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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1195W—continued
Sheep
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation is available for farmers whose sheep may be affected by bluetongue. [130729]
Mr. Bradshaw: The 1981 Animal Health Act provides for compensation in the event of sheep slaughtered following an outbreak of bluetongue. However, slaughter would not be the primary method of control. A Compensation Order would need to be made in relation to bluetongue to reflect Government policy on compensation at the time of the outbreak.
The Government would not pay for sheep to be treated following infection with Bluetongue.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place a copy of her Department's contingency plan for bluetongue in the Library. [130730]
Mr. Bradshaw: Copies of the Bluetongue contingency plan have been placed in the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries and a copy is in the main Defra library.
In addition, the plan is available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/bluecontin.PDF
Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many live sheep have been imported into the United Kingdom
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to date in 2003 for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding; and how many of the sheep in each of these categories were imported from each country of origin; [129918]
- (2) how many live sheep were imported into the United Kingdom through Dover on 3 September; whether the sheep were imported for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding; and what the addresses were of the places of (i) departure and (ii) final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments. [129919]
Mr. Bradshaw: Our records show that the number of live sheep that were imported into the UK for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding between 1 January 2003 and 11 September 2003 is 31,993. The following table shows the breakdown by country:
| Country | Slaughter | Further fattening | Breeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | — | — | 238 |
| France | 666 | 410 | 11 |
| The Netherlands | 132 | — | 393 |
| The Republic of Ireland | 27,257 | 1,675 | 353 |
| Spain | 680 | — | — |
| New Zealand | — | — | 24 |
| Poland | — | 154 | — |
Our records show that 328 sheep were imported through Dover on 3 September, all of them for slaughter. Details of the places of departure and final destination given on the route plan are treated as commercially confidential information.
Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live sheep were exported from Dover to continental Europe on 3 September; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (a) during inspection for heath certification purposes and (b) at Dover docks; to where those sheep were taken; and what the address of the final destination given on the route plan was for each of the consignments. [129920]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
| As at 3 September 2003 | |
|---|---|
| Total animals | 2,516 |
| Where consignments were certified | England and Scotland |
| Animals rejected at certification | (54)22 |
| Animals rejected at Dover docks | 0 |
| Destination | Netherlands |
(54) Additionally four sheep were rejected after certification and before loading onto the lorry. The sheep rejected for export remained in Great Britain.
The sheep for the consignment were certified within 24 hours prior to export. The consignment was for sheep for further fattening which were transported to a single holding.
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Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of sites of special scientific interest owned by the Environment Agency are assessed as in a favourable condition. [129341]
Margaret Beckett: Scientific assessment by English Nature shows that 76.1 per cent. of the area covered by its sites of special scientific interest is either in favourable or recovering from unfavourable condition. The remaining 23.9 per cent. is not in favourable condition and the agency is drawing up plans to remedy the situation.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the sites of special scientific interest in the ownership of her Department and its agencies. [129343]
Margaret Beckett: There is one site, Boxworth Experimental Husbandry Farm, Boxworth, Cambridge that includes land designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Sustainable Energy
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to promote sustainable energy. [131080]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
Sustainable forms of energy are at the heart of the Government's energy policy—as set out in this year's White Paper, "Our Energy Future: Creating a Low Carbon Economy". This encompasses renewable energy, cleaner coal technologies, and fuel cells.
To take forward the commitments made in the White Paper, we have established the Sustainable Energy Policy Network (SEPN) of departmental policy units, regulators, Devolved Administrations and delivery organisations that are involved in delivering the White Paper's commitments. The network is overseen by a Ministerial Group chaired jointly by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Ministerial Group will be provided with independent advice by the creation of a Sustainable Energy Policy Advisory Board (SEPAB), made up of senior independent experts.
For renewable energy, we have already been working hard to create a comprehensive framework to meet our target that 10 per cent. of electricity should be sourced from renewables by 2010, and our aspiration that this should be doubled by 2020. Licensed electricity suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales are subject to the Renewables Obligation—requiring them to supply a specified and growing amount of their sales from electricity generated from a range of eligible renewable sources. The Obligation is backed up by a package of funding worth nearly £350 million. This is divided between: capital grants, which are available to help kickstart a range of new and emerging technologies, for example, offshore wind, wave and tidal power and solar photovoltaics; and the New & Renewable R&D programme.
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Waste Disposal/Management
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the implementation of European legislation on the treatment and disposal of liquid dredgings from waterways. [129399]
Margaret Beckett: The regulatory and technical provisions of the 1999 EU Landfill Directive, including those on the treatment and disposal of liquid dredgings, were implemented in England and Wales by the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002. The Government recognise that some organisations responsible for the management of waterways in England may encounter difficulties in disposing of liquid dredged material, particularly when the ban on landfilling of liquid wastes comes fully into force. (The decision on when the ban will start will be taken following consultation with interested parties). The Department is currently working with waterways' representatives to identify a way forward that meets the needs of all parties.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost to industry of a requirement to recover 60 per cent. of packaging waste by 2008. [129401]
Margaret Beckett: An assessment of the likely costs to industry was included in the draft Regulatory Impact Assessment which forms part of the Consultation Paper on Changes to the Packaging Regulations issued by the Department on 21 July 2003. A copy of the RIA will be laid in the Library of the House when finalised towards the end of the year.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she offers to farmers wishing to dispose of (a) farm plastics and (b) silage wrap. [129267]
Mr. Morley: Current guidance to farmers wishing to dispose of (a) farm plastics and (b) silage wrap is contained in the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice.
However, we will shortly be consulting on Regulations to apply the controls necessary under the Waste Framework Directive to agricultural waste. The Regulations will prohibit the burial and uncontrolled burning of agricultural waste. Until these Regulations come into force we can only encourage farmers to dispose of their waste in ways that are not harmful to the environment and human health.
Within the consultation exercise, we will also be seeking comments on the options for a scheme to collect and recycle farm plastics.
The consultation will be issued in late 2003.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress in distributing to local authorities the 2003–04 financial allocation for the Waste Implementation Programme. [129403]
Margaret Beckett: As announced on 4 July, £24 million of the funds available to the Waste Implementation Programme in this Financial Year will be allocated to local authorities through the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund. £3.6 million was
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allocated to London, and Defra has announced the 19 schemes we propose to support elsewhere in the country. Funds will be distributed in response to valid claims sent by the relevant local authorities.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she intends to use to determine the allocation of money to local authorities under the Waste Management Performance Fund. [129404]
Margaret Beckett: No decisions have yet been taken on the criteria to be used for making awards from the Performance Reward Grant, which will be introduced in 2005–06. The Government will consult interested parties on the design of the Grant towards the end of this year.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy that local authorities should be allowed to carry forward into the next financial year money allocated through the Waste Implementation Programme. [129405]
Margaret Beckett: As announced on 4 July, £24 million of the funds available to the Waste Implementation Programme in this financial year will be allocated to local authorities through the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund. The current Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund is a discrete year fund and as such there is no automatic right to end of year flexibility for local authorities. If there are valid reasons that local authorities will not be able to complete their capital spend the Department can seek end-year flexibility.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much household waste was collected in (a) 1996 and (b) 2002. [131107]
Mr. Morley: Results from the Municipal Waste Management Survey show that the amount of waste collected from households in England were 22,549 thousand tonnes in 1996–97 and 25,592 thousand tonnes in 2001–02. Results for 2002–03 are not yet available.
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