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Planning (Crime and Disorder Assessments)

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when crime and disorder impact assessments under planning regulations will begin. [177728]

Keith Hill: There is no statutory requirement for each planning application to be accompanied by a crime and disorder impact assessment. However, such an assessment is encouraged in "Safer Places: the Planning System and crime prevention", which was published on 26 April. This good practice guidance, which will accompany the forthcoming Planning Policy Statement 1, provides advice on effective methods of implementing crime prevention measures and securing community safety through the planning system.

Rough Sleepers

Tom Brake: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of rough sleepers in (a) London and (b) England for each year since 1997. [177053]

Yvette Cooper: Figures on the number of rough sleepers are not available for 1997. The following table shows the year on year progress made since 1998, when the baseline figure against which the Rough Sleepers Unit's target for reducing rough sleepers was set.

	London	Rest of England	Total	Overall reduction (percentage)
June 1998	621	1,230	1,851	—
June 1999	635	998	1,633	11.8
June 2000	546	634	1,180	36.3
June 2001	357	346	703	62.0
November 2001	264	268	532	71.3
June 2002	321	275	596	67.8
June 2003	267	237	504	72.8

On 3 December 2001, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that the target to reduce rough sleeping by at least two thirds from the baseline estimate had been met. This two-third reduction in rough sleeping has not only been sustained, but has been reduced further.

The Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue to work closely with local authorities, voluntary sector agencies and others in sustaining the reduction.
 
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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aquaculture

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from Norwegian companies and operators engaged in aquaculture in the UK as to the continued viability of their operations in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [176627]

Mr. Bradshaw: None.

Bananas

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what pressure the Department has brought to seek a positive outcome in the World Trade Organisation discussions on bananas in order to protect Caribbean banana producers. [176077]

Alun Michael: As part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) settlement with the USA and Ecuador reached in 2001, the EU is committed to the removal of quota restrictions on banana imports by the end of 2005. Further WTO negotiations will be needed to determine how the existing quotas are converted into tariffs.

The UK recognises the importance of the banana trade to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) exporters. We firmly believe that the inevitable changes to the banana regime must be phased at a rate that allows their economies to adjust.

Defra and European Commission officials met earlier this year to discuss the matter. Further representations will be made as necessary when the Commission seeks a mandate from member states for proposals on a tariff-only import regime to submit to the WTO.

As a separate issue, the existing waiver under WTO rules allowing the EU to provide tariff preferences for the ACP countries expires in 2007 and is to be replaced by the development of Economic Partnership Agreements. The terms for these are currently under negotiation. The UK is taking a close interest.

Dog Ownership

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the merits of introducing a life ban on dog ownership for people convicted of serious cruelty to dogs; and if she will make a statement. [176769]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 7 June 2004]: Under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill we are considering the penalties which are available to the courts. We are also looking at ways of ensuring that an order banning a convicted person from keeping animals is effective and cannot be circumvented.

Farm Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland received agricultural support
 
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payments collectively totalling more than (i) 500,000, (ii) 1 million and (iii) 1.5 million euros in the most recent year for which records are available. [172482]

Alun Michael: The number of farms in England receiving agricultural support payments collectively totalling more than 500,000, 1 million and 1.5 million euros are set out in the table. These figures have been taken from European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund 2003 financial year (16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003).

The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved Assemblies.

Euros(27)	Number of farms
More than 500,000	78
More than 1 million	10
More than 1.5 million	12

⁽²⁷⁾ The records are recorded in sterling. An exchange rate of 0.652 euros to the £ was used to convert the sterling values.

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland received total agricultural production subsidy payments exceeding (i) 50,000, (ii) 75,000, (iii) 100,000, (iv) 125,000, (v) 150,000, (vi) 175,000, (vii) 200,000, (viii) 250,000 and (ix) 300,000 euros for the most recent year for which records are available. [172483]

Alun Michael: The number and proportion of farms in England receiving agricultural production subsidy payments is broken down into the requested bands in the following table. These figures have been taken from European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund 2003 financial year (16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003).

The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved Assemblies.

Euros(28)	Number of farms	Proportion (percentage)
Exceeding 50,000	3,564	2.90
Exceeding 75,000	1,854	1.51
Exceeding 100,000	980	0.80
Exceeding 125,000	610	0.50
Exceeding 150,000	381	0.31
Exceeding 175,000	251	0.20
Exceeding 200,000	243	0.20
Exceeding 250,000	117	0.10
Exceeding 300,000	199	0.16

⁽²⁸⁾ The records are recorded in sterling. An exchange rate of 0.652 euros to the £ was used to convert the sterling values.

Flora and Fauna Extinctions

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of species of (a) plants and (b) animals that have become extinct in the UK in the last 25 years. [165260]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: By its very nature, extinction is very difficult to demonstrate. However, based on available information, five species of plants (one of which has been reintroduced) and eight species of animals (including four species of invertebrates) appear to have become extinct in the United Kingdom during the last 25 years.

NIREX

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the reasons for the delay in announcing the future responsibilities of Nirex. [177228]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Government are considering the best means of making Nirex independent of industry and subject to greater Government control, as we announced in July 2003. The options for this need to be considered and discussed with Nirex itself and its industry shareholders. The Government will announce the outcome of the Nirex review once it has been completed.

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