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Combined Heat and Power

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Department's strategy for combined heat and power will be finalised. [129851]

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Mr. Morley: In keeping with the commitment made in the Energy White Paper published in February 2003, the Government will issue the final version of the Combined Heat and Power Strategy later this year. The Strategy will detail the measures we believe will help us achieve our challenging target of 10,000 MW of installed Good Quality CHP by 2010, incorporating the new support measures for CHP announced in the Energy White Paper.

Committee on Radioactive Waste Management

Dr. Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what method she has adopted to determine membership of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management; how many appointments have been made; if she will list those people already confirmed as members of the committee; and if she will make a statement. [129530]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 15 September 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline, West (Rachel Squire), on 16 July 2003, Official Report, columns 318–19W, stated we had advertised in March for Members of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, had received over 400 applications, and had appointed Katharine Bryan as Chair; Mrs. Bryan would help select the remaining members. We have since carried out interviews for the remaining posts and we shall make an announcement once the appointments have been agreed with the Devolved Administrations. Our method is to select candidates according to the criteria we published in March and following the Code of Practice of the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments, including the use of an independent assessor on the selection panel.

Conservation Sites

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions have taken place with the Countryside Agency about the assessment of European sites designated under the Conservation (Natural Habitats Act etc) Regulations 1994; and whether sites in the south-east and central southern regions will be assessed before the commencement of access arising from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 in the summer of 2004; [130427]

(2) what information the Countryside Agency has received from English Nature to enable it to make appropriate assessments of European sites in the south-east and central southern regions of England under the Conservation (Natural Habitats Act etc) Regulations 1994; when the information was received; and when the assessments will be completed. [130428]

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency has worked closely with English Nature to adopt an agreed approach in relation to nature conservation and access land. This is embodied in a heads of agreement signed between the agency and English Nature on 10 July 2000, in which both organisations agreed to work together to facilitate improved access and safeguard nature conservation interests.

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The agency and English Nature have agreed a detailed process to assess European sites designated under the Conservation (Natural Habitats Act etc.) Regulations 1994.

English Nature has undertaken audits of all European sites designated under these regulations in the south-east and central southern mapping areas and has provided advice to the agency, in July 2001 and February 2003, on 99 sites which contain features that are potentially vulnerable to public access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

The agency will complete the assessments for these sites before access commences in these two mapping areas.

Correspondence

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Broxbourne of (a) 18 June, (b) 15 July, (c) 13 August and (d) 9 September relating to the contents of an article in the Sunday Telegraph dated 15 June, raised by one of her constituents. [129831]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 15 September 2003]: I replied to the hon. Member's letters of 18 June and 13 August on 9 September.

Unfortunately, the Department has no record of receiving the hon. Member's letters of 15 July or 9 September. If the hon. Member will supply me with copies of her letters I shall ensure that they are dealt with speedily.

EU Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further statutory responsibilities for collection and disposal will be placed upon local authorities as part of the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. [128371]

Mr. Morley: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive does not place direct responsibilities on local authorities for the collection and disposal of WEEE, but on producers and distributors. The Government are preparing the UK implementation of the Directive and are discussing with local authorities how best to involve them in maximising use of the existing waste collection infrastructure. Options for implementation will be presented in the next round of consultation, due to be published in the late autumn.

Fishing Fleets

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to compensate for any virement of moneys under the Objective One fisheries programme transferring financial aid for decommissioning to other sectors of the programme following her earlier announcement denying access to the English Decommissioning Scheme for vessels outside of the North Sea; and if she will make a statement. [129415]

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Mr. Bradshaw: Whether decommissioning grant for fishing vessels is available in Cornwall under the EU structural fund for fisheries (FIFO) is determined by the Cornish Objective One programme monitoring committee. I understand that on the advice of the programme's fisheries representatives the decision has been taken not to plan for expenditure on decommissioning for the remainder of the 2000–06 structural funds programme, in order to provide funding for strategic projects to which they give priority.

The Government have made no decision to make other funds available for the decommissioning of vessels in the south-west fleet.

Flood Prevention

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made with regard to pre-feasibility studies to identify options for the alleviation of flooding in Medmenham and Marlow. [128952]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 September 2003]: As part of a more extensive study in Medmenham, consultants to the Environment Agency are currently modelling various different options for reducing flood risk. This has taken longer than anticipated due to problems with the modelling, however, the pre-feasibility report will be concluded by the end of October 2003.

The Environment Agency is undertaking two pre-feasibility studies that are considering possible flood alleviation options for the Pound Lane and Firview Close areas of Marlow. The first study is due to be completed by the end of September and the second is due for completion in October 2003.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has taken place of each area along the River Thames that has been designated as (a) flood plain and (b) at a high risk of flooding; and if she will make a statement. [128783]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency's Indicative Floodplain Map provides a general overview of areas of land in natural floodplains and, therefore, that are potentially at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The maps are created using the best available information, and are based on historical flood records and computer models. The Agency's Thames Region is able to answer queries relating to the source of the floodplain outline in a particular area. Data are available for the River Thames and all other main river catchments.

The Department's Flood Management High Level Target 5 requires operating authorities to make an overall assessment of the risk of flooding. The Environment Agency's Risk Assessment for Strategic Planning (RASP), combines information on the defence system, the Indicative Floodplain Map and the topography, to give an indication of the category of flood risk in a local area. The data are to be used by the Agency for national monitoring of risk from flooding; strategic prioritisation of investment in defence improvements or other flood management options (e.g. increased storage or diversion); targeting flood warning and emergency response; and highlighting priorities for monitoring and maintenance. The RASP

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outputs have been supplied to the Association of British Insurers and can be made available to individuals on request. The Agency is planning on being able to put this information on their website by September 2004.

Fluoridation

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has conducted into the effects of adding fluoride to water supplies; what recent meetings she has had with colleagues and others on the issue; and if she will make a statement. [128677]

Mr. Morley: The Government's public health advisers are the Department of Health who are responsible for water fluoridation policy. The national health service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York published its Report, "A Systematic Review of Water Fluoridation", in September 2000. In keeping with comments in the Report that there was a need for more good quality research, the Department of Health commissioned the Medical Research Centre (MRC) to advise on how the evidence base might be strengthened. Its Report was published in September 2002. The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Dental Officer were asked to examine these recent recommendations and to report on the implications for Government policy. Their Report is expected during the autumn. DoH have also commissioned a research study on the bio-availability (absorption) of fluoride.

There has been regular inter-departmental liaison between Defra and Department of Health Ministers and officials about amendments that have been included in the Water Bill to the water fluoridation provisions in the Water Industry Act 1991. The amendments were considered by Committee of the whole House of Lords on 9 July and we anticipate that water fluoridation will be considered in Committee in the House of Commons on 21 October. On the Government side there will be a free vote.

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