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6 May 2004 : Column 1663W—continued
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the Government's commitment to end fuel poverty by 2010. [167769]
Mr. Morley:
The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy Second Annual Progress Report was published recently, providing an update of progress during the last year. The most recent estimates show a fall in the number of households in fuel poverty in the UK to 2.25 million in
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2002, from around 3 million in 2001. The number of fuel poor households in England in 2002 is estimated to have fallen to around 1.4 million.
The Fuel Poverty Implementation Plan, due to be published in the summer, will set out proposals for achieving our target to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as reasonably practicable, by 2010 for all vulnerable households in England and 2016 for all households in England.
Global Warming
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of experiments to use oceans to absorb more carbon dioxide by spraying them with iron filings and the impact this will have on global warming. [169239]
Mr. Morley: Experimental studies of iron fertilisation have so far been carried out on a relatively small scale, and computer models are needed to estimate the consequences of large scale fertilisation. Modelling studies of iron fertilisation are currently performed as part of Defra's Climate Prediction Programme at the Hadley Centre.
Iron fertilisation encourages extra growth of phytoplankton, which increases the uptake of carbon dioxide from the water and subsequently the atmosphere. Preliminary studies have indicated that even wide spread and continuous iron fertilisation would reduce levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide by only a small fraction, making it unlikely that there would be a significant impact on global warming. In addition, the consequences of such fertilisation on marine ecosystems could be severe.
Local Authority Smallholdings
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Department has to propose amendments to the law with regard to the reference by a county council of its decision to dispose of all or part of its smallholdings. [170137]
Alun Michael: The operation and management of county council smallholdings estates by local authorities is regulated by the Agriculture Act 1970. I can confirm that we have no plans to amend this Act.
National Allocation Plan
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent the requirements of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive with regard to energy efficiency have been taken into account in the design of the UK's National Allocation Plan. [167761]
Mr. Morley:
The energy projections, used as the basis for calculating the allocation of allowances under the National Allocation Plan, take into account carbon dioxide emission reductions resulting from the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive. Therefore the allocation methodology used reflects the reductions in carbon dioxide emissions resulting from
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the requirements of the directive. A working paper on the updated energy projections will be published by the Department for Trade and Industry in May.
Under the directive, member states may choose not to impose Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control energy efficiency provisions on installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. We are currently deciding how we intend to use this provision in the UK.
Orchards
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the number of (a) animal and (b) plant species that will be affected by the loss of traditional orchards. [168158]
Alun Michael: Defra regards traditional orchards as an important habitat for a wide range of species including wild flowers, lichens, insects and birds, and funds their conservation through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Quality Parish Councils
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) parish and (b) town councils have achieved the status of Quality Parish Councils, in the last year broken down by area. [170579]
Alun Michael: (a) There are 17 parish councils that have achieved Quality Status in the last year. By area they are:
| Name of council | Area |
|---|---|
| Holywell-cum-Needingworth Parish Council | Cambridgeshire |
| Poynton Parish Council | Cheshire |
| Upton by Chester Parish Council | Cheshire |
| Winsford Parish Council | Cheshire |
| Stokenham Parish Council | Devon |
| St. Osyth Parish Council | Essex |
| Hamble-le-Rice Parish Council | Hampshire |
| Headley Parish Council | Hampshire |
| Wootton Bridge Parish Council | Isle of Wight |
| Asfordby Parish Council | Leicestershire and Rutland |
| Braunstone Parish Council | Leicestershire and Rutland |
| Lawley and Overdale Parish Council | Shropshire |
| Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council | Shropshire |
| Hurstpierpoint Sayers Common Parish Council | Sussex |
| Cuckfield Parish Council | Sussex |
| Curdworth Parish Council | Warwickshire and West Midlands |
| Melksham without Parish Council | Wiltshire |
(b) There are 28 town councils that have achieved Quality Status in the last year. By area are:
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Pesticides
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to make a statement on the effectiveness of the Pesticides Voluntary Initiative. [169487]
Alun Michael: The Government regularly reviews progress with the Voluntary Initiative on pesticides and reports its broad conclusions in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report. In Budget 2004 the Government confirmed the view that the Initiative will achieve the most effective way of reducing the environmental impacts of pesticide use provided it is fully implemented. However, to cover the potential case that the Initiative might fail to deliver the required environmental benefits within a reasonable time scale, the Government continues to keep the options for a tax or economic instrument under review. This remains the Government's position.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulation of sprayers her Department undertakes under the Pesticides Voluntary Initiative. [170135]
Alun Michael: The Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides includes a National Sprayer Testing Scheme. This tests spray equipment to ensure that it can be used safely and effectively. The Scheme had a target to test 5,000 sprayers by 31 March 2004 and, while final figures are not yet in, appears to have achieved that level of uptake.
The Initiative also includes projects to develop and promote best practice in the use of spray equipment. In particular, the National Register of Sprayer Operators helps pesticide users to keep up to date with good practice.
As its name suggests, the Voluntary Initiative is not part of pesticide regulation as such but the Government wishes to see the Initiative succeed and has urged pesticide users to take part.
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