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29 Apr 2004 : Column 1193W—continued

Carbon Dioxide Reduction Target

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further steps the Government intend to take to reach the target of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, relative to 1990 levels, by 2010; and if she will make a statement. [167757]

Mr. Morley: The Government remain committed to the domestic goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010. The Department of Trade and Industry intends to publish shortly its updated energy and emissions projections, which will inform the planned review of the UK Climate Change Programme later this year. The review provides an opportunity to introduce new policies and measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or to strengthen existing ones, if the conclusion is that more needs to be done to achieve the domestic goal.

Cervine TB

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will specify the locations at which the deer in the vicinity of the Baronsdown deer sanctuary tested positive for TB; how many of the carcases were sent to the Veterinary Investigation Laboratories, and when; and how many laboratory tests are pending. [165176]

Mr. Bradshaw: Since the beginning of January 1998, there have been nine bacteriologically confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) in the Parish of Dulverton in West Somerset (eight red deer, one roe deer). Other deer submissions were bacteriologically negative.

In 2003, six (from seven) deer submissions from Exmoor proved positive for M.bovis.

In February 2004, eight red deer culled near Dulverton, Somerset as part of a routine annual random cull were submitted to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) at Langford. After examination by a
 
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Veterinary Investigation Officer, tissues from four animals with suspect lesions have been submitted for Mycobacterium culture. The results are awaited.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she takes against (a) farms and (b) others who fail to notify her Department of TB in deer. [165177]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Tuberculosis (Deer) Order 1989 provides for the compulsory notification of tuberculosis in deer and deer carcasses. Contravention or failure to comply with the provisions of the Order constitute an    offence against the Animal Health Act 1981. Prosecution would be carried out by the local authority.

Cockling

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to compensate cockle fishermen affected by the closure of cockle beds. [164286]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to provide financial compensation to cockle fishermen affected by the closure of cockle beds.

Dolphins/Porpoises

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her   Department is taking to press for the early implementation of the EU proposals to reduce accidental deaths of dolphins and porpoises from UK fishing activity. [164851]

Mr. Bradshaw: The UK has been seeking Community action for some time to address the accidental deaths of dolphins and porpoises from fishing activity. I am pleased therefore that agreement was reached on a new Council regulation to address this problem at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers Meeting on 22/23 March. The regulation will make the use of acoustic deterrent devices mandatory in certain fixed gear fisheries in the North Sea from 1 June 2005, in the Celtic Sea from 1 January 2006, and in the eastern Channel from 1 January 2007. The regulation also requires member states to implement schemes to monitor bycatch across a range of fisheries from 1 January 2005. This regulation is an important first step in the protection of dolphins and porpoises from the impact of fishing.

Environmental Support

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and (b) Regional Development Agencies on   successor organisations and programme to Vital Villages. [167972]

Alun Michael: The Vital Villages programme was a three year pilot programme which was intended to explore what would best enable village communities to determine their own future. Some commentators have wrongly referred to the scheme as being "cut" when a further £14 million is being invested this year in maintaining the scheme, despite the fact that it is closed to new applicants. With a variety of partners including
 
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the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister we are considering how best to promote the lessons of the programme in seeking to target support for rural communities that need help through mainstream Government programmes such as local authority community planning, Neighbourhood Renewal and other regeneration programmes. We will also consider whether an independent successor arrangement to the Vital Villages scheme is necessary.

Erosion

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what land area in total was affected by problems of soil erosion in each of the last 10 years, broken down by county; and what area of agricultural land in total has become unusable in each case. [165752]

Mr. Bradshaw: All soils that are not sealed, e.g. built on, are potentially at risk of erosion. Whether erosion occurs depends on various factors, especially land management, soil type and weather conditions.

Over the last 10 years very little agricultural land has become unusable due to soil erosion, although a number of watercourses have suffered damage from siltation and/or eutrophication due to soil-borne nutrients.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the volume of soil erosion, as measured in tonnes per hectare per annum was, broken down by country in (a) 1975, (b) 1985, (c) 1995 and (d) 2002. [165814]

Mr. Bradshaw: Latest estimates taken between 1996 and 1998 suggest that total erosion from arable land in England and Wales is estimated at 2.9 million tonnes per annum. These losses are concentrated in small and limited areas within catchments where particular land   management practices, soil types and weather conditions present the highest risk to erosion. In such risky areas losses range between 0.01 to 12 tonnes per hectare per annum, with a median value of 0.1 tonnes per hectare per annum. We do not have comparable figures broken down by year and country.

EU Environmental Liability Directive

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the status of (a) the EU and (b) the UK   regarding the European Environmental Liability Directive. [168085]

Alun Michael: Following the Council common position in September and the European Parliament's second reading in December, the Council and the Parliament reached agreement on an amended draft. The Council and the Parliament have since adopted the Directive, as amended, at their respective third readings. The Government supported the common position and the agreement reached with the Parliament, both of which delivered our key objectives. When it comes into force, member states will have three years to implement the Directive which will be published in the Official Journal shortly, when it will come in to force.

The Government have begun consideration of the implementation of the Directive.
 
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Fauna Distribution

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average number of species in (a) grassland and (b) woodland was (i) on the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) 10 years ago, broken down by region. [165739]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information is as follows:

(a) Grassland:

Semi-natural grasslands are divided into six main Biodiversity Action Plan priority types. The figures in the table give an indication of the average number of plant species expected in a 4m 2 quadrat, assuming ideal management. But large variation in species number can occur depending on the different sub-types of grassland within the broad categories.
BAP priority grassland typeAverage number species per 4m(7) quadrat
Lowland calcareous grassland23
Upland calcareous grassland29
Lowland meadows26
Upland meadows26
Purple moor grass and rush pastures25
Lowland acid grassland18

The Countryside Surveys were established to monitor changes in land cover, landscape and biodiversity in Great Britain. Data has to date been collected for 1984, 1990 and 1998. This shows a change in mean number of species between 1990 and 1998. In the case of neutral grassland; calcareous and acid grassland in the west lowlands, a small decline in mean number of plant species/plot was recorded. But these changes were not   statistically significant. A statistically significant increase in mean number species/plot was recorded for acid grassland in the uplands.

The random sampling approach means that for some rarer habitats, such as calcareous grasslands, the sample sizes were small decreasing the precision of the results.

(b) Woodland:

Woodlands are structurally diverse, and habitat for a vast number of species, including vascular plants, birds,   mammals, invertebrates, lichens, fungi and soil microbes. No comprehensive study has been undertaken.

Woodlands can be categorised by broad Biodiversity Action Plan type; whether they are recognised as ancient or recent; semi-natural or plantation. Generally there is higher vascular plant species on ancient, semi-natural woodland. The survey data available over this time span includes all broadleaved woodland.
Average species richness for different woodland types, using 4x4m or 10x10m quadrants. Adapted from Rodwell 1991


Priority BAP Habitat type
Average number of species per plot
Wet woodland25
Upland ash36
Upland oak29
Beech15
Yew5

The Countryside Survey also covers woodland habitat, and can be used to show relative change over
 
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the same time period. The methodology used did not distinguish between different woodland types shown above, nor did it specify ancient woodland, so figures may be lower than expected.

The following table below shows the mean species richness for a random sample of woods in England and Wales, between 1990 and 1998, using 200m 2 quadrants. From Haines-Young et al (2003).
ZoneNumber of samplesMean species richness 1990Mean species richness 1998
15713.7911.26
24316.9315.93
31818.8916.89




Zones:
1=Easterly and southerly lowlands
2=West lowlands
3=Uplands




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