them in the relevant underlying agreement have been met, for which there is a tolerance band and the target has only been met by taking account of it and the qualitative requirements set for the facility have been met and (d) those facilities in respect of which such qualitative requirements have been met and the target set for the facility has not been met because of a relevant constraint or requirement which had a major impact on the performance of the facility operator and prevented the target from being achieved. [82817]

Mr. Meacher: Over 12,000 facilities were recently assessed against the terms of their climate change agreements. A total of 10,608 (88 per cent.) were re-certified for the reduced rate of climate change levy and all of these fall into one of the four categories above. A full list of those that have been re-certified is maintained on the following page of HM Customs and Excise website: www.hmce.gov.uk/business/othertaxes/ccl/red-rate-certs.htm. The number of re-certified facilities falling into the four categories on 31 March is given below.

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(a) 10,153 facilities met targets which did not include a tolerance band;

(b) 455 facilities met targets which included a tolerance band but it was not taken into account;

(c) One facility used a tolerance band to meet its target;

(d) Four facilities made use of the Relevant Constraints procedure to meet their targets.

In accordance with the terms of the CCAs, the Secretary of State has consulted with sector associations to determine whether they have objections to the disclosure of the information requested about the performance of individual facilities and if so to justify their objections. Unless persuasive and compelling reasons are provided as to why disclosure should not take place, I will publish further information when it becomes available.

Common Agricultural Policy

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will next meet EU partners to discuss the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. [107957]

Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will next meet EU partners to discuss reform of the CAP at the Informal Agriculture Council meeting on 12–13 May.

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made with the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. [107958]

Mr. Morley: There have been four separate Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussions of the Commission's proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy since their publication on 22 January. Good progress has also been made on the technical issues in Working Group. We continue to support the Presidency and Commission in seeking a successful conclusion to negotiations in June.

Energy Policy

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement, in relation to her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108869]

Alun Michael: The table is based on data reported in the "Sustainable Development in Government" annual reports. Data on the Department's agencies and NDPBs are not available.

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	Energy consumption (GWh/y)	Energy expenditure (£M/y)	Energy/m2(kWh/m2/y)	Saving over 1997–98 (%)	Energy efficiency spend (£k/y)
	Defra/MAFF main estate
1997–98	42.46	1.202	240	—	164
1998–99	44.28	1.271	233	3	115
1999–2000	39.70	1.155	206	14	104
2000–01	41.65	1.461	(9)208	13	140
2001–02	52.65	1.780	(10)238	1	(11)31
	Defra/MAFF Laboratories
1997–98	94.78	2.011	648	—	177
1998–99	89.64	1.878	605	7	215
1999–2000	93.51	1.880	590	9	117
2000–01	109.14	2.105	(12)701	-8	(11)43
2001–02	117.81	2.172	(10),(12)747	-15	(11)29

⁽⁹⁾ Combination of additional air-conditioned buildings brought into Defra estate, and out of hours working, nationally on swine fever and FMD outbreaks.

⁽¹⁰⁾ FMD outbreaks—additional buildings, staff and long hours working.

⁽¹¹⁾ Budget allocations prevented investment in energy saving measures.

⁽¹²⁾ Defra laboratories are energy aware, but work to commercial constraints. Energy use varies with contracts. Year-on-year comparisons not wholly appropriate.

Notes:

1. Energy consumption is weather-corrected in the usual manner, using annual degree days relative to the 20-year average for 1990–91. The figures are those reported on for the Central Government Estate campaign, and generally include each Department's main estate plus all agencies, but not NDPBs.

2. Energy Expenditure: this is actual spend and, from April 2001, includes the climate change levy.

3. Energy/m2: this variable allows for changes in both weather and estate size on energy consumption. So annual changes will generally reflect efficiency changes.

4. Savings over 1997–98: These have been expressed as percentage savings relative to the first year quoted here, and are based on the figures in the preceding column.

5. Energy efficiency spend: Note that this is not necessarily a good measure of an effective energy efficiency policy. For example, when a new building is commissioned or an existing one refurbished, good design can actually reduce capital costs, e.g. by avoiding air conditioning. The costs of an effective energy management team may also not be included.

The Energy White Paper, "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy" made clear the importance the Government attaches to improving energy efficiency in its own estate. This is reflected in several targets. There is currently an interim target of a 1 per cent. per annum on-going reduction in weather-corrected carbon emissions, pending the development of new indicators and targets based on benchmarking the performance of each Department's largest buildings. These new targets are planned to be in place later this year. New targets for Government Departments' use of CHP generated electricity will also be established during 2003.

In addition, the review of Government procurement has identified areas where procurement could reinforce the achievements of these targets, and arrangements are being made centrally for Departments to purchase goods with high energy efficiency standards and which provide good value for money.

On the purchase of renewable electricity, Ministers agreed the following target in May 2001:

"All Departments will ensure that by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources that are exempt from the climate change levy or from self-generation, provided this does not entail excessive cost. This will rise to at least 10 per cent. supply from such sources by 31 March 2008, but will be reviewed after 31 March 2003 to take account of market conditions following the introduction of the renewables obligation. The review of 2003 will include consideration of increasing or bringing forward the target".

Environment Agency (Construction Costs)

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total

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cost was of construction by the Environment Agency in Somerset and the Wessex area in each of the last three years. [107330]

Mr. Meacher: The total cost of construction by the Environment Agency in Somerset and the Wessex area in each of the last three years is as follows:

£000

	Somerset	Wessex(13)
2002–03	5,565	9,827
2001–02	4,545	7,723
2000–01	1,179	4,304

⁽¹³⁾ This figure includes the total cost of construction for Somerset.

Flood defence projects account for most of the Agency's construction budget, its water resources function accounts for the remainder. The Agency's Wessex area consists of the three flood defence committees of Bristol Avon; Somerset; and Avon and Dorset.

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