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13 Nov 2003 : Column 414W—continued
Hunting
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government makes of the environmental impact of trophy hunting of endangered animals around the world; what steps the Government is taking to encourage the control of hunting of endangered species; and if she will make a statement. [137548]
Mr. Morley: The United Kingdom is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the trade in endangered species including those threatened by trophy hunting.
The Convention is implemented within the EU by means of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97. The European Commission closely monitors the trade in CITES species and where scientific advisers judge that trade would be detrimental to the survival of a particular species in the wild, measures may be taken to suspend such trade.
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A good example of this was provided earlier in the year when, on the basis of advice provided by the Scientific Review Group on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora, the EU suspended trade in brown bear hunting trophies from Slovenia on the grounds that this trade was unsustainable.
Meadowland Protection
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce protection for meadowland. [137291]
Mr. Morley: All uncultivated and semi-natural land is protected by the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-natural Areas) Regulations 2001 (S.I.No 2001/3966). In addition, many meadows are protected by statutory designation as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. We also provide payments to farmers under agri-environment schemes for positive management and in some cases restoration or recreation of hay meadows.
National Fruit Show
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support Ministers have given to the National Fruit Show (The Marden Fruit Show) since 1997. [134138]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 27 October 2003]: Ministers have given no direct support to the National Fruit Show. However, exhibits at the show have illustrated how the fruit sector has benefited from Defra-funded research, including the breeding and development of new varieties, issues relating to storage and pest control, and the publication of best practice guides. Growers are also able to take advantage of funding opportunities that exist through England Rural Development Programme schemes, the Agriculture Development Scheme and the Organic Farming Scheme.
Public Water System
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) plans she has and (b) targets she has set to reduce fat and oil contamination in the public water system. [137252]
Mr. Morley: Changes to guidance to the Buildings Regulations recommend that measures to control grease should be installed in commercial hot food premises. There are no requirements in these Regulations or in water legislation that relate specifically to disposal of oils and fats from dwellings. However, under general provisions in section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991, it is an offence for a person to empty into a public sewer, or any drain or sewer connecting with a public sewer, any matter which is likely to injure the sewer or drain, to interfere with the free flow of its contents or to affect prejudicially the treatment and disposal of its contents. Any person who is found guilty of an offence is liable to a fine or imprisonment.
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Recycling
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of household waste was recycled in each year between 1985 and 1995 in England. [136780]
Mr. Morley: Government do not have this information. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy have published the following percentage recycling rates for England and Wales:
| Percentage recycled | |
|---|---|
| 1983–84 | 0.8 |
| 1991–92 | 2.6 |
| 1993–94 | 3.4 |
The Department's Municipal Waste Management Survey was first carried out for the year 1995–6. Since this survey's publication the recycling percentage given for 1995–6 has been adjusted in an attempt to make it more accurate, to 6.4 per cent. for England and Wales.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans she has for removing these legacy powers. [136126]
Alun Michael: There is no equivalent of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codifying the investigatory powers of Defra investigators. There is a patchwork of powers. In relation to a range of offences Defra investigators (and inspectors) have fairly standard statutory powers to enter and inspect business premises, powers to inspect and copy business documents and powers to require provision of information in relation to the conduct of the business—all these powers are normally set out in the specific legislation which creates the offence under investigation. Investigators have a surviving common law right to seize and retain any evidence relating to suspected offences. For some suspected offences a search warrant is also available eg under the Medicines Act 1968.
None of these powers was superseded by any powers in RIPA 2000 and so there are no plans for removing 'legacy powers'.
Stewardship Scheme
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money the United Kingdom has received from the EU under the Stewardship Scheme in each of the last three years. [137258]
Mr. Morley: The Countryside Stewardship Scheme in England has received the following EU funding:
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 9.4 | 15.7 | 22.0 |
| of which: | |||
| EAGGF | 9.4 | 11.5 | 10.7 |
| Modulation | 0.0 | 4.2 | 11.3 |
European Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)—these are funds allocated by the European Commission for rural development measures.
Modulation—these are funds made available by reducing CAP Pillar 1 payments and redirecting them to certain rural development schemes.
Years are EAGGF running from 16 October to 15 October each year.
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South West Water
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the recent proposed investment programme and water bill charges for the period 2005 to 2010 by South West Water. [135144]
Mr. Morley: The Government have noted the proposed investment programme and bill charges for South West Water for the period 2005 to 2010. These figures are drawn from South West Water's own draft business plan for the 2004 periodic review of water price limits and represent the company's opening bid in what will be another 12 months of challenge, decisions and negotiation by the regulator Ofwat.
Full assessments of all company draft business plans will be made following receipt of guidance from the economic, environmental and quality regulators in early November and these assessments will underlie the Secretary of State's Principal Guidance, which will be issued early next year. The Secretary of State's initial guidance to the Director General of Ofwat, setting out the Government's early objectives for the review, was published in January this year.
Water Supplies
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with water companies on the adequacy of future supplies; and if she will make a statement. [137562]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is the statutory body which has a duty to secure the proper use of water resources in England and Wales.
Since the Water Summit in 1997, there have been a number of developments in terms of securing long-term future water resources. Each water company in England and Wales has produced a water resources plan setting out how it proposes to maintain the supply and demand balance of water for the next 25 years. These plans were assessed by the Environment Agency and are reviewed on an annual basis.
As part of the fourth periodic review of water company prices, water companies are submitting updated water resource plans to the Environment Agency. The agency will report to Ministers on these plans as part of their advice for the fourth periodic review. The Ministerial guidance for the periodic review will be published in early 2004, and cover any related water supply issues.
Wild Birds (Imports)
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps
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her Department is taking to reduce the importation of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds into the UK. [135811]
Mr. Morley: The international trade in all parrots and many other species of wild birds is strictly regulated under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97, which implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) within the EU. It is an offence to import CITES specimens without the appropriate documentation and trade is only permitted if we are satisfied that the specimens have been lawfully acquired and that the trade will not be detrimental to the wild populations of the species concerned.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds brought into the UK broken down by each country from which these imports originated in each of the last five years for which records are available. [135812]
Mr. Morley: The available information is set out in the attached tables: Table A for parrots, Table B for other birds.
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| Country | Year | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1998 | 2 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 2001 | 6 |
| Congo | 2000 | 8 |
| 2001 | 2 | |
| Cameroon | 1998 | 11 |
| 2001 | 19 | |
| 2002 | 33 | |
| Cape Verde Islands | 2002 | 5 |
| Ghana | 2001 | 31 |
| Guinea | 1999 | 30 |
| 2000 | 8 | |
| 2002 | 50 | |
| Guyana | 1998 | 62 |
| 1999 | 51 | |
| 2000 | 95 | |
| 2001 | 100 | |
| 2002 | 67 | |
| Iceland | 1999 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 2000 | 1 |
| Kazakhstan | 1999 | 3 |
| Nicaragua | 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 21 | |
| Netherlands | 2000 | 1 |
| Norway | 1998 | 12 |
| Peru | 1999 | 13 |
| 2000 | 56 | |
| 2001 | 5 | |
| 2002 | 12 | |
| Poland | 2002 | 1 |
| Paraguay | 2002 | 387 |
| Russian Federation | 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 33 | |
| Surinam | 2002 | 14 |
| Tanzania | 1998 | 16 |
| 1999 | 24 | |
| 2000 | 6 | |
| 2002 | 35 | |
| South Africa | 1998 | 1 |
| 2000 | 2 | |
| Total | 1,240 |
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds imported into EU countries in each of the last five years. [135818]
Mr. Morley: Our CITES records show that the number of wild caught parrots imported into the UK in each of the last five years were as follows.
13 Nov 2003 : Column 420W
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 4,844 |
| 1999 | 3,789 |
| 2000 | 2,261 |
| 2001 | 4,479 |
| 2002 | 10,158 |
| Total | 25,531 |
The numbers of other wild-caught birds imported into the UK were:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 114 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 625 |
| Total | 1,240 |
The Department does not keep records of imports into other EU countries.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Government support for the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species on the volume in trade of wild caught (a) parrots and (b) other birds imported into (i) Europe and (ii) the UK since the UK signed the Convention. [135820]
Mr. Morley: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) aims to protect certain plants and animals by regulating and monitoring their international trade to prevent it reaching unsustainable levels. Currently CITES regulates international trade in over 30,000 species, of which approximately 25,000 are plants. The Convention came into force in 1975, and the UK became a party in 1976. Pre-Convention figures concerning the importation of parrots and other birds are not available.
No specific study has been made of the impact of the Convention on the trade in these species. However, all EU member states are required to provide annual reports on the trade in CITES species. These are closely monitored by the European Commission, and powers are available to enable member states to take urgent action in the event that a particular pattern of trade is judged to be unsustainable.
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