---

10 Jul 2003 : Column 918W—continued

Mercury

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to assess the health impacts of mercury emissions into the environment (a) generally and (b) from crematoria; and if she will make a statement. [124047]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows.

(a) The UK has already taken steps to assess the impacts of mercury in a range of environmental compartments. We contributed to the production of WHO Air Quality Guidelines for Europe, and have adopted the same statutory limit for drinking water as the WHO drinking water guideline value. The WHO drinking water guideline is currently being revised and we will consider what, if any, reassessment would be required in light of changes made. An assessment of health impacts from mercury contaminated soils has been undertaken and two reports "Collation of toxicological data and intake values for humans—Mercury" and "Soil Guideline Values for inorganic mercury contamination" were published last year. Both are available on the Defra website at www.defraweb/environment/landliability/pubs.htm. Dietary exposure to mercury is mainly in the form of methylmercury in fish and is assessed against international guidelines for methylmercury. The Food Standards Agency issues advice to consumers to limit consumption of certain species offish, so that exposure is within these guidelines.

(b) My Department issued a consultation on an assessment by the Environment Agency's Local Authority Unit on mercury emissions from crematoria on 7 May with comments requested by 7 August. A copy is available on the Defra website at www.defraweb/corporate/consult/crematoria/consultation.pdf

10 Jul 2003 : Column 919W

Work is continuing in this area. A global assessment of mercury was published by the United Nations Environment Programme earlier this year and an action plan is being developed. In addition, the European Commission propose to develop a Strategy on Mercury in 2004 to protect human health and the environment from the release of mercury. This work is expected to reassess the health impacts of mercury and the UK will contribute to the development of this Strategy.

Mining

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Environment Agency's policy is towards (a) supporting open-cast coal planning applications and (b) supporting open-cast coal planning applications on green-belt land. [124068]

Mr. Morley: For any planning application for open cast mining, the Environment Agency's role is that of a statutory consultee. The Agency provides technical and scientific advice to the local planning authority on those potential impacts of the proposed development relevant to the Agency's environmental and flood risk management responsibilities.

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Environment Agency's policy is towards supporting open-cast coal planning applications on land which they own that is designated as green-belt land. [124069]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency have no specific policy regarding open-cast mining on land which they own. The Agency will look to maximize opportunities for environmental enhancements on their land although each scheme must be looked at on its own merits.

10 Jul 2003 : Column 920W

Real Nappies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authority posts of Real Nappy Project Development Officers there are. [123979]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 July 2003]: The Department does not collate information on the number of Real Nappy Development Officers in local authorities.

Nappy projects generally form part of a council's activities on waste minimisation. It is up to local authorities to decide whether work on nappy projects requires the creation of dedicated posts and how they are described.

Occidental Jetty, Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the owners of the Occidental Jetty on Canvey Island and (b) others on possible future uses of that jetty. [123414]

Mr. Morley: None.

Organophosphates

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the last research sponsored by her Department into the toxicity of organophosphate sheep dips and their likely (a) environmental impact and (b) impact on human health was. [123408]

Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the earlier reply given to him by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Mr. Morley) on this issue, on 1 May 2003, Official Report, column 468W. The following table details the current position on each of the Defra sponsored research projects into the toxicity of organophosphate (OP) sheep dips and their impact on human health.

Title	Project ID	Funding Body	Contractor	Start date	End date	Status
Survey of health complaints among sheep-dippers	VM0299	Defra Science Directorate	London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine	January 2001	August 2003	Work in progress
Dose effect profiles for OP sheep dip on brain electrical activity and cognitive performance	VM0279	Defra Science Directorate	DSTL, Porton Down	April 1998	December 2002	Completed
Disabling neuropsychiatric disease in farmers exposed to organophosphates.	VM02115	Defra Science Directorate /DH	Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester	January 2002 (FMD delay)	June 2005	Work in progress
Characterisation of non-acetylcholinesterase actions of organophosphates by identification of novel protein targets	VM02117	Defra Science Directorate	Neurotoxicology Section, MRC Applied Neuroscience Group, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.	June 2001	June 2003	Work in progress
Investigation of possible autoimmune responses induced by organophosphate exposure	VM02116	Defra Science Directorate	Health and Safety Laboratory, Sheffield	April 2001	December 2003	Work in progress
A case-controlled study of neuropsychological and psychiatric functioning in sheep farmers exposed to organophosphate pesticides	—	Defra Science Directorate	University College London	—	—	Start imminent (three years expected duration)
Assessment of pattern and extent of autonomic abnormalities in a group of sheep farmers and dippers	—	Defra Science Directorate	Imperial College	—	—	Proposal

10 Jul 2003 : Column 921W

The Environment Agency has and continues to undertake a number of studies into the environmental impact of OP (and synthetic pyrethroid) sheep dips. The Agency undertakes chemical and biological monitoring of rivers covering the main sheep rearing areas and reports the findings, including failures of Environmental Quality Standards, on its website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk. A study into the impact of sheep dip disposal on terrestrial invertebrate life and possible knock-on effects to insect-feeding birds has been completed recently and will be published shortly. In addition, there is on-going research into the environmental fate of disposed sheep dip and its potential impacts on surface and ground waters.

Ospreys

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will investigate the reports she has received that ospreys have been shot and their nest site destroyed in the area surrounding the River Eden in North Cumbria; and if she will make a statement. [123561]

Mr. Bradshaw: All wild birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which implements the EC Birds Directive in Great Britain. It is an offence under Section 1 to kill, injure or take any wild bird, take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is being built or destroy or take the eggs of any wild bird. In addition to this, birds listed on Schedule 1, such as the Osprey, are also protected from disturbance whilst it is building a nest or is in, on or near a nest containing eggs or young.

Defra and English Nature takes very seriously the protection of all species of wild birds, especially those listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as amended).

Neither the Department, nor English Nature, have received any evidence of the persecution of osprey's in Cumbria. Any such evidence should be passed to the police immediately for investigation.

Private Marinas

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the acquisition by British Waterways of privately owned marinas. [122773]

Margaret Beckett: British Waterways is a public corporation with statutory powers to acquire land and to provide services and facilities for the amenity or recreational use of its waterways. It wishes to see a diverse and competitive market for marinas and related businesses along its waterways in order to provide a range of services and facilities for both boaters and visitors.

British Waterways is committed to operating its marinas in a fair and open way and will shortly be bringing forward proposals to increase transparency in its marina businesses. I welcome this move.

---