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11 Mar 2004 : Column 1624W—continued
Agency Budgets
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget
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of the (a) Environment Agency and (b) Countryside Agency were in each year from 1998–99 to 2005–06 (planned); and if she will make a statement. [156601]
Alun Michael: (a) The budget for the Environment Agency from 1998–99 to 2003–04 was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 593.0 |
| 1999–2000 | 617.9 |
| 2000–01 | 640.3 |
| 2001–02 | 702.8 |
| 2002–03 | 782.5 |
| 2003–04 | 805.2 |
(b) The Countryside Agency was established on 1 April 1999. Its budget from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 54.1 |
| 2000–01 | 63.5 |
| 2001–02 | 100.6 |
| 2002–03 | 108.7 |
| 2003–04 | 112.0 |
The budget of the Environment Agency and Countryside Agency for future years will be confirmed in due course.
Asbestos
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the buildings occupied by her Department's staff, including agencies, which require (a) remedial work on and (b) the removal of asbestos; what that work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys. [159364]
Alun Michael: No buildings occupied by Defra or its Executive Agencies staff require remedial work to residual asbestos. In 2003–04, £260,000 was spent on surveys and
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preparation of management plans as required by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
In 2004–05, £200,000 has been allocated to complete the management plans. No further surveys are planned.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of buildings occupied by (a) staff of the Department and (b) staff of the Department's executive agencies have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos prior to implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. [159374]
Asgard Systems
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice was given by the Environment Agency to Mr. Ross Donovan in answer to his letter of 14 February 2001, asking for information on any legislation which a prototype waste to energy plant might need to comply with; and if she will make a statement. [156715]
Mr. Morley: On the basis of the information provided to the Environment Agency, the Agency advised Mr. Donovan that the activity did not require a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations, but that the registration of the activity as an exempt activity under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations was required. The Agency reached this view based on the Pollution Prevention Control Regulations existing at that time.
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) phone conversations between (i) her Department and (ii) the Environment Agency and (A) Mr. Ross Donovan of Biggleswade and (B) Asgard Systems Ltd of Bedford relating to the development of a waste to energy plant by Mr. Donovan. [156716]
Mr. Morley: A list of recorded communications with Mr Donovan and Asgard Systems Ltd. relating to the development of a waste to energy plant is provided in the table.
| Date | Type of contact | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 24 February 2003 | Correspondence | Asgard made an application to the Environment Agency for registration as an exempt activity from Waste Management Licensing |
| 24 July 2003 | Meeting | Mr. Donovan met Environment Agency officials (followed by a letter from the Environment Agency to Mr. Donovan, clarifying that his plant would be subject to the Waste Incineration Directive, according to the Government's Waste Incineration Regulations issued in December 2002) |
| 11 September 2003 | Correspondence | Asgard e-mailed Defra official |
| 11 September 2003 | Telephone conversation | Defra official telephoned Asgard |
| 19 September 2003 | Correspondence | Mr. Donovan e-mailed Defra official |
| 14 November 2003 | Meeting | Defra and Environment Agency officials visited Mr. Donovan and colleagues at prototype plant near Milton Keynes |
| 14 November 2003 | Correspondence | Defra official e-mailed Mr. Donovan |
| 28 November 2003 | Telephone conversation | Defra official telephoned Mr. Donovan |
| 16 December 2003 | Correspondence | Defra official wrote to Mr. Donovan |
| 29 January 2004 | Meeting | Mr. Donovan, his colleagues and Alistair Burt MP met Elliot Morley (Minister for the Environment), and Defra and Environment Agency officials |
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Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will instruct the Environment Agency to conduct an inquiry into the part played by the Agency in the liquidation of Asgard Systems Ltd of Bedford. [156719]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency has a well established "Complaints and Commendations Procedure" which is used to investigate any complaints against it. If Asgard Systems Ltd. makes a complaint to the Agency, it will undertake an appropriate inquiry according to this procedure.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Aviation)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to include aviation in the target of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. [158830]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 4 March 2004]: The Government are committed to putting the UK on a path to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by 2050. International flights from the UK do not currently count in the national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions as there is no international agreement yet on ways of allocating such emissions between countries. However, the Government's Energy White Paper made it clear that the aviation industry is encouraged to take account of, and where appropriate reduce, its contribution to global warming.
This was restated, and built on, in the recently published Air Transport White Paper which announced a package of measures to reduce the impact of aviation on climate change. This included the Government's intention to press for the inclusion of intra-EU air services in the forthcoming EU emissions trading scheme, and that this will be a priority for the UK Presidency in 2005, with a view to aviation joining the scheme from 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Batteries
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental consequences of disposing of spent batteries to landfill. [156347]
Mr. Morley: The main environmental concerns associated with the landfilling of batteries relate to the potential generation and discharge of leachate into the environment of hazardous substances i.e. cadmium, lead and mercury, all known to be toxic to the aquatic environment and human health. Discharge of these substances to the environment are likely to occur through (a) the compaction of weight, leading to substances discharging from the battery and (b) percolation of rainfall further leaching these substances into groundwater. It is however worth noting that spent batteries constitute only 0.1 per cent. of the Municipal Solid Waste stream.
The Belgian Government recently commissioned a study Targeted Risk Assessment Report, (TRAR) currently under scientific peer review, to identify the environmental impacts of disposing batteries in landfill.
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The TRAR study mainly focused on cadmium containing batteries and concluded that the impact of batteries on landfill leachate could not be judged, based upon current lack of knowledge and methodology. In addition, risks related to the uncertainties of hazardous substances from batteries going to leachate, would require the adoption of risk management measures.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of batteries were recycled in each European Union country in the last year for which figures are available. [156348]
Mr. Morley: Information on percentage of batteries recycled in European Union countries is not readily available for all battery chemistries. Member states have not been required to provide this in the past. However, officials are in the process of acquiring this data.
Portable battery collection rates are available for 2002 and are as follows:
| Country | Collection ratein percentage of sales in 2002 | Grams per inhabitant |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 44 | 179 |
| Belgium | 59 | 228 |
| France | 16 | 69 |
| Germany | 39 | 157 |
| Netherlands | 32 | 116 |
| Sweden | 55 | 193 |
| Spain | 14 | 61 |
| UK | 0.5 | 2 |
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many spent batteries, other than vehicle batteries, are generated each year in the United Kingdom; what quantity of each heavy metal is involved; and what percentage of these batteries are recycled. [156349]
Mr. Morley: No studies have been undertaken, so far, to assess the quantities of batteries that enter the waste stream annually in the UK. However, we do know that in 2002, 45.5 per cent. of the annual sales of the 15 European member states, went for final disposal (incineration or landfill) instead of being collected and recycled.
The following quantities of heavy metals are found in each battery.
| Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non rechargeable general purpose battery | ||
| Zinc | 20 | |
| Manganese | 20 | |
| Ferrous Metal | 20 | |
| Copper | 10 | |
| Non rechargeable button cell | ||
| Zinc | 26 | |
| Silver | 34 | |
| Ferrous Metal | 30 | |
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| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Nickel Cadmium | |
| Cadmium | 15 |
| Nickel | 25 |
| Steel | 35 |
| Nickel Metal Hydride | |
| Nickel | 40 |
| Steel | 18 |
| Lithium Ion | |
| Acier | 22 |
| Cobalt | 17 |
The European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA) estimated that the UK sent 424 tonnes of nickel cadmium batteries, 45 tonnes of nickel metal hydride and 38 tonnes of zinc carbon, alkali and zinc air batteries for recycling in 2002.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the preparedness of (a) her Department and (b) the UK to meet the targets in the draft EU Directive on batteries and accumulators and spent batteries and accumulators; [156362]
- (2) what steps she is taking to increase the percentage of batteries other than vehicle batteries that are recovered from the waste stream. [156346]
Mr. Morley: The draft Batteries Directive requires member states to achieve collection targets for household batteries (44 per cent.) and household Nickel Cadmium batteries (80 per cent.), and that all automotive and industrial batteries are collected and sent for recycling. At present, the UK is collecting less than one per cent. of household batteries and in 2002, 87 per cent. of the total automotive batteries put on the market were collected and sent for recycling. HMG will be commissioning work, in the near future, to obtain data on the collection and recycling rates of industrial batteries.
The Government welcome the draft Directive. Defra and DTI are already in talks with those stakeholders affected by the proposal and are looking at ways to secure early participation, to enable the UK to successfully meet the collection target within the given timeframe. In addition, both Departments are fully involved in discussions with the Commission and the European Parliament, to ensure that targets for the collection and recycling of household batteries are challenging, but achievable.
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