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Sea Bass

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the European Commission's response to her submission to close the winter bass fishery in the English Channel and Western Approaches. [188130]

Mr. Bradshaw: A copy of the European Commission's response to the UK request for closure of the offshore pair trawl fishery for bass will be placed in the Library along with a copy of the UK request.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her Department's catering policy to source sea bass from hand line fisheries; and if she will make a statement. [188138]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: Defra and its catering service providers are working together to increase the consumption of food that has been produced in ways that help sustain productivity and reduce adverse impacts on the environment.

Defra supports the sourcing of sea bass from responsibly managed fisheries. Handlining is a relatively low impact method of fishing and so can help fisheries to remain sustainable. Advice from the international Council for the Exploration of the Seas on sea bass has been that the level of exploitation of the stock appeared to be sustainable. New advice is due shortly which we will be considering carefully with a view to ensuring that the stock remains sustainably exploited. There are also currently no restrictions at a UK or Community level on the method of fishing that can be used to target bass.

In these circumstances I consider it would be inappropriate to encourage Defra's caterers to restrict the source of bass they purchase to hand line fisheries only.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she proposes to take to persuade the European Commission of the need to close the sea bass fishery in order to reduce the by-catch of dolphins and other cetaceans. [188139]

Mr. Bradshaw: It is disappointing that the Commission did not accept the UK request for the closure of the offshore pair trawl fishery for bass to protect common dolphins. However, the Commission response to the UK request points to some ways in which progress might be made. We will be looking to build on this and the Commission's commitment to cooperate with the UK and other member states to find an effective solution to this bycatch problem.

Shellfishing

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to prevent the theft of clams from Poole harbour. [187430]

Mr. Bradshaw: The theft of clams from Poole Harbour is a matter for the Southern Sea Fisheries Committee to consider. Under the Poole Fishery Order 1985 (SI 1985 No.847) the Committee is responsible for imposing and enforcing licensing and other restrictions on the fishing or taking of clams in a large area of Poole Harbour. The Committee is also responsible for regulating fisheries elsewhere in the Harbour under other legislation.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what measures her Department is undertaking to assess (a) historical shellfish landings as the basis of any management plan and (b) current shellfish landings; [188891]

(2) if she will implement a management plan for scallops, crabs and lobsters in the Western Channel. [188893]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: Data on shellfish landings by UK vessels and into UK ports are collected annually and published in the United Kingdom Fisheries Statistics series. They are not collected specifically for the purpose of agreeing management plans.

The European Commission indicated in October 2003 that it would bring forward proposals for a management plan for scallops, lobsters and crabs in the Channel. It has not yet done so and we are not aware that such proposals are imminent.

Sows (Birthing Methods)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of sows were recorded as giving birth in crates in each of the last 10 years. [188147]

Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not available. The vast majority of indoor pig units—which represent about 73 per cent. of the breeding herd in England—use farrowing crates. While the Government would prefer to avoid the close-confinement of all sows, there are currently no free-farrowing systems suitable for widespread commercial adoption. Farrowing crates protect piglets from being crushed by the sow—the largest cause of piglet mortality. Defra-funded research has yet to find a solution which provides adequate protection to piglets. The results of our continued research will be fed into the 2008 review of the European pig welfare directive.

Spending Review

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efficiency savings will be made by her Department in each financial year as announced in the Spending Review, broken down by departmental head. [185891]

Alun Michael: The overall efficiency savings to be delivered by Defra are set out as follows.
Cumulative efficiencies £ million

	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Defra	91	198	310
Waste services	25	120	299

Defra is required to deliver £610 million in annual efficiencies by 2007–08, which includes £300 million of efficiencies that Defra will be expected to secure within local government expenditure on waste services.

Plans are now being put in place to ensure that the Department, its agencies and NDPBs are able to deliver on the 2004 Spending Review commitments and to attribute savings by departmental head. These will address the cross-cutting and corporate nature of some of the efficiency delivering programmes.

Town Centre Regeneration

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the impact of regeneration of town centres on the environment. [189237]

 
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Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.

There has been no overall assessment of the impact of the regeneration of town centres on the environment. However, there are statutory procedures which ensure that the impact on the environment of regeneration schemes in individual towns is assessed.

Under the provisions of Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Sustainability Appraisal is mandatory for Regional Spatial Strategies and, at the local level, Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents. The Sustainability Appraisal undertaken must also satisfy the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (2001/42/EC). Sustainability appraisal is an iterative process that identifies and reports on the likely significant effects of the plan and the extent to which implementation of the plan will achieve the social, environmental and economic objectives by which sustainable development can be defined.

Certain categories of development, including urban development projects ¹ , must be the subject of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). EIA involves a systematic assessment of a project's likely environmental effects.

Thus the environmental impact of major projects and development plan proposals for town centre regeneration, are subject to careful assessment.

¹ Circular 2/99 Environment Impact Assessment provides guidance on the regulations that implement Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/11/EC

Waste Management/Services

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has assessed the use of technology for weight-based charging for waste collection and disposal in the Isle of Man; and if she will make a statement. [188070]

Mr. Morley: The Department has not to date assessed the Isle of Man's use of technology for weight-based charging for waste collection. So far, our assessments have focused on other international experience, but we will continue to explore new evidence as it becomes available.

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how she proposes to implement £300 million of efficiency gains on waste services as set out in the Gershon Review. [188593]

Mr. Morley: By 2007–08, Defra will help local authorities to deliver around £300 million worth of efficiency gains on waste and street cleansing services. Building on the Waste Implementation Programme, which has been set up to ensure much improved support is provided to local authorities in implementing waste strategy on the ground, the main features of Defra's approach are to: provide best practice procurement advice, standard contracting approaches and targeted support to help local waste managers achieve effective contracts; support the use of new waste technologies, improve data for investment planning and further develop end-markets to encourage industry in providing
 
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an appropriate range of waste handling facilities without involving excessive costs; encourage tiers of local authorities and adjacent authorities to work together to increase efficiency and realise economies of scale; improve the planning process for waste facilities, which can be a cause of delay and extra cost; and, promote better awareness of waste amongst householders, since participation rates can be a determinant of local authority costs.

In taking forward this programme of key actions, Defra will continue to work closely with the Local Government Association and other Government departments, including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

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