---

 
28 Jun 2004 : Column 1W
 

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 28 June 2004

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Archaeological Objects

Mr. Allan: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance she issues to the Crown Prosecution Service in respect of calculating the value of archaeological objects that form part of a prosecution under heritage legislation. [172210]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service has not issued guidance on the valuation of objects which form part of a prosecution for offences under legislation designed to protect the national heritage.

Crown prosecutors review all cases submitted to them by the police, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Prosecutors assess whether there is sufficient available evidence on all the elements of the offence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. They will ask the police to provide further evidence where necessary, which may include expert valuation if appropriate. Where there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction, prosecutors will then go on to consider whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.

Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to her answer of 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1145W, on overseas bribery, how many cases of overseas bribery were referred to CPS Casework Directorate (a) between November 1997 and February 2002 and (b) since 14 February 2002. [174284]

The Solicitor-General: CPS Casework Directorate does not record separately whether a corruption case received by it involves an overseas element. It is not therefore possible to provide accurate figures.

However, in order to assist, the CPS has considered what information is available and indicates that it is likely that in the period November 1997 and February 2002, around 240 cases were referred to Casework Directorate, which involved or may have involved allegations of corruption. Similarly from February 2002 to the present, Casework Directorate has recorded a total of about 80 cases which involved, or may have involved, allegations of corruption either within England and Wales or overseas. In order to ascertain which of these cases specifically involved overseas corruption, each individual case file would need to be examined which would incur disproportionate cost and in any case may not provide a definitive answer.
 
28 Jun 2004 : Column 2W
 

Casework Directorate is however able to say, having asked its staff, that they are currently advising the police in five cases, which involve allegations of overseas corruption. All the cases are still being investigated and no charges have yet been brought.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Energy Efficiency Commitment

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what terrawatt hour savings she estimates would accrue from the first phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (2002–05) if the prevailing test discount rate were to be 3.5 per cent. [179879]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 22 June 2004]: The 6 per cent. discount rate used for the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) 2002–05 was the standard rate used by Government at that time. The rate was reduced to 3.5 per cent. in January 2003 to reflect prevailing circumstances.

Changing only the discount rate from 6 per cent. to 3.5 per cent., the fuel standardised lifetime-discounted savings from the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002–05 would change from 62 terawatt hours (TWh) to 81 TWh.

However, some of the assumptions underlying average energy savings from specific energy efficiency measures have also changed, in addition to the change in the discount rate, as explained in the consultation document for the next phase of the EEC. If the illustrative mix of measures under EEC 2002–05 were subjected to the same set of assumptions which are now being applied to the second phase of EEC (2005–08) the TWh figure would fall from 81 to 66. The target level proposed for EEC 2005–08 as part of the consultation process is subject to continuing analysis and will be finalised in the relevant Statutory Order following the public consultation.

Global Food Consumption

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the future growth of global consumption of food. [177413]

Alun Michael: The Department has made no assessment of the future growth of global food consumption.

Projections of global food consumption are made by the OECD. The following table reports projections for global consumption of cereals.
million tonnes

	Estimated consumption, 2002–03	Projected consumption, 2008–09
Wheat	588.2	653.4
Coarse grains	881.8	973.8
Rice	407.8	435.8
All cereals	1,877.8	2,063.0

Source:
OECD Agricultural Outlook 2003–04.




 
28 Jun 2004 : Column 3W
 

Further details can be found at the following web address. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/0/2956127.pdf

Projections up to 2013–14 for global consumption of the major food commodities are made by the Food and Policy Research Institute and can be found in its publication, FAPRI 2004 World Agricultural Outlook. http://www.fapri.iastate.edu/brfbk04/BrfBk2004.pdf

Salmon Fishing

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many salmon were caught by (a) net and (b) rod in Lancashire rivers in each of the last five years. [180428]

Mr. Bradshaw: The following tables give the numbers of salmon caught by net and by rod in the rivers Lune, Ribble and Wyre in each of the last five years.
Table 1: salmon caught in the River Lune, Lancashire

	Number of salmon caught by rod	Number of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Percentage of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Number of salmon caught by net
1999	1,032	506	49	803
2000	1,440	808	56	1,527
2001	566	364	64	1,121
2002	1,127	691	61	1,531
2003	823	476	58	810

Table 2: salmon caught in the River Ribble, Lancashire

	Number of salmon caught by rod	Number of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Percentage of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Number of salmon caught by net
1999	633	384	61	210
2000	827	455	55	176
2001	349	208	60	130
2002	692	420	61	228
2003	556	357	64	155

Table 3: salmon caught in the River Wyre, Lancashire

	Number of salmon caught by rod	Number of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Percentage of salmon caught by rod, subsequently released	Number of salmon caught by net
1999	5	0	0	n/a
2000	5	2	40	n/a
2001	11	4	36	n/a
2002	15	13	87	n/a
2003	3	1	33	n/a

Water Leakage

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the water leakage rates were for each water company in England in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures were available. [179406]

Mr. Morley: Water company leakage data is published annually by the Director General of Water Services in the annual 'Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water' reports, copies of which are
 
28 Jun 2004 : Column 4W
 
available in the Library of the House. The reported total leakage figures in 1997–98 and 2002–03 in megalitres per day were as follows:
megalitres per day

Water Companies	1997–98	2002–03
Anglian	240	192
Bournemouth and W Hants	26.3	22
Bristol	59.3	53
Cambridge	14.4	14
Dee Valley	12.2	11
Folkestone and Dover	8.71	8
Mid Kent	36.1	28
Northumbrian North	184	153
Northumbrian South	82.2	67
Portsmouth	32	30
Severn Trent	399	515
South East	108	72
South Staffordshire	81.8	71
South West	101	84
Southern	98.8	92
Sutton and East Surrey	25.9	24
Tendring Hundred	5.75	5
Thames	906	925
Three Valleys	172	152
United Utilities	579	465
Wessex	110	75
Yorkshire	377	296

---