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Flood Defences (Herefordshire)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has to improve flood defences in Herefordshire; [183174]

(2) if she will make it her policy to ensure that Herefordshire has adequate flood defences. [184066]

Mr. Morley: The relevant legislation provides for the operating authorities, rather than my right hon. Friend, to determine which schemes they wish to promote and their timing. I am aware that the Environment Agency are considering proposals for flood defence works at Hereford. Stakeholder consultations and the initial engineering design work and business justification are reaching the stage where specific proposals can be identified.

I also understand that the Herefordshire county council is considering defence works at Ross-on-Wye.

Land Access

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans are in place to inform walkers (a) what land is open access on 19 September and (b) what land will be open access at a later date. [183127]

Alun Michael: We are committed to introducing the new right of access in England under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 in every region of England before the end of 2005. The South East and lower North West, will open for access on 19 September. I have announced a timetable for opening access in the other areas to ensure that those people preparing to use their new rights can plan ahead.

We have drawn up a detailed communications framework, in partnership with the Countryside Agency, the Association of National Park Authorities, English Nature, the Forestry Commission, the Local Government Association, the Ministry of Defence and Ordnance Survey. The plan sets out a number of objectives and actions for each organisation so that the public, land managers, interest groups and other stakeholders should be aware, understand and appreciate the new countryside access rights and responsibilities.
 
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Ordnance Survey is carrying out a revision of its Explorer maps to inform walkers about what land is open. It is preparing for the launch of access land in the first two regions in September. In later regions it will also publish updated Explorer maps as close as possible to the commencement of the new rights, with complete coverage scheduled for summer 2006. The maps will provide clear information on access land to map users.

In addition, to coincide with the issue of a new and up-to-date Countryside Code on 12 July, the Countryside Agency launched a new website to help the public find out what they can do and where they can go in the English countryside. The new website contains information about the new access rights and also advice for landowners and managers on how to manage public access and details of the restrictions process. As the new rights are commenced, the website will include a map showing access land in each region. The public will be able to see if other access rights are available (such as bridleways), to check whether any local closures or restrictions are in force and to find the location of local "Access Information Points". An Open Access Contact Centre has also been established to provide information to the public about the new access rights.

We also expect information for walkers to be available locally, from a variety of outlets including National Park visitor centres, and 'on the ground'. The Countryside Agency is issuing guidance to access authorities (National Park Authorities in National Parks and local highway authorities elsewhere) and to land managers on the use of signs. An open access symbol will indicate land that may be open for public access on foot.

Landfill

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the difference in the figures for the maximum amount of biodegradable municipal waste permitted to be sent to landfill in (a) 2010, (b) 2013 and (c) 2020 between the Final Regulatory Impact Assessment on The Landfill (Scheme Year and Maximum Landfill Amount) Regulations 2004 and the text of the Statutory Instrument The Landfill (Scheme Year and Maximum Landfill Amount) Regulations 2004; [182985]

(2) what the maximum amount of biodegradable municipal waste permitted to be sent to landfill in (a) 2010, (b) 2013 and (c) 2020 will be. [182986]

Mr. Morley: The maximum amount of biodegradable municipal waste allowed to be sent to landfill in the UK in 2010 is 13.7 million tonnes, decreasing to 9.13 million tonnes in 2013 and to 6.39 million tonnes in 2020. These figures are set out in The Landfill (Scheme Year and Maximum Landfill Amount) Regulations 2004.

Due to an administrative error by my Department, for which I apologise, the published Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Statutory Instrument was not the final version so contained indicative figures for the target years rather than the updated final figures. The correct version of the Final Regulatory Impact
 
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Assessment on The Landfill (Scheme Year and Maximum Landfill Amount) Regulations 2004 has now been deposited in the House of Commons Library.

Life Cycle Analysis

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) her plans for improving the knowledge and application of life-cycle analysis within the British economy and (b) international discussions in which her Department is involved to secure international best practice and consistency in such analysis. [183182]

Mr. Morley: The UK Government Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production, published last year, sets out our broad policy approach. This includes an emphasis on policy development which considers the whole life-cycles of products and services in the economy, and which intervenes as early as practicable in the use of natural resources. We will continue to pursue this approach in policy at a national level and in discussion with our international partners. We also support the development and uptake of technical standards and methodologies (principally in the 'ISO 14000' series of the International Organisation for Standardisation) which help to apply life-cycle thinking in the field of impact assessment, product development, product information and environmental management systems.

Livestock Tracing

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that livestock can be traced from birth to slaughter. [183242]

Mr. Bradshaw: There are a number of mechanisms in place to trace livestock. These include:

(a) Registration of holdings where livestock are kept;

(b) Identification of all livestock and in the case of cattle, sheep and goats unique identification from birth;

(c) On-farm registers which record all batch movements of sheep, goats and pigs and individual movements of cattle.

(d) Movement documents to accompany batch movements of sheep, goats and pigs and valid cattle passports to accompany individual movements of cattle.

(e) Notification of movements to the central database.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) for what reasons she had not answered by 21 June the question tabled by the hon. Member for Lewes on 22 March, concerning her engagements for the two months from 15 March; [180401]

(2) for what reasons she had not replied by 13 July to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Lewes on 24 June ref 180401. [184548]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 24 June 2004]: The question tabled by the hon. Member for Lewes on 22 March has now been answered.
 
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Rural Payments Agency Inspectorate

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to minimise the disruption to farmers caused by the Rural Payments Agency Inspectorate; what the estimated average length of farm staff time has been for compliance with the Rural Payments Agency Inspectorate; and what the average length of notice given to farmers prior to an inspection has been. [182916]

Alun Michael: EU regulations require that a specific percentage of claims across all CAP schemes are subject to on the spot checks within defined periods and with limits on the amount of notice that can be given. The Rural Payments Agency endeavour to minimise disruption to farmers by combining different inspections into one visit. An example of this is the Cattle inspections which can incorporate up to six different schemes.

The estimated average length of farm staff time taken on inspections will depend on the type of inspection, the size and clarity of the submitted claim and how that compares with what is found on the ground. However, the RPA is committed to reducing, as far as possible, the time spent on farm by ensuring that its inspectors are fully trained in all aspects of the schemes they are verifying.

EU regulations for on farm inspections require that no notice of inspections to be given. However, for some visits up to 48 hours notice may be given without breaching the regulations. Nevertheless the EU expectation is that visits will take place without notice and only exceptionally should notice be given for example, when farm staff need to gather animals which are extensively grazed.

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