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10 Jul 2003 : Column 913W—continued
Kyoto Protocol
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she
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has received from the United Nations on the UK's performance in meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. [124248]
Mr. Morley: The UK submits periodic national communications to the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These communications describe historical and projected greenhouse gas emissions, and are subject to review by international experts coordinated by the Secretariat to the Convention. These reviews are designed to provide the Conference of the Parties with a technical assessment of the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol by individual Parties. The most recent UNFCCC review of the UK's Third National Communication took place in 2002. The report, published by the UNFCCC, concludes that the UK is likely to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
The UNFCCC in depth review of the UK's Third National Communication is available online at: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/idr/gbr03.pdf
Livestock Farms
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many livestock farms there are in England. [123319]
Mr. Bradshaw: In June 2002, the Agricultural and Horticultural Census indicates there were nearly 67,000 agricultural holdings where the principal activity was livestock.
| Holdings in England 2002 by farm type | |
|---|---|
| Pigs and poultry | 6,991 |
| Dairy | 14,342 |
| Cattle and sheep in less favoured areas | 11,763 |
| Cattle and sheep lowland | 33,778 |
| Total | 66,874 |
Note:There were 10,284 holdings classified as mixed farming which includes elements of livestock farming.
The total number of holdings recording any livestock (pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry, farmed deer, goats or horses) in 2002 was nearly 108,000.
Maritime Radioactive Discharges
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress has been made towards reducing levels of radioactive discharges and of additional contamination in the marine environment by 2020; and if she will make a statement; [123744]
- (2) what the level was of radioactivity discharged into the marine environment by type and location in each year since 1998; [123745]
(3) what progress the Government have made towards achieving reductions of discharges, emissions and losses of radioactive substances as agreed during the 1998 meeting of environment Ministers at Sintra; [123746]
(4) what the level of radioactive discharges from Sellafield has been in each of the last five years by type; and what the projected level is for the next five years. [123748]
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Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 July 2003]: There have been large and sustained reductions in discharges of the most radiologically significant radionuclides in the last 25 years, particularly those resulting from reprocessing nuclear fuel, such that current discharges from that sector are currently just 1 per cent. of their peak levels in the 1970s. The Government are committed to achieving further reductions in discharges by 2020 in order to implement the OSPAR Strategy with regard to Radioactive Substances, which was agreed by Ministers at Sintra in 1998. A UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges, 2001–20, was published in July 2002, which sets out how we shall achieve these further reductions and includes broad projections for future discharges from each sector of the nuclear industry. Key milestones are the cessation of Magnox fuel and uranium hexafluoride production at Springfields by 2006 and the end of Magnox fuel reprocessing at Sellafield by around 2012. The document is in the Library and is available on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/radioactivity/discharge/strategy/index.htm.
Detailed information on radioactive discharges and environmental concentrations, by type of radionuclide and location, can be found in the annual publication, Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE), produced jointly by the Food Standards Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Copies are in the Library and the 2002 edition (containing data for 2001) is on the Food Standards Agency's website at: www.foodstandards.gov.uk/science/suveillance/radio/89684.
The RIFE report for 2002 is due to be published shortly.
Discharges of total alpha, total beta (excluding tritium) and tritium from Sellafield since 1998 were as follows (figures in TBq).
| Total alpha | Total beta | Tritium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.174 | 85.9 | 2,309 |
| 1999 | 0.133 | 110 | 2,520 |
| 2000 | 0.120 | 77.0 | 2,300 |
| 2001 | 0.202 | 123 | 2,600 |
For Sellafield, projected discharges, as annualised five year averages, are as follows (figures in TBq per year).
| Period | Total alpha | Total beta | Tritium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2005 | 0.310 | 165 | 9,280 |
| 2006–2010 | 0.310 | 104 | 8,930 |
| 2011–2015 | 0.251 | 75.1 | 9,110 |
| 2016–2020 | 0.200 | 53.7 | 9,520 |
Mental Health
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her staff retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year. [111965]
Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South, (Mr. Alexander), on 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 662W.
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Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year. [111986]
Alun Michael: Using a wide definition of mental health, including such issues as stress and alcoholism, 659 people out of the 10,568 staff employed in Defra took sick leave during 2002 due to mental health problems.
The Department is committed to the effective support of staff and management of sickness absence as well as to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement for reducing sickness absence by the end of 2003. The Department is also committed to reducing the number of working days lost from work related injury and ill health, in response to the government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.
The departmental response includes the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Pesticides Safety Directorate Agencies. Responsibility for sickness absence within the Central Science Laboratory Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Rural Payments Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Agency has been delegated to the Agency Chief Executives and I have asked them to reply direct.
Letter from Professor Mike Roberts to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated May 2003:
- The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked me to reply, with respect to the Central Science Laboratory, to your question concerning how many staff took sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year.
- In the calendar year 2002, a total of 26 CSL staff took sick leave for reasons that could justifiably be classified as 'mental health'.
- CSL has been successful in managing sickness absence through innovations such as recruiting a dedicated Occupational Health professional, running regular health awareness campaigns and carrying out all-staff health surveys. This has contributed to CSL achieving the Civil Service sickness absence target of 7.2 days per employee a year early.
- CSL remains closely aware of it's legal duty to provide a safe working environment for all it's employees and is committed both to operating best practice in this area and to meeting the targets set out in the 'Revitalising Health & Safety' initiative.
Letter from Professor Steven Edwards to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated May 2003:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question on how many of her staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year.
- 51 Staff in the VLA took sick leave during 2002 due to mental health problems.
- VLA is committed to the effective management of sickness absence and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement for reducing sickness absence by the end of 2003. We are also committed to reducing the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health, in response to the government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sick days were lost over the last year by her Department through staff mental health problems. [112000]
Alun Michael: Out of a total of 2,324,960 potential calendar working days for staff in Defra 21,854 were lost during 2002 due to staff sickness with mental health problems. These figures include the Veterinary
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Medicines Directorate and Pesticides Safety Directorate Agencies. Responsibility for sickness absence within the Central Science Laboratory Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Rural Payments Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Agency has been delegated to the Agency Chief Executives and I have asked them to reply direct.
Letter from Professor Mike Roberts to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated May 2003:
- The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked me to reply, with respect to the Central Science Laboratory, to your question concerning how many sick days were lost by CSL due to staff mental health problems in the last year.
- In the calendar year 2002, CSL lost a total of 684 work days for reasons that could justifiably be classified as 'mental health'.
- CSL has been successful in managing sickness absence through innovations such as recruiting a dedicated Occupational Health professional, running regular health awareness campaigns and carrying out all-staff health surveys. This has contributed to CSL achieving the Civil Service sickness absence target of 7.2 days per employee a year early.
- CSL remains closely aware of it's legal duty to provide a safe working environment for all it's employees and is committed both to operating best practice in this area and to meeting the targets set out in the 'Revitalising Health & Safety' initiative.
Letter from Professor Steven Edwards to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated May 2003:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question on how many sick days were lost over the last year by her department through staff mental health problems.
- 3,002 calendar days were lost in the VLA during 2002 due to staff sickness with mental health problems.
- VLA is committed to the effective management of sickness absence and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement for reducing sickness absence by the end of 2003. We are also committed to reducing the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health, in response to the government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.
Letter from Peter Greig-Smith to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated May 2003:
- The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked me to reply to your questions regarding mental health problems. I am replying on behalf of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
- PQ 2872
- From the 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 28 members of staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems.
- PQ 2874
- From the 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 493 working days were lost through staff mental health problems.
- PQ 2875
- From the 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 Nil return for staff retiring on medical grounds due to mental health problems.
- CEFAS has successfully introduced a scheme for 'Return to Workplace' interviews and is fully committed to managing attendance effectively. We are on target for achieving the reduced levels of sickness absence we have set out for the Agency.
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 26 March 2003:
- I have been asked to respond directly to your three recent Parliamentary Questions concerning mental health issues.
- I will address your first two questions together:
- Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many of his staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year.
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- Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sick days were lost over the last year by his Department through staff mental health problems.
- Information on the number of staff who have taken sick leave due to mental health reasons and how many days were lost over the last year through staff mental health problems is not available for the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
- RPA is a relatively new organisation formed in October 2001. As such we are still developing a computerised Personnel System to provide sickness absence data of the kind requested. Specific information on numbers of staff absent and days lost due to mental health problems over the last year could only be obtained at disproportionate administrative cost and time.
- Turning to your third question:
- Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many of his staff retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year.
- Two members of staff from the RPA retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year.
- RPA is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and to meeting internal performance targets for reducing sickness absence for 2003–04. We have developed a sickness absence management policy and procedures that includes a revised strategy for managing long term sickness absence, for implementation from May 2003.
- RPA also acts responsibly to the legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and is committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness, arising from the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.
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