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2 Jul 2003 : Column 281W—continued
Hazardous Waste
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department takes to ensure that safety regulations for employees of operators at landfill and hazardous waste sites are adhered to. [122726]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 June 2003]: The Environment Agency does not regulate health and safety at work. The appropriate regulator is the Health and Safety Executive and its sponsor is the Department for Work and Pensions.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department takes to ensure that the activities conducted by operators at landfill and hazardous waste sites do not pose any risk to public health. [122727]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 June 2003]: The Environment Agency regulates activities conducted by operators at landfill and hazardous waste sites to minimise the damage to the environment and risk to human health.
Permit applications include site-specific risk assessments, which are reviewed by the Agency as part of the permitting process. On-site activities are then considered as part of routine site inspections to ensure compliance with the relevant permit.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department takes to ensure that waste deposited at a landfill and hazardous waste site does not pose any risk to local water supplies. [122728]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 June 2003]: The Environment Agency regulates landfills and hazardous waste sites to minimise the damage to the environment and risk to human health.
The Agency assesses permit applications, which would include a site-specific risk assessment to provide for this requirement. Where appropriate, the application will include an assessment of the risk to local water supplies and detail the protection measures proposed to manage the risk to an acceptable level. The protection measures are subsequently assessed during routine site inspections and monitoring by Agency staff.
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Horticultural Research
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will make a decision on the future of Horticulture Research International Efford; and if she will make a statement. [121743]
Mr. Bradshaw: We are currently considering the future of HRI Efford and plan to make an announcement very soon.
Live Animal Transport
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent assessment her Department has made of the operation of regulations on live animal tranport in (a) the UK and (b) the EU; [122650]
- (2) what recent discussions she has had with EU colleagues on live animal transport and associated standards. [122651]
Mr. Bradshaw: The welfare of animals during transport in the EU is governed by directive 91/628/EEC (as amended) and implemented in Great Britain by the Welfare of Animal (Transport) Order 1997. We carried out a limited review of the Order in 1999 to fit in with proposals expected from the European Commission to update and improve directive. Since then, the UK and other member states have repeatedly urged the Commission to bring forward their proposals and I am pleased that Commissioner Byrne has announced that he intends to publish them before the end of July.
Local Food Chains
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help is available from central Government for the support for local food chains. [121570]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 26 June 2003]: We recognise the benefits that local food can bring and are keen to encourage the development of sustainable local food chains. Funding under the England Rural Development Programme has been used to support a range of local food chain related initiatives, including the establishment of farmers' markets and other direct sales outlets, the development of local branding initiatives and the formation of collaborative groups to market produce. We will continue to deploy our various funding schemes to encourage a flourishing local food sector. This activity will complement the measures at a regional level which the Regional Development Agencies will be implementing as part of their wider food and drink strategies.
Nitrogen Dioxide Limits
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Department has made of whether the UK will conform to EU limits for nitrogen dioxide levels in 2010. [122135]
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Mr. Bradshaw: A number of assessments of the attainability of the EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide have been carried out. Defra commissioned the independent scientific Air Quality Expert Group in July 2002 to undertake an overall assessment of the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the UK in both 2005 and 2010. The Group considered all the available studies. A draft report for comment was published on 19 May 2003 (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/aqeg/). Copies of the draft report on "Nitrogen Dioxide in the United Kingdom" have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The report concluded that, on the basis of the best current projections, in 2010 between 3 and 13 per cent. of the area of London are likely not to conform to the EU annual average limit value of 40 micrograms per metre cubed at background locations. The range reflects the span in outputs between the different models used. The report concludes that the rest of England is likely to conform to the EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide at background concentrations. The report further concludes that around 23 per cent. of the major built-up road length in London and 5 per cent. in the rest of England are likely to be above the EU annual average limit value of 40 micrograms per metre cubed in 2010.
Sheep Welfare
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the three most common welfare problems affecting sheep were in 2002; and what estimate she has made of how many sheep in the UK suffer from lameness at any given time. [122317]
Mr. Bradshaw: The three most common welfare problems in sheep in order of prevalence are lameness, sheep scab and internal parasites.
The results of a postal survey carried out by the Royal Veterinary College in 1997 suggest that there are approximately three million cases of lameness in sheep each year in Great Britain. The incidence of lameness has not significantly changed since the survey was undertaken.
TB (Red Deer)
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many outbreaks of TB were recorded in red deer in (a) Devon and (b) Somerset in each of the last six years; and what action her Department has taken, and is planning to take, to eradicate TB. [120449]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is no routine surveillance of TB in deer. However, there is a requirement under the Tuberculosis (Deer) Order 1989 for any deer, alive or dead, suspected of having TB to be reported to the appropriate Divisional Veterinary Manager (DVM).
The following table gives (i) the number of laboratory examinations carried out on red deer suspected of having TB and (ii) the number of cases where bovine TB was confirmed in red deer in (a) Somerset and (b) Devon, over the last six years.
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| (a) Somerset | (b) Devon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) Number of laboratory examinations on red deer | (ii) Number of cases where M. bovis(8) confirmed | (i) Number of laboratory examinations on red deer | (ii) Number of cases where M. bovis(8) confirmed | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | (9)1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
(7) Data extracted from Defra database on investigation of suspected TB in deer.
(8) Mycobacterium bovis—the causative organism for bovine TB.
(9) This case came to our notice as a laboratory isolate. Suspicion of TB in the deer carcase was not notified to Defra.
So far in 2003 there have been two laboratory examinations on red deer in Somerset, and one in Devon. M. bovis has been isolated from one of the Somerset cases. The results of the laboratory tests on the other two cases are awaited.
Where a deer is found to have bovine TB, the DVM may decide to increase the cattle testing frequency in the area if annual herd testing is not already in place.
The current strategy in relation to bovine TB is based around the following five-point plan:
- Protecting human health;
Cattle testing and controls;
Development of a TB vaccine;
Carrying out research into how TB is spread; and
Carrying out a badger culling trial.
A review of the TB strategy was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State earlier this year. Initial stakeholder consultation is expected later in the summer with public consultation in the autumn. In the meantime officials are considering a range of short-term policy options which will be subject to consultation later in the year.
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