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14 Jun 2004 : Column 613W—continued
Energy Efficiency (Stoke)
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Stoke-on-Trent, North have benefited from the Home Energy Efficiency/Warm Front Scheme. [177637]
Mr. Morley: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 3,300 households in Stoke-on-Trent, North received assistance from the scheme.
Farm Subsidies
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of farm holdings in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Ireland are in (i) the moorland area of severely disadvantaged areas (SDA), (ii) the remainder of SDA and (iii) the rest of the country for the purposes of eligibility for single farm payments. [172461]
Alun Michael: The information requested is not currently available as entitlements to subsidy will be allocated on the basis of claims made by farmers in 2005. However, the latest information currently available for England is based on Integrated Administration and Control System Scheme applications in 2003, the figures are as follows:
(i) Number and proportion of applications who have the majority of land within the moorland line within the Severely Disadvantaged Area equals 1,210 holdings, 1.81 per cent. of total number of holdings;
(ii) Number and proportion of applications who have the majority of land within the Severely Disadvantaged Area equals 7,216 holdings, 10.79 per cent. of total number of holdings;
(iii) Number and proportion of applications that have the majority of land outside the Severely Disadvantaged Area equals 58,427 holdings, 87.40 per cent. of total number of holdings.
It should be emphasised that the criteria used here is where the majority of the applicant's land falls within one of the three categories. The procedures for the allocation to regions have still to be finalised.
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The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved assemblies.
Fuel Poverty (Gas Supplies)
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate the Government have made of the effect of an extension of the mains gas network to areas of England without such provision on the extent of fuel poverty; and if she will make a statement. [178048]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
The Department estimates that, based on figures for 2001, around 450,000 vulnerable, fuel poor households lacked access to mains gas, and that around 180,000 of those households might feasibly be connected to the mains gas network. The Department has been considering the possibility of funding for a programme to provide connection to deprived communities without mains gas. The Design and Demonstration Unit, which is based in DTI and designs and develops projects in support of White Paper objectives, has completed two pathfinder projects to provide gas connections to deprived communities, and is currently working on a third. It hopes to undertake more projects during 2004–05.
Global Food Production
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on global food production of global warming. [177414]
Mr. Morley: The Department funded an assessment of the impact of global warming on global food production using scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to characterise a range of possible global development pathways over the 21st century. A report was published in the journal "Global Environmental Change" in April 2004.
The work showed that the development scenario leading to the greatest increase in global temperature resulted in the greatest decreases both regionally and globally in crop yields. The world appears to be able to continue to feed itself under these scenarios during the rest of this century, but only through production in developed countries compensating for declines projected mainly in developing nations. Regional differences in crop production are likely to grow stronger over time, with substantial increases in prices and risk of hunger among the poorer nations.
There is considerable complexity in the world food supply system, and the impact of socio-economic developments could also be substantial, with the potential at the regional level to both increase or decrease yields.
Copies of the journal issue containing the report have been placed in both Libraries.
GM Crops
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether, for future growings of Chardon LL to take place in the
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UK, (a) farmers and (b) Bayer CropScience will be obliged to replicate not only herbicide use but also the herbicide concentrations, management practices and other parameters following the farm scale GM maize trials. [164975]
Mr. Morley: Chardon LL is a variety of GM maize carrying the GM event T25 from Bayer CropScience. In March the company announced that it was not proceeding with commercialisation of this variety in Europe, so it will not be grown in the UK.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the variations are in the conditions to the Part C consent for Chardon LL, which she has submitted for consideration by the French competent authority. [164976]
Mr. Morley: Chardon LL is a variety of GM maize carrying the GM event T25 from Bayer CropScience, which was granted a consent in 1998 under part C of Directive 90/220 by the relevant French competent authority on behalf of all EU member states.
On 9 March 2004, officials wrote to the French Competent Authority seeking amendments to this consent to limit herbicide use with the crop in line with advice from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. A copy of the letter to the French Competent Authority has been published on the Defra website and placed on the GM public register.
Official Vehicles
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of official vehicles used by her Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas. [172779]
Alun Michael: The percentage breakdown of official vehicles used by Defra at 1 April 2003 was: (a) petrol—5 per cent., (b) diesel—92 per cent., (c) liquid petroleum gas—3 per cent., and (d) compressed natural gas—0 per cent. Data are currently being collected on the situation at 1 April 2004. They will be placed in the Library of the House when they are available. Recent developments include use of electric vehicles, for instance.
Pollutant Particles
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to improve the detection of the pollutant particles found in the PM2.5 range. [176924]
Alun Michael: Defra has monitored particles found in the PM2.5 range at seven locations in England since 1998. Results are available on Defra's air quality website: www.airquality.co.uk There are also a number of additional PM2.5 monitors in England funded by other organisations such as local authorities, the Highways Agency and electricity supply companies.
The Department keeps under review PM2.5 monitoring and the need for possible improvements. The Air Quality Expert Group is due to publish a draft report for comment this summer on particulate matter in the UK. This will include an assessment of PM 1 0 and PM2.5 levels in the UK and recommendations concerning monitoring.
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Pollution
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated levels of (a) emissions and (b) removals were for (i) hydrofluorocarbons, (ii) perfluorocarbons and (iii) sulphurhexafluoride in each year from 1990 to 2002, expressed in (A) unit tonnes and (B) thousand tonne carbon dioxide equivalents. [176931]
Mr. Morley: The following tables show the estimated emissions for these gases in (A) tonnes and (B) thousand tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, as published in the latest UK Greenhouse gas inventory, released in April 2004. There are no removals of these gases estimated in the UK inventory.
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFC | 973.9 | 1,022.8 | 1,064.0 | 1,231.0 | 1,588.5 | 2,155.3 |
| PFC | 204.0 | 170.0 | 81.8 | 68.7 | 67.5 | 63.4 |
| SF6 | 45.3 | 47.3 | 49.2 | 51.0 | 51.7 | 54.0 |
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFC | 2,762.9 | 3,644.9 | 4,233.7 | 3,822.8 | 4,128.6 | 4,646.9 | 5,267.6 |
| PFC | 68.3 | 61.1 | 60.1 | 60.2 | 73.5 | 60.2 | 52.5 |
| SF6 | 55.2 | 53.4 | 54.9 | 61.6 | 77.5 | 61.0 | 66.7 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFC | 11,375.4 | 11,854.0 | 12,323.5 | 12,999.9 | 14,009.7 | 15,490.9 |
| PFC | 1,393.7 | 1,164.2 | 570.7 | 485.2 | 481.2 | 457.4 |
| SF6 | 1,081.9 | 1,130.4 | 1,176.2 | 1,219.2 | 1,235.0 | 1,291.3 |
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFC | 16,720.1 | 19,181.4 | 17,268.0 | 10,829.9 | 9,081.3 | 9,727.5 | 10,418.3 |
| PFC | 496.3 | 450.1 | 441.1 | 446.3 | 541.4 | 437.5 | 383.5 |
| SF6 | 1,318.6 | 1,275.1 | 1,311.8 | 1,472.3 | 1,852.1 | 1,457.5 | 1,594.0 |
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps her Department has taken to measure the leakage of (a) hydrofluorocarbons, (b) perfluorocarbons and (c) sulphurhexafluoride from appliances in the UK; [176932]
(2) if the Department will take steps to improve the (a) quality and (b) quantity of independent monitoring of the leakage of hydrofluorocarbons. [176990]
Mr. Morley:
Defra commissioned a study from AEA Technology as independent contractors to estimate annual UK emissions of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. The final report was published in July 2003. The report estimated emissions from a range of appliances that contain these chemicals. Leakage rates were estimated drawing on information obtained through consultation with UK industry and NGOs and leakage rates published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
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The report represents the best possible estimates of hydrofluorocarbons that could be made at that time. My Department will continue to keep under review the scope for obtaining better estimates and the timing of any such work.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to improve the containment of fluorinated gases; what funding has been made available for such containment in each year since 1997; what reduction there has been in the leakage of these gases as a result of these steps; and how the effects of these steps have been (a) assessed and (b) recorded. [176991]
Mr. Morley: Reductions in emissions of fluorinated gases have to date largely been driven by technological development and voluntary action by industry. Based on best estimates, total UK emissions fell from 17,240 kt CO 2 equivalent in 1995 to about 11,475 kt CO 2 in 2000. Emissions are expected to increase again to about 13,242 kt equivalent by 2005 and then steadily decrease to about 10,369 kt CO 2 in 2025.
The proposed EC Regulation on fluorinated gases will introduce EU wide controls on certain uses of fluorinated gases, as well as provisions relating to containment and recovery.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress made by her Department in reducing the leakage of hydrofluorocarbons from refrigerators. [176992]
Mr. Morley: Based on information in a study commissioned by Defra and published in 2003, the percentage of new domestic refrigerators using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is expected to decrease to 10 per cent. by 2005 and to 5 per cent. by 2010, following a switch to hydrocarbon based refrigerants. HFCs in refrigerators are recovered for destruction under existing arrangements for disposing of waste fridges.
The proposed EC Regulation on fluorinated gases will introduce EU wide provisions relating to leakage testing of commercial scale stationary refrigeration equipment. Subject to a text being finalised, further measures will address the need to repair detected leakage as soon as possible. Other provisions will require training and certification programmes to be established for those servicing refrigerators and for records to be kept. The Government believe that these provisions will provide a valuable framework for addressing HFC leakages in the commercial refrigeration sector.
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