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30 Mar 2004 : Column 1298W—continued
Coastal Defence
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to improve coastal defences in East Anglia. [163615]
Mr. Morley: I understand that over the next 10 years the Environment Agency (EA) is planning to spend about £70 million on coastal defence projects on the East Anglian coast to provide increased protection to some 25,000 residential properties.
The EA is carrying out significant works at Hunstanton to Heacham; Happisburgh to Winterton; Great Yarmouth; Felixstowe; and Tilbury. Defra is also grant aiding Waveney district council for major works to protect against coastal erosion on Corton seafront, north of Lowestoft, and will consider applications from coast protection authorities for other works that meet the Department's criteria for funding.
Five Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) cover the East Anglian coast. These are all to be reviewed and second generation SMPs produced by 2008. SMPs are high-level plans that recommend policies for flood defence and coastal protection for the future. They take account of erosion and pressures on existing defences and the need to work more in keeping with natural processes. They outline the management policy for each area of the coastline for the next 100 years, and will provide predictions of the implications of these policies over the next 20, 50 and 100 years. The first of these, SMP3b covering the coast from Kelling to Lowestoft Ness, is currently being developed by North Norfolk district council as the lead authority, along with the EA and Great Yarmouth borough council. The draft policies for this SMP will be available for consultation later this year.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was (a) allocated to and (b) spent on coastal defence in each of the last five years. [163616]
Mr. Morley: The flood and coastal defence operating authorities promote schemes within the constraints of Defra funding criteria so funds are not specifically set aside for coastal defences as such.
The original Defra grant allocations to the operating authorities (Environment Agency (EA), local authorities (LAs) and internal drainage boards (IDBs)) for capital improvement of defences against flooding, both coastal and otherwise, and coastal erosion for each of the last five years, and the outturn are as follows:
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In addition to capital grants, Defra has provided LAs with borrowing cover for the net of grant costs of capital works and EA with contributions to national initiatives and costs incurred in relation to the autumn 2000 floods.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide an updated version of the point-scoring system used to decide upon priorities for coastal protection. [163753]
Mr. Morley: The Department's priority scoring system for the funding of flood defence and coast protection capital works was introduced in 1997 and revised in the light of experience following extensive consultation. The new system became operational from April 2003. There is no intended bias against coastal erosion schemes in the new system. If any unintended bias emerged the Department would be willing to consider changes to the system. Officials have agreed to hold a workshop with representatives of coast protection authorities to consider whether alternative approaches could inform the allocation process in future years.
Flood Protection
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Risk Assessment for Strategic Planning database held by the Environment Agency has been updated to take account of the performance of demountable flood defences in Bewdley; and when insurers will receive these data. [163111]
Mr. Morley: The Risk Assessment for Strategic Planning (RASP) method was used to produce the National Flood Risk Assessment 2002. The flood probability data arising from that exercise were provided under licence to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in July 2003. That database has not been updated to take account of the successful use of demountable defences in Bewdley.
The Environment Agency is currently developing the RASP method for use for the National Flood Risk Assessment 2004. This will take into account the demountable defences at Bewdley. The EA's current plans are to make the flood probability data from this analysis of flood risk available to the ABI later this year.
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to re-examine policy on the flood protection for
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mobile homes in flood risk areas, with particular reference to assessment of possible benefits arising from raising the level of these homes; and if she will make a statement. [163219]
Mr. Morley: The Department has no current plans to re-examine the policy on flood protection for mobile homes in flood risk areas.
Defra provides funding to the relevant operating authorities for capital works where an area at risk of flooding is of sufficient national priority, and where it is possible to provide a technically sound, economically viable and environmentally sustainable scheme to reduce flood risk. For mobile home sites, one of the considerations in determining whether the cost of protection is reasonable will generally include whether it would be more cost effective for the site to be moved to a lower risk location. Clearly site owners may choose to implement measures to reduce flood risk at their own expense (subject to necessary consents) and, as landowners, they are ultimately responsible for protecting their property against flooding.
Advice to the owners of caravan parks and campsites can be found in "Planning Policy Guidance 25: Development and Flood Risk", published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. PPG25 emphasises that owners should prepare safe and effective plans for action to be taken in the event of a flood at the site and ensure that any person who resides in a caravan or tent on that site is informed of the degree of risk and the action they should take in a flood event.
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether residents of flood risk areas are required to contribute towards the cost of evacuation, including temporary accommodation; and if she will make a statement. [155867]
Mr. Morley: The costs of evacuation of people from their homes because of flooding or risk of flooding is a matter for local authorities. The provision of temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated is a matter for individuals and their insurers, although local authorities can assist in cases where there is a need for their further assistance.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help is being given to farmers on the Somerset levels to help with flooding under the mid-term Common Agricultural Policy reform. [161879]
Mr. Morley: The Somerset levels are a flood plain where flooding is part of the natural cycle.
While there is no general right to flood protection and no provision to compensate land owners or occupiers for flood damage, there are existing examples of cases where farmers have received payment for additional intentional flooding that forms a part of justified new flood defence measures. There is no intention to give farmers specific help with flooding under CAP reform.
Agri-environment schemes in the area have promoted raised water levels on some farms to enhance the habitat. Whilst this is not a specific flood management tool it can make a contribution and we intend to continue it under Environmental Stewardship from 2005.
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GM Crops
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by her Department regarding the impact on the UK economy of adding each new GM crop. [164021]
Mr. Morley: As part of the GM Dialogue the Strategy Unit carried out a study of the costs and benefits of GM crops. Their report 'Field Work: weighing up the costs and benefits of GM crops' was published on 11 July last year. The report concluded that GM crops could offer some cost and convenience advantages to UK farmers, although any economic benefit is likely to be limited in the short term as only a narrow range of existing GM crops are currently suited to UK conditions, and weak consumer demand may limit take-up. In the longer term it concluded that future developments in GM crops have the potential to offer more wide-ranging benefits, to both farmers and consumers.
We will agree to the commercial cultivation of a GM crop only if we are satisfied that it is safe, and we will provide genuine choice for consumers. Ultimately, it will be for farmers and consumers to assess individual GM seeds and products and decide via the normal operation of the market whether they want to buy them.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to ensure that the Reading University cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize will be scientifically robust and independent of (a) Government and (b) GM crop technology companies. [163171]
Mr. Morley: The cattle feeding study carried out by Reading University was privately funded research. It is therefore not a matter for Government. I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study to a peer reviewed journal for publication so others will be able to assess the data when the peer review process is complete.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the Norwegian research on the safety of the CaMV promoter used in Chardon LL transgenic insert. [163205]
Mr. Morley: The reported new scientific evidence from Norway on the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter has yet to be published. When the details of this research do become available, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), which advises the Government on the risks posed by the intentional release of GMOs, will be asked to evaluate these data and advise on their implications for existing consents and future applications.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she gave consent for the harvested Chardon LL forage maize from FSE sites to be taken off-site and used in cattle feeding studies at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research; and what conditions were attached to that consent. [163212]
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Mr. Morley: The GM maize used in the farm scale evaluations has Europe-wide marketing consent for use in animal feed so no consent was required to use the harvested crop in the cattle feeding study carried out at the University of Reading.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Chardon LL cattle feeding studies at Reading University has cost public funds. [163214]
Mr. Morley: There has been no cost to public funds. I understand the study carried out at Reading University was privately funded.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what results she has obtained from the Chardon LL cattle feeding studies completed at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research in 2002. [163215]
Mr. Morley: I have not seen the results of this cattle feeding study, which was privately funded research undertaken by Reading University. Publication of the results of studies carried out by the university is a matter for them and those funding the work. However, I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study and the results to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the process will be for the formulation of GM coexistence and liability measures; [164424]
- (2) if it will be permissible for GM Chardon LL maize to be grown commercially in the United Kingdom before liability and compensation measures have been fully established; and whether she intends that such measures will be based on the principle of perpetual liability; [164425]
(3) whether statutory coexistence and liability measures will be put in place before GM Chardon LL maize can be grown commercially in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [164426]
(4) what measures she is taking to ensure that farmers wishing to grow GM crops commercially comply with a code of practice based on the EU 0.9 per cent. labelling threshold for GM content; and if she will give them statutory backing. [164427]
Mr Morley [holding answer 29 March 2004]: The GM maize Chardon LL will not be grown commercially in the UK before spring 2005 at the very earliest. The Government aim to have co-existence measures in place before then. We are proposing that GM growers should follow a code of practice which has statutory backing, based on the 0.9 per cent. EU labelling threshold for GM presence. It is envisaged that the code will include measures such as crop separation distances to minimise GM cross-pollination. We will consult stakeholders on the details of this as soon as possible, on whether a threshold below 0.9 per cent. should apply for organic production, and on options for providing compensation to non-GM farmers who incur a financial loss because a GM presence exceeds statutory thresholds.
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Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the process is for modifying the Part C consent of Chardon LL maize under Directive 90/220/EEC before it can be grown and managed in the United Kingdom. [164428]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 29 March 2004]: On 9 March officials wrote to the French Competent Authority, which issued the relevant consents on behalf of the EU Member States, seeking amendments to the consent for Bayer T25 GM maize (Chardon LL) to limit herbicide use with the crop in line with ACRE'S advice. In accordance with Directive 2001/18 the French Competent Authority are required to forward an assessment report to the Commission who will forward it to all the other Member States. A collective EU decision will then be made on the proposal for amending the conditions of the consent.
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results obtained from the Chardon LL cattle feeding studies which were completed at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research in 2002. [162981]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 23 March 2004]: I understand this cattle feeding study was privately funded research undertaken by Reading university. Publication of the results of studies carried out by the university is a matter for them and those funding the work. However, I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study and the results to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether parliamentary approval will be required to allow the commercial growing of GM maize. [163509]
Mr. Morley: No. The procedures for assessing individual applications to grow GM crops are set out in EU Directive 2001/18 and in the implementing UK legislation. These were subject to parliamentary scrutiny at the time. The legislation provides for decisions to be taken on individual applications by Government. Final decisions on commercial approvals for GM crops are taken collectively by EU member states.
The Government's policy on the commercial growing of GM crops was set out in the statement to Parliament on 9 March.
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