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Ritual Slaughter

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about her policy on shechita and halal meat. [125938]

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Mr. Bradshaw: The slaughter of animals without prior stunning to provide meat for Jews and Muslims is currently permitted in this country. The Farm Animal Welfare Council (the Government's independent advisory body on issues related to farm animal welfare) has recently issued a report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter. The report includes a recommendation that slaughter without prior stunning should be banned in this country. The report also contains a further 93 recommendations and we will be responding to the report after we have considered the recommendations and consulted interested parties. Whatever decision is reached on the recommendation to ban slaughter without prior stunning the import of shechita and halal meat will continue to be permitted.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the members of the Rural Enterprise Scheme's South West Regional Appraisal Panel. [126152]

Alun Michael: The South West Regional Appraisal Panel comprises three members:


Sustainable Development

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efforts are made to encourage schools to involve their pupils in the sustainable development of the community through (a) local agenda 21 and (b) other schemes. [126312]

Mr. Morley: The information is as follows:

(a) The Local Government Act 2000 placed a duty on local authorities to prepare community strategies to promote the economic, social and environmental well being of their communities and contribute to sustainable development in the UK. We believe that sustainable development can most effectively become a mainstream issue for communities if local authorities build upon their partnership working and community engagement and subsume their LA21 strategies within their community strategies. We expect them to include children and young people in this process.

(b) Education for Sustainable Development is a statutory part of Science, Geography, Design and Technology and Citizenship within the National Curriculum. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has provided on-line guidance for teachers.

Sustainable Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the local authority support nerve centre and funding teams initiated to help local authorities deliver sustainable waste management will provide regular reports on their activities and progress. [125940]

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Mr. Morley: Both the Defra local authority support and local authority funding workstreams will be required to provide regular reports to the Waste Implementation Steering Group via the Programme Director. In addition, progress will be reported to the Defra management board via the Senior Responsible Officer for the programme, also within Defra.

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the appointment process for the local authority support nerve centre and funding teams initiated to help local authorities deliver sustainable waste management; and what the (a) names and (b) relevant experience are of those who have been appointed. [125953]

Mr. Morley: Both the local authority support and local authority funding teams are being appointed following a detailed skills assessment, in accordance normal recruitment procedures for Defra staff.

Timber

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Government's policy on using sustainable timber in public building projects. [126741]

Mr. Morley: Departments report their performance on timber procurement in the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports that replaced the Greening Government reports. The report published last November shows a gradual improvement in performance. The report can be found at: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/ar2002/index.htm.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to establish a central point of expertise on timber to help implement Government timber procurement policy; and if she will make a statement. [126011]

Mr. Morley: The Government will create a central point of expertise on timber procurement (CPET) to help public sector buyers specify their requirements with more clarity and assess the credibility of supplier's claims for the sources of their timber. The CPET is planned to begin its work later this year.

Toxic Waste

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department receives notification of proposals for transferring ships which (a) might contain toxic materials and (b) have been used for the transfer of toxic materials from outside the UK to yards within the UK to be broken up; and what recent reports she has received on such proposals. [125802]

Mr. Morley: The competent authority in England and Wales for transboundary movements of waste, including waste ships, is the Environment Agency. As required under Council Regulation (EEC) No.259/93 1 any shipment of hazardous waste must be notified to the Environment Agency, and their consent to the shipment obtained before the waste shipment begins.

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If waste ships either contain or have been contaminated by hazardous waste, they would be subject to the highest levels of scrutiny and controls under the regulation above.

The Environment Agency has informed my officials that they have received a notification from the United States regarding a possible transboundary movement of waste ships for recovery.


Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Governments of (a) the Republic of Ireland, (b) Iceland and (c) the Faroes regarding proposals to bring ships formerly used for transfer of toxic substances uncrewed to the United Kingdom to be broken up. [125804]

Mr. Morley: I have had no discussions with the Republic of Ireland, Iceland or the Faroes regarding a proposal to import waste ships to the United Kingdom for recovery.

The Environment Agency has received a notification regarding the import of waste ships from the US to the United Kingdom for the recovery of metals. Any such shipment would be subject to the comprehensive controls provided for by European and UK legislation 1 .

Before giving consent to any proposed import of waste, the Environment Agency will have considered whether the proposed import is for genuine recovery, and that the recovery process will take place in properly authorised and appropriate facilities, including the treatment of hazardous residues. If any waste en-route between the US and UK were to transit the Republic of Ireland, Iceland or the Faroes, (such as by entry to a port) then the competent authorities concerned would also need to consent to the waste shipment.


Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements have been put in place for the disposal of toxic waste produced during the break up of ships brought from the United States to the UK to be broken up; and whether such waste products will be returned to the United States. [125805]

Mr. Morley: Hazardous residues from the recovery of any proposed import of waste would be landfilled or incinerated as appropriate. The disposal of residues is a matter of consideration for the Environment Agency in examining any proposal to import waste for recovery. Before the import can be approved, the Environment Agency as competent authority for the relevant waste shipments legislation 1 will have to be satisfied that residues can be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

UK and EC law does not allow the export of waste for disposal. Residues could be returned to the United States if they were subject to a recovery operation.

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