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Environmental Sustainability

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on environmental sustainability; [131064]

(2) what measures are in place to protect natural capital sources classed as vital to environmental sustainability [131065]

Mr. Morley: The Department's policies on sustainable development and protecting natural resources are set out in the departmental report and in Defra's sustainable development strategy 'Foundations for our Future' and other policy documents on the Defra website.

Fluoridation

Mr. Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has undertaken into the impact of fluoridating water supplies on the aquatic environment; and if she will make a statement. [132772]

Mr. Morley: A review of the effect of fluoride on a range of aquatic life was carried out for the Environment Agency when deriving a non-statutory environmental quality standard (EQS) for fluoride in water, which was published in 2000. The review drew on research carried out by a range of recognized scientific laboratories and the majority of available data indicated that effects on aquatic life from fluoride occur at concentrations between 9.0—350mg/l.

Where fluoridation schemes are in place, fluoride is added to maintain a concentration of 1.0 mg/l in drinking water which is well below these levels. Any discharges will be further diluted upon entry to the aquatic environment through the process of collection and treatment of waste water.

Food Labelling

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on introducing labelling of country of origin for each constituent ingredient of pre-cooked food products. [132304]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

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Origin labelling rules are agreed at European Union level. The Government is not aware of any plans to introduce origin labelling rules for each constituent ingredient of food products. The Food Standards Agency is, however, actively pressing for changes to labelling requirements to improve information on origin of fresh and frozen meat and the meat ingredient in food products.

River Cherwell

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the full report entitled, River Cherwell Catchment Monitoring Study 1998–2000 Project Report. [133109]

Alun Michael: The River Cherwell Catchment Monitoring Study 1998–2000 Project Report concerns a study undertaken on behalf of Rhone-Poulenc Agriculture to quantify farmyard contamination of

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surface waters. As the report belongs to Rhone-Poulenc Agriculture (now Bayer CropScience) and has not been published it is not possible to place a copy in the House Library.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the budget was for the Rural Enterprise Scheme, broken down by region in each year since the scheme was established; [132625]

(2) how much money has been paid in grants under the Rural Enterprise Scheme, broken down by region, in each year since the scheme was established. [132626]

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows: (i) the original programme budgets, (ii) revised budgets reflecting in-year reallocations in order to maximise the use of the programme funding available, and (iii) grant paid in respect of the Rural Enterprise Scheme for 2001–02 and 2002–03:

£ million

	2001–02			2002–03
Regions/Unit	Original budget	Revised budget	Spend	Original budget	Revised budget	Spend
North East	0.5	0.4	0.2	0.7	1.2	1.0
West Midlands	1.0	0.8	0.6	1.4	2.1	2.0
South West	1.5	1.2	0.2	2.0	2.5	1.9
North West	1.0	0.8	0.3	1.3	1.6	1.3
East Midlands	1.1	0.9	0.4	1.5	2.5	1.7
East of England	1.0	0.7	0.5	1.1	1.7	1.4
Yorks and Humber	1.0	0.7	0.3	1.2	1.8	1.9
South East	0.7	0.6	0.3	1.0	1.7	1.6
National	0.2	0.1	0	1.8	0.5	0.2
Total	8.0	6.2	2.8	12.0	15.6	13.0

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the running costs were of the Rural Enterprise Scheme, broken down by region, in each year since the scheme was established (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the scheme's budget. [132627]

Margaret Beckett: The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) is delivered by Defra's Rural Development Service (RDS), but running costs are not available broken down by both scheme and region. In 2001–02 many RDS operational staff made a substantial contribution to work related to the foot and mouth disease outbreak and were not employed on their normal duties for much of the year. In consequence, it is not possible to provide an accurate figure for RES running costs in 2001–02.

In 2002–03 RES accounted for 75.7 staff years of RDS effort at a total estimated cost of £2.6 million. RDS running costs are not funded from RES programme expenditure, however £2.6 million expressed as a percentage of the final RES budget for 2002–03 is 16.7 per cent. It is important to note that 2002–03 running cost expenditure relates not just to the in-year budget, but also to the assessment and approval of projects which will incur expenditure in subsequent years; forward funding commitments at the end of 2002–03 amounted to £15.4 million.

Solar Power

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants are available to (a) public landlords and (b) owner-occupiers to install solar power in housing; and how many properties in Leeds have received such assistance. [132734]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

There are two Government schemes supporting the installation of solar panels in houses. The first is the £20 million First Phase of the Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme (PV MDP). 50 per cent. grants are available to individual householders for small PV systems, and 60 per cent. to public bodies, including social housing groups, for medium-large scale installations. The second is the £10 million Clear Skies initiative, which offers flat rate grants of around £500 to individuals wishing to install solar water heating panels, and grants of up to 50 per cent. to community groups.

So far, under the PV programme, one householder in Leeds has received a grant and two applications for medium—large scale installations have been approved. They are for Park Lane College and the Ridings Housing Association.

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Under Clear Skies, no applications have been received from public landlords in Leeds for solar water heating on housing, although two grants have been awarded for solar on community buildings. For individual households, three have received assistance.

For more information on these schemes please see: www.solarpvgrants.co.uk and www.clear-skies.org

Soya Milk

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what basis soya milk was withdrawn as an undesirable food for babies and young children; and on what basis it was recommended for premature babies. [129759]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

Soya milk drinks and soya based infant formulas have not been withdrawn and are still available. The Department's advice is that soya-based infant formula should only be given on the advice of a doctor or health visitor and can be prescribed for babies allergic to cow's milk. It is not recommended for premature babies.

Waste Management

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce new charging arrangements to finance the Environment Agency's work in the current financial year and afterwards on (a) implementation of the Water Framework Directive, (b) development of the Revised Bathing Waters Directive, (c) regulation of the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land, (d) the reduction of agricultural waste and mines and quarries waste and (e) exemption from Waste Management Licensing. [129356]

Margaret Beckett: The charging arrangements are as follows:

(a) Implementation of the Water Framework Directive

The Environment Agency's costs of implementing the Water Framework Directive during the current financial year are funded by a combination of grant in aid and income from charges for consents for discharges to controlled waters and for water abstraction licences. Similar arrangements will apply during the implementation of the Directive.

(b) Revised Bathing Waters Directive

During the annual review of the Environment Agency's charges, an assessment will be made, both for the current and future financial years, as to whether extra charges for effluent discharges will be needed to fund development of the Revised Bathing Waters Directive.

(c) The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989

These regulations are currently being revised. The revised draft regulations on the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land provide for the Environment Agency to recover its regulatory costs through charges and as part of these regulations a new charging scheme is being developed to take effect on implementation of the revised regulations which is expected in 2004.

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(d) Reduction of Agricultural and Mines and Quarries Waste

The regulations applying to the Waste Framework Directive's controls to agricultural and non-mineral mines and quarries waste are currently being drafted and will be issued for public consultation. The Environment Agency's Waste Management Licensing Charging Scheme will apply to the recovery or disposal of these types of waste under a licence as it currently applies to other types of waste. We do not propose to apply charges to the recovery or disposal of agricultural waste under a registered licensing exemption. Regulations will be in place by mid 2004.

(e) Exemption from Waste Management Licensing

Draft Regulations to implement the review of the exemptions in Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 provide for the Environment Agency to extend charging to six existing exemptions and one new exemption for the burning of dunnage at the dockside. The existing exemptions affected are:

land treatment


use of waste for land reclamation


use and storage of building waste composting


storage and spreading of sewage sludge


waste recovery at sewage treatment works.

It is intended that charges should be incorporated into the Agency's Waste Management Licensing Charging Scheme to take effect on the Regulations' implementation. The draft Regulations were issued for public consultation on 19 June with a view to being implemented early in 2004.

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