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Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's progress towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050. [153803]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 February 2004]: Provisional data for 2002 shows that carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 8.7 per cent. between 1990 and 2002.

The Government aims to cut the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent. by around 2050, with real progress towards this goal by 2020. To put us on course, we estimate that in addition to the cuts from existing policies in the Climate Change Programme we will need to aim for further cuts of 15–25 MtC (million tonnes of carbon) by 2020. As set out in the Energy White Paper, published in February 2003, the key measures to achieve this goal will be to increase the share of renewable energy and reduce energy demand by increasing energy efficiency.

On renewables, the Government's target is for 10 per cent. of UK electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2010, with an aspiration to double this share to 20 per cent. by 2020. Though we have started from a low base we are making encouraging progress towards the 2010 target. The Government has also announced its intention to raise the levels of the Renewables Obligation beyond 2010/11. Further yearly targets have been set, reaching 15.4 per cent. in 2015/2016.

On energy efficiency, the Government plans to publish its Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan in the spring, which will set out how it intends to deliver the White Paper commitments.

Carbon Trust

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion

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of the Carbon Trust budget for the last financial year has been allocated for projects in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland; what proportion remains unallocated; what funds have been allocated to hydrogen demonstration and innovation projects; and what proportion of funds have been allocated to small and medium enterprises. [153937]

Mr. Morley: The Carbon Trust is a private company limited by guarantee that receives funding from: the Climate Change Levy (via Defra for England and via separate relationships with the Devolved Administrations); Defra for the non-domestic element of the UK wide Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme (EEBPp). The Carbon Trust was allocated a total of £49.6 million for 2002–03 (including £17.1 million from the EEBPp) by my Department.

The Carbon Trust carried out an assessment of the technologies needed to deliver a low carbon economy to inform the development of its Innovation Programme. Suitable proposals for hydrogen based technologies such as fuel cells, infrastructure and hydrogen production will be considered as priorities. But no specific sum has been set aside for these technologies.

The Carbon Trust manages Action Energy, the UK's main energy efficiency information, advice and research programme for organisations in the public and business sectors. Action Energy services including site visits are available to UK businesses regardless of size. The Carbon Trust also run the Action Energy Loan fund that provides loans of between £5,000 and £50,000 specifically to Small and Medium Enterprises for energy efficiency projects.

Chicken Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research into broiler chicken welfare she has (a) commissioned and (b) received, with particular reference to issues of lameness in broiler chickens kept at stocking densities above 30 kilograms per square metre. [154774]

Mr. Bradshaw: Defra has commissioned research projects into a number of areas. This includes projects on the effect of stocking density and the causes and management of leg health problems. These issues are highly complex and there are many factors influencing the welfare conditions of meat chickens. The Department continues to review the results of research and assess proposals that have been received. Details of the Department's research programme are published on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government will support the recommendations of the report from the EU Scientific Committee for Animal Health and Animal Welfare on chicken welfare. [154775]

Mr. Bradshaw: The report of the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare is the first step in enabling the Commission to produce proposals on specific welfare standards for meat chickens. The UK will take account

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of the recommendations alongside other evidence during the negotiations on the proposals. The Commission expects to issue proposals later this year.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average recovery level achieved by licensed UK plants in respect of CFC R12 from refrigeration equipment was in each year for which figures are available. [154285]

Mr. Morley: For 2003, the average recovery level of CFC R12 achieved at fridge destruction facilities in England and Wales was 50.5 g per unit and for CFC R11 186.13 g, therefore giving a total of 236.63 g per fridge.

For 2001 and 2002, figures for CFC R12 and CFC R11 are not separately available.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many items of equipment containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were processed in each year for which CFC recovery figures are available. [154286]

Mr. Morley: For the year 2002, 299,000 items of equipment containing refrigerants were treated in England and Wales and 418,000 units were exported for recovery to Germany and the Netherlands.

For the year 2003, 979,336 items of equipment containing refrigerants treated in England and Wales and 377,168 units exported for treatment to Germany, Netherlands and Denmark.

Not all the refrigerants within the equipment were CFCs. Reporting mechanisms for future years will undertake to distinguish between different refrigerants.

Civil Liability (Claims/Actions)

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil liability (a) claims and (b) actions (i) have been initiated and (ii) are pending, by or on behalf of her Department against (A) contractors, (B) farmers and (C) others, in respect of claims made for works undertaken on behalf of her Department; how many court hearings have been completed; how many cases have been successful; and how much money has been (1) recovered and (2) saved as a result of these actions. [150554]

Alun Michael: The Department launched civil proceedings against one contractor in the Mayors and City of London county court and obtained judgment against the contractor on 6 January 2004.

Three prosecutions were commenced into fraudulent claims for compensation by farmers: one farmer pleaded guilty, two farmers were acquitted. There are no outstanding civil or criminal prosecutions against farmers.

Currently, there are five civil cases in the Courts pertaining to expenditure with contractors on goods, services and works during the FMD outbreak in 2001. It would be inappropriate to comment on cases that are

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the subject of ongoing court proceedings. Similarly, public comment cannot be made on civil or criminal cases that are pending.

Civil Servants

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the figures were in January 1997. [150265]

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Douglas Alexander) on 9 February, Official Report, column 1293W.

Combustion Plants

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many states in the EU who operate indigenous coal industries have applied for the Emissions Limited Values option within the Large Combustion Plant Directive. [148756]

Mr. Morley: The Directive requires that member states send their National Plan to the Commission if they propose to follow this option. According to the latest information provided by the European Commission, two other member states, Ireland and Finland, have submitted a National Plan in addition to the UK. There is no requirement on member states to notify the Commission if they intend to adopt the alternative Emissions Limit Value option

Committee on Radioactive Waste Management

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what use has been made by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management of the final report of the information needs research project commissioned by her Department in 2002; and if she will place a copy of the report in the Library. [154691]

Mr. Morley: The Committee will consider this and other relevant reports when drawing up its work programme, agreeing this work programme with sponsoring Ministers, and subsequently implementing this agreed programme. The report, published in October 2002, under the reference Defra/RAS/02.014, may be accessed via Defra's Radioactive Substances Research website (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/radioactivity/research/index.htm). I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Library.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual budget in 2003–04 for the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management is; and what plans she has, in consultation with the devolved Administrations, to increase its budgets. [154693]

Mr. Morley: For this financial year, CoRWM is working within existing Defra budgets to formulate its detailed work programme and associated estimates of resource needs. This programme and estimates, once

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agreed with sponsoring Ministers, will provide the basis for formally allocated Committee budgets for subsequent financial years.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management is empowered to sub-contract research to consultants. [154694]

Mr. Morley: It is for CoRWM to judge what contracts, or sub-contracts may be required to enable it to carry out its programme. Contracts will be placed by my Department on behalf of CoRWM. All contracts and sub-contracts, which, in CoRWM's view, materially impact on its work programme, will be subject to approval by CoRWM. In all cases, Government procurement procedures will apply.

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