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Fertilisers

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has to make the regulations for (a) the manufacture and (b) the supply of ammonium nitrate fertiliser more stringent; [172742]

(2)   what measures her Department and its predecessors have taken to control the manufacture, storage and use of ammonium nitrate fertiliser; [172745]

(3)   how many tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser was manufactured in the United Kingdom in each year since 2000. [172747]

Alun Michael: The Government have taken a number of measures to control the manufacture, storage and use of Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser in the general climate of heightened security. We need to balance the risks of potential misuse associated with AN against its clear and proven benefits in supporting food output in this country.

The Government have been working with the fertiliser industry to improve controls in the storage and supply chain of AN. We have endorsed industry guidelines which advise producers and sellers of AN fertiliser to:

sell only to known, bone fide customers, in particular those who have a credit account;

refrain from making cash sales;

ask questions to potential buyers of AN fertiliser to establish their knowledge of agriculture;

in the case of suspicious inquiries, to record and notify the police of the purchaser's name and address (verified by documentary proof such as details from a driving licence) and full details of the inquirer's vehicle, including the registration number.

We are continuing our dialogue with industry and have asked them to produce a code of practice to encourage direct deliveries from manufacturers to farmers to shorten supply chains and ensure better traceability. We have also endorsed industry guidance, produced in collaboration with farmers unions and the police, on "Security of Fertiliser Storage on Farm".

To supplement the voluntary measures, DEFRA has introduced regulations to control the supply of both home produced and imported AN. The regulations require AN fertiliser, with a high nitrogen content, including mixtures, to have satisfied a Detonation Resistance Test and all sellers have to maintain records of sales.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a self-help checklist to all those known to be handling or storing significant quantities of AN. The checklist has been distributed widely. It is aimed at spreading good practice and offering HSE as a source of further advice. Additionally, HSE has lowered the notification threshold under the Notification of Installations
 
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Handling Hazardous Substances Regulations 1982 from 500 to 150 tonnes and widened the range of products to be included in the notifications.

The regulations governing the manufacture and supply of AN fertilisers are kept under continuous review and further measures will be taken if necessary.

There are only two companies manufacturing AN fertiliser in the UK. It would not be appropriate to release production figures as it would enable each company to identify the manufacturing output of their competitor and would therefore breach commercial confidentiality.

Landfill Tax

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the revenue from landfill tax as a result of the diversion of catering waste from pig swill to landfill since the ban on swill feed was implemented. [172684]

Mr. Morley: No estimates have been made of the revenue from landfill tax resulting from the diversion of catering waste from pig swill to landfill.

Water Quality Standards

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the impact on water quality in Aylesbury of the draft Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-regional strategy. [172161]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is working with Thames Water to ensure that water quality standards are maintained in Aylesbury in the light of development planned in the draft Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-regional strategy.

Orchards

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken (a) to protect orchards and (b) to ensure that fruit varieties do not become extinct. [173316]

Alun Michael: The conservation of traditional orchards is funded through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and fruit varieties are protected in the National Fruit Collection.

Parliamentary Answers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy not to despatch one page parliamentary answers in large heavy-duty envelopes. [174766]

Alun Michael: I was not aware that officials were despatching one page parliamentary answers in large heavy duty envelopes. I have today asked officials to ensure that the hon. Members one page parliamentary answers are placed in an appropriately sized envelope.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 152W, on secondees from outside organisations working in her
 
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Department, in which Answers to Parliamentary Questions (a) Joanna Enright of Ashursts and (b) Nader Bahri of Powergen were involved in the drafting process. [174087]

Alun Michael: The Department has been careful not to involve either Joanna Enright or Dr Nader Bahri in the preparation of PQ answers where there is the potential for a conflict of interest.

Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date she expects to make her announcement of pesticide buffer zones. [174764]

Alun Michael: Officials have reported to Ministers and the evidence and the implications of any decision are currently being considered. Our priority is to ensure that the right decision is made and I will make a statement as soon as possible.

PFI Projects

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what role her Department has played in ensuring that private finance initiative projects create the minimum of environmental damage; [173113]

(2) what assessment her Department has made of (a) the (i) sustainability and (ii) environmental impacts of private finance initiative (PFI) projects and (b) the effectiveness of the PFI process in delivering environmentally sustainable projects; [173114]

(3) what role her Department (a) has and (b) plans to take to make the private finance initiative process more accountable and transparent in terms of environmental sustainability; [173115]

(4) what action her Department has taken to ensure other Government Departments deliver sustainability within private finance initiative projects. [173116]

Mr. Morley: In line with the Government's overarching commitment, Departments need to consider all aspects of sustainable development when entering into new PFI/PPP contracts. By taking a long term view, PFI/PPPs require an assessment of whole life costs and can promote a more efficient use of resources.

In July 2002, the Department together with ODPM, OGC and DfT jointly issued a guidance note, Green Public Private Partnerships, on how to include environmental considerations within PFI and PPP projects. This added to guidance on PFI projects issued by the Treasury and supports commitments being developed under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

The biodiversity and energy sections of the Framework, published in August 2003 and February 2004 respectively, commit all Government Departments to include clauses relating to sustainable development issues in relevant contracts, including PPPs and PFls. It is anticipated that future sections of the framework on waste, estates management and construction, and procurement will include similar provisions. The Framework will be reviewed in 2004–05 and further
 
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consideration will be given to how best Departments can take account of sustainable development in future PPPs/PFls contracts. The Department's officials are working closely with officials from OGC in order to ensure that the Framework is fully coordinated with OGC's Achieving Excellence construction procurement guidance, in particular with Achieving Excellence Guide 11: Sustainability, which is currently under development.

Furthermore, from 1 April 2004 Departments must now explicitly identify any significant environmental and social costs and benefits, as well as economic costs and benefits when carrying out a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). This will cover RIAs carried out on new PFI/PPP projects.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contracts awarded to W.S. Atkins by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies since June 2001, broken down by (i) value of the contract and (ii) nature of the work. [173117]

Alun Michael: Over the three financial years 2001/02; 2002/03 and 2003/04 core-Defra spent £6,679,742 with W.S. Atkins on facilities management, technical and professional services. Information on the nature of individual contracts cannot be provided as it is not held centrally. The Department is in the process of compiling a central list for the future but this will take some time to complete.

Information on the value and nature of individual contracts awarded to W.S. Atkins by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

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