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Deposit Systems

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent studies her Department has undertaken in respect of deposit systems used in other European countries; and if she will make a statement. [152697]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 3 February 2004]: No studies have recently been undertaken. However, a study of deposits systems is currently under way, which will take into account international practices. We expect the first part of this study to report at the end of March.

Environmental Protection

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and practical assistance her Department has given environmental health officers since the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regime came into force; and if she will make a statement. [150626]

Mr. Morley: The Department has provided local authorities with a range of resources to help them carry out their functions under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations 2000.

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Financial

Local authorities recover costs from fees and charges at levels set by the Department. These levels are revised in consultation with all stakeholders annually. As 2003 was the first year of the new PPC regime no figures are available for total costs recovered by local authorities for their PPC function, but total local authorities income for all industrial air pollution functions in 2002–03 was 8.3 million.

Guidance

In March 2003 the Department published a guidance manual, specifically for local authorities, which sets out the policy and procedures necessary to determine an application for a PPC permit. Additional guidance notes have been developed on particular issues as a response to requests for further information by local authorities. The Department has issued technical guidance tailored to individual sectors covered by PPC and regulated by local authorities. Six such notes have been issued to date with a further two to follow. These sector guidance notes provide local authorities with a basis upon which to determine what would constitute the "Best Available Techniques" (BAT) for an installation in that sector. Production of further advice and guidance will be guided by the results of research commissioned recently by the Department into local authority functions with respect to industrial pollution control. Support

Four regional training workshops were held in early 2003 before the start of the local authority IPPC regime, these events catered for over 300 local authorities across England and Wales. Local authorities are encouraged to call upon on-going support from officials within the Department, for advice on policy matters, and the Environment Agency's Local Authority Unit on technical matters. The Department has promoted a network of local authorities, each experienced regulators of a particular industrial sector, to act as "centres of expertise" in order to provide additional advice to local authorities.

European Definitions (Fruit and Vegetables)

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the scale of penalties which will be incurred by retailers for selling (a) peaches which are less than 5.6 cm in diameter, (b) bananas which are less than 13.97 cm long and (c) carrots which are less than 1.9 cm at the thick end, following the Law Lords' decision on the case against Asda initiated by her Department. [146720]

Alun Michael: In November 2000 an inspector from the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate found that some of the fruit and vegetables on display in the Asda store at Fareham in Hampshire contravened EC marketing standards. Asda's representatives argued that the court had no jurisdiction to deal with the alleged offences and the case eventually reached the House of Lords who on 18 December 2003 found in Defra's favour and returned the case to the magistrates court for trial. The full extent of the House of Lords decision can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk .

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This decision confirms the view that the European Community's Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables and for bananas assist trade and protect consumers from the sale of substandard products can be upheld by prosecuting offenders in the magistrates court. It should be noted that contraventions in the Asda case involved inadequate labelling in relation to fruits such as lemons, apples, oranges and plums as well as the standard of Iceberg lettuces and aubergines. Unlike standards for other fresh fruits and vegetables, which do apply at retail level, the standard for bananas applies only to unripened green bananas. These are inspected only at the port of entry into the UK.

While the figures given in the question are based on some misapprehension, produce of less than the minimum sizes prescribed in the standards is generally regarded as of unmarketable quality. The penalty for selling produce in breach of the EU Marketing Standards is a fine not exceeding Level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5,000) or imprisonment for up to three months, or both. These are unaffected by the decision of the Law Lords. However, prosecution is a last resort. When inspections show that produce does not comply with the standards, inspectors seek first to secure action to bring it into compliance. Prosecution is considered only where traders have failed to respond to repeated warnings.

Flooding Insurance

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to offer a Government home insurance scheme to owners of homes built on flood plains who cannot obtain commercial insurance cover; and if she will make a statement. [152336]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 February 2004]: The Government have no plans to introduce such a scheme.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), it is the intention of the insurance industry, that flood insurance should continue to be available to the vast majority of existing properties. As set out in the ABI's Statement of Principles ¹ , of the 1.9 million properties on the floodplain, flood insurance will continue to be available for all those properties defended to a minimum standard of 1 in 75, or for those properties where such defences are planned by 2007.

For other properties (currently estimated at 200,000), insurers cannot guarantee to maintain cover, but will examine the risks on a case-by-case basis, and will use their best efforts to continue to provide cover. ABI believes that nearly all homes are insurable to a degree, provided appropriate local action is taken to protect the property, e.g., use of flood resilient design, accredited protection products, and temporary defences. However, the insurance industry has signalled that inappropriate new developments in the floodplain are unlikely to be able to secure insurance cover.

¹ www.abi.org.uk/Display/File/78/Statement of Principles.doc

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the change in greenhouse gas emissions has been in (a) the UK, (b) Spain and (c) Portugal since 1990. [151489]

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Mr. Morley: Under the provisions of the Monitoring Mechanism Decision (Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 99/296/EC), member states are required to report annually to the European Commission on their anthropogenic emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The fourth progress report, published by the Commission in November 2003, shows data for member states' greenhouse gas emissions in 2001.

The base year uses 1990 data for emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. For the fluorinated gases, most member states have chosen 1995 as the base year, as allowed under the Protocol.

Under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the EU and its member states have agreed to meet their commitments jointly under a burden-sharing arrangement. The EU target, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent. below base year levels, has been redistributed between member states to reflect their national circumstances, requirements for economic growth, and the scope for further emission reductions. Under the burden sharing agreement Spain and Portugal have agreed to targets that allow for an increase in their greenhouse gas emissions. Spain has a target to increase its emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12, while Portugal has a target to increase emissions of greenhouse gases by 27 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12.

The UK's target is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. In 2001, UK emissions were 12.3 per cent. below base year levels; Spanish emissisons were 32.1 per cent. above base year levels and; Portuguese emissions were 36.4 per cent. above the base year levels. Provisional figures for 2002, for the UK only, indicates emissions were about 15 per cent. below the base year.

Gulf Stream

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has assessed on the impact of global warming on the Gulf Stream; and if she will make a statement. [152251]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 February 2004]: The responses of the Gulf Stream and other component: of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation are being investigated in a major joint research programme by CEFAS and by the RAPID programme of the Natural Environment Research Council, working with Dutch, Norwegian and US Research Councils. This issue is also being investigated by the Hadley Centre, funded by Department, in collaboration with the RAPID programme.

Under future climate change scenarios due to increased levels of greenhouse gases the Gulf Stream is predicted to weaken. Climate models do not, however, predict that the Gulf Stream will shut down. Consequently the UK and Western Europe are still predicted to warm by several degrees over the next century.

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