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25 May 2004 : Column 1500W—continued

Single Farm Payments

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the future profitability of farms following the introduction of the single farm payments scheme. [173691]

Alun Michael: The Single Payment will decouple direct subsidies from the type or level of production. This will encourage farmers to respond to market signals rather than produce according to individual subsidy regimes. Decoupling payments from production is expected to lead to higher farm prices and consequently higher farm incomes. Defra economists estimate that overall, UK farm incomes will increase by around 5 per cent. of the forecast Total Income from Farming for 2003. This is an aggregate figure and the change in farm profitability will vary between different farm types and sizes. Further information can be found in the Economic Position of the Farming Industry report published on the Defra website at http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/reports/repfi.pdf.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to provide more assistance to (a) owner-occupiers and (b) tenants of small intensive livestock farms after the introduction of single farm payments. [169740]

Alun Michael: We have no plans to differentiate payments to reflect the numbers of livestock kept on individual farms. Basing payments on stocking densities would create an incentive to increase production. By freeing up payments from the volume of production, producers will in future be free to meet market needs.

Supermarkets

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the Office of Fair Trading continues to monitor the economic relationships between food producers and supermarkets; and if she will make a statement. [174201]

Alun Michael: We maintain close contact with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on issues that have a bearing on the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers, and in particular on the supermarkets' Code of Practice. As part of the Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, the OFT has undertaken to continuously monitor the practices of the supermarkets to which the Code applies.

UK Produce

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of honey produced in the UK was for the UK market in the last year for which figures are available. [173764]

Alun Michael: UK production and supply of honey in 2003 is given in the following table.
 
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UK honey production and supply 2003

	Thousand tonnes
Production	7.5
Imports(1)	22.0
Exports(1)	1.1
Total supply(2)	28.4
UK production for the UK market as percentage(3)	85.9
UK production as percentage of total supply	26.3

 
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¹  Includes artificial honey.

²  Production plus imports less exports. ³  Production less exports as a percentage of production.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) apples, (b) pears, (c) strawberries and (d) raspberries grown in the UK was for the UK market in the last year for which figures are available. [173765]

Alun Michael: UK production and supply of apples, pears, strawberries and raspberries are given in the following table:
UK production and supplies of selected fruit 2003 Thousand tonnes

	Apples	Pears	Strawberries	Raspberries
Production	123.6	29.6	41.8	8.0
Imports	473.4	116.6	35.9	4.7
Exports	12.5	3.0	0.2	0.0
Total supply(1)	584.5	143.2	77.5	12.7
UK production for the UK market as percentage(2)	89.9	89.9	99.5	99.8
UK production as percentage of total supply	21.1	20.7	53.9	63.1

⁽¹⁾   Production plus imports less exports.
⁽²⁾   Production less exports as a percentage of production.

Underground Fuel Storage

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what action has been taken to reduce the (a) number and (b) severity of pollution incidents from underground tanks at petrol stations; [173802]

(2)   what recent risk assessments have been undertaken of potential oil leakage from underground tanks at petrol stations; [173804]

(3)   what estimate she has made of the proportion of underground oil tanks at petrol stations which have (a) double-skinned tanks and (b) remote wetstock monitoring. [173805]

Mr. Morley: The "Groundwater Protection Code: Petrol Stations and Fuel Dispensing Underground Storage Tanks", was published by DEFRA in 2002. It sets out a framework of good practice to help petrol station operators to avoid groundwater pollution and comply with the Groundwater Regulations. The Environment Agency has also developed operating agreements with individual petroleum companies that aim to prioritise capital investment based on a common understanding of environmental risk. The Agency will be reviewing the effectiveness of operating agreements piloted with a number of petroleum licensing authorities, in order to improve notification of spills, with a view to extending their use.

Environmental risk assessments are the responsibility of the operators of petrol stations. The Environment Agency has worked with the UK Petroleum Industry Association to develop a suitable risk assessment technique that is widely available to operators. The Environment Agency has also undertaken a number of pollution prevention visits to high risk petrol stations for the purposes of the Groundwater Regulations.

Information on double-skinned oil tanks, or remote wetstock monitoring, at petrol stations is not collected and held centrally. However, the Environment Agency, in carrying out its duties to prevent pollution from petrol stations, will consider pollution problems on an individual basis according to the particular risk posed.

Water Metering

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who would reduce their water bills if they switched to a metered supply. [172781]

Mr. Morley: Research was undertaken by Maxwell Stamp consultancy for the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and published in July 1998 ("Incidence Effects of Charging for Domestic Water and Sewerage Services").

This research showed that, using the standing charges and volumetric charges at that time, 55 per cent. of pensioners would pay less on measured charges, but 45 per cent. would pay more.

The existence and extent of savings depends on both the quantity of water used and on the alternative unmeasured basis of charging from which the household might change.

The research informed the Government's decision to introduce the free meter option, which has been of benefit, especially to those in small properties and making least use of water services.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who would reduce their water bills if they switched to a metered supply in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley. [173856]

 
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Mr. Morley: Research was undertaken by Maxwell Stamp consultancy for the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and published in July 1998 ("Incidence Effects of Charging for Domestic Water and Sewerage Services").

This research showed that, using the standing charges and volumetric charges at that time, 55 per cent. of pensioners in England and Wales would pay less on measured charges, but 45 per cent. would pay more.
 
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Information broken down by county or town is not available.

The existence and extent of savings depends on both the quantity of water used and on the alternative unmeasured basis of charging from which the household might change.

The research informed the Government's decision to introduce the free meter option, which has been of benefit, especially to those in small properties and making least use of water services.
 
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