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10 Jul 2003 : Column 909W—continued
EU Regulations
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by the Department over the last five years. [120848]
Alun Michael: Regulations are, in general, directly applicable in the member states, without the need for implementation in national law.
The total number of EC Council Regulations made in areas covered by this Department and its predecessors over each of the last five years is estimated to be:
| Number of EC Council Regulations | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 42 |
| 2000 | 28 |
| 2001 | 41 |
| 2002 | 42 |
| 2003 (up to and including June) | 19 |
It should be noted that many of these are small or technical regulations to amend, implement or indeed repeal existing measures.
Details of all Regulations adopted can be found on the Eur-Lex database available on the European Union's website.
Fisheries
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit
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on the EU committee for the fisheries and aquaculture sector, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110290]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture is the body in which the commission consults representatives of the EU fishery products and aquaculture industry, along with related interests such as consumers and environmentalists, and takes their views on the drafting and implementation of EU measures. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government, and it produces opinions rather than decisions or any other form of output which would need conveying to the House. Questions about the detailed work of the committee would be for the European Commission to answer.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions she has had with biotech companies about liability in circumstances where genetically modified organisms are (a) proven and (b) suspected of being responsible for adverse human health or environmental outcomes; [122489]
- (2) what assessment she has made of the liability implications of the use of genetically modified organisms upon (a) Government Departments and (b) the biotech companies which produce GMUs. [122490]
Mr. Morley: Defra Ministers have not had any discussions with biotechnology companies specifically about liability for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). EU Member States have recently reached political agreement on an environmental liability directive that will cover the deliberate release of GMOs and contained use of microbiological GMOs in respect of damage to European protected species and natural habitat types. In this context, the relevant biotechnology company may be held liable for damage caused by one of its products. We will consider how the directive is to be implemented in the UK when the details have been finalised.
The Agricultural and Environment Biotechnology Commission is due to submit a report to Government this summer that explores the issue of liability in relation to GM crops. We will assess the implications of possible further action in this area in the light of that report, including any possible implications for Government Departments.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the antibiotics to which marker genes used in the production of genetically modified crops convey resistance, and the veterinary uses of antibiotics. [123450]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 3 July 2003]: The following table lists antibiotic resistance marker genes (ARMs) present in genetically modified crops that have been released in the UK for research purposes. It also lists the antibiotics to which the marker genes convey resistance, and gives examples of how the antibiotics may be used in veterinary medicine.
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Of the antibiotics listed, kanamycin and hygromycin are not used in veterinary medicine in the UK. The remaining antibiotics—neomycin, ampicillin and amoxycillin—are used in veterinary medicine in a range
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of products (oral, injectables, ointments and drops) to treat conditions in a variety of animal species. Alternative products are also available.
| Gene | Antibiotic | Veterinary Use (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| nptll or neo | Kanamycin | Not licensed in the UK |
| Neomycin | Treatment of bacterial skin infections, including dermatitis and eczema in cats and dogs. Treatment of enteritis in pigs and poultry. | |
| Bla | Ampicillin | Treatment of bacterial infections in cattle, pigs and sheep. Treatment of mastitis in cattle |
| Amoxycillin | Treatment of bacterial infections in cats and dogs. Treatment of respiratory and urogenital tract infections in cattle, pigs and sheep | |
| Hptll | Hygromycin | Not licensed in the UK |
The nptll gene is present in some GM crops already licensed for placing on the market in the EU.
Applications to release or market genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the EU are subject to rigorous scrutiny and risk assessment under European Directive 2001/18. The Directive requires that GMOs containing ARMs are subject to a particularly high degree of scrutiny and if such a GMO was considered to have adverse effects on the environment it would not be authorised. This includes consideration of the implications for both human and veterinary medicines.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many completed feedback forms have been received from the GM Nation website. [124605]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2003]: As of 9 a.m. on 8 July 10,600 feedback forms had been completed via the GM Nation website.
Graffiti
Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the statutory undertakers about graffiti on their street furniture or other property; and if she will make a statement. [118089]
Mr. Morley: One option we included in the Defra-led consultation exercise "Living Places—Powers, Rights, Responsibilities" was to create a new duty on the owners of street furniture to keep their relevant property clear of graffiti and flyposting.
We received a number of responses to the consultation exercise on this option from statutory undertakers, including British Telecom, NTL, Telewest Broadband and Adshel. All that responded were willing to discuss the issues with Government. Defra officials with Home Office colleagues are meeting British Telecom representatives shortly.
Household Waste
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government plans to investigate options for charging schemes for household waste with (a) the Local Government Association and (b) other stakeholders. [121980]
Mr. Morley: In its response to the Strategy Unit report, the Government has undertaken to carry out further work before any decision is taken to enable local authorities to implement direct or variable charging for waste. This will look at the practicalities of operating schemes, how potential disadvantages could be overcome, and will analyse international experience of such schemes. The work will be carried out in co-operation with the Local Government Association and other stakeholders and will start this summer thus enabling Government to review its position on this in 2004.
Issues to be addressed in the further work include
(a) The potential concerns about the effects of pilot schemes:
- how to ensure that a local authority has facilities and services in place to help householders reduce or recycle waste (e.g. help with home composting, kerbside collection of separate materials for recycling) when they introduce a pilot scheme to ensure public support;
how to make any charges equitable (e.g. reflect size of household and ability to pay);
the enforcement issues to prevent waste tourism (householders using free/cheaper facilities in neighbouring authorities) and fly-tipping.
- what is the cost of introducing and administering schemes;
how will any additional net revenue raised by pilot schemes be used;
how will the financial arrangements for pilot schemes interact with other local authority funding for waste, council tax etc;
what new legal powers are required.
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of barriers in terms of regulatory control to an increase in the composting of household waste. [122329]
Mr. Morley: The Animal By-products Regulations 2003 came into force on 1 July and the previous ban on composting kitchen waste has been lifted and replaced by a registration/licensing system of facilities that wish to take part in this activity. The system is controlled by the state veterinary service and enforced by local
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authorities. The aim of the Regulations is to minimise the burdens on the composting industry while safeguarding animal and public health. Like all facilities involved with managing waste, large scale composting plants also require a waste management licence from the Environment Agency. Building new plants would require planning permission. These requirements do not in themselves create barriers, but allow facilities to be judged against environmental standards and local development plans.
A large number of local authorities already compost garden waste and/or encourage home composting. We would expect the amount of waste that is composted or used in biogas production to increase once the ban on composting kitchen waste is lifted.
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest figures are for the proportion of organic household waste composted (a) in England and (b) in the North East; and what plans she has to increase the amount composted in the next five years. [122330]
Mr. Morley: In 2001–02 the percentage of household waste composted in (a) England was 3.7 per cent. and in (b) the North East was 0.5 per cent.
As part of the Government's response to the Strategy Unit's "Waste Not, Want Not" Report, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will take forward a number of waste minimisation schemes, including a home composting scheme to increase the number of households carrying out home composting and to promote the effectiveness of the composting carried out.
WRAP will also set up a kerbside task force (the Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team—ROTATE) to work with local authorities to help maximise the potential of kerbside collection for all materials, particularly biodegradable organics. Alongside this, WRAP will implement an organics market development programme to provide material specific support and investment to the composting sector, to ensure sustainable and reliable markets are secured for the additional tonnage of organic material collected. Underpinning these activities, WRAP will implement an education and awareness programme. This will operate at both a national level, raising the general public's awareness of waste issues and the benefits of recycling, and at a local level, to support both local authority recycling (linked to ROTATE) and issue specific programmes relating to waste minimisation initiatives as outlined.
In addition, the Animal By-products Regulations 2003 come into force on 1 July and the current ban on composting kitchen waste will then be lifted and replaced by a registration/licensing system of facilities that wish to take part in this activity. We would expect the amount of waste that is composted or used in biogas production to increase once the ban on composting kitchen waste is lifted.
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