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Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of printing the Department's headed notepaper in (a) 199697 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [184377]
Alun Michael: Defra was formed in 2001. Electronic templates have been used to create headed notepaper as needed so the Department does not use printed headed notepaper.
The information for 199697 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much the Department and its predecessors spent on (a) mobile phones, (b) hospitality and (c) taxis in (i) 199697 and (ii) the latest accounting period; [184380]
(2) how much her Department spent on (a) mobile phone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxis in (i) 199697 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [186033]
Alun Michael: Defra's spend on mobile phones in 200304 was £666,000. Information for 199697 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information on hospitality was given in my answer of 20 May 2004, Official Report column 1109W. We do not hold information on travel by taxi centrally and this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the Department's redundant documentation, waste paper and card is recycled; and if she will make a statement on the Department's paper recycling policy. [188439]
Mr. Morley: It is not possible to give a figure for the proportion of redundant documentation in waste paper and card that is recycled. We do not collect data on the total amount of this material within Defra. Paper recycling facilities are in place at virtually all Defra buildings, but some accept newspapers and other types of paper waste.
We continue to increase the proportion of our total waste that is recycled or recovered each year and paper waste forms a large percentage of this. In 200304 Defra's total waste arising was 4,689 metric tons, of which 55 per cent. was recycled or recovered. Recycled paper constituted 16 per cent. of the Department's total waste and 61 per cent. of its recycled waste by weight.
The Department is developing a sustainable waste management strategy aimed at reducing the total amount of waste produced and increasing the proportion that is recycled. Paper recycling will be an important part of this strategy.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next plans to meet the National Farmers' Union to discuss the Government's plans for the farming industry. [184049]
Margaret Beckett:
My ministerial team and I have numerous meetings with the National Farmers' Union covering many different subjects.
11 Oct 2004 : Column 92W
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to meet (a) her French Government counterparts and (b) the EU Fisheries Commissioner to discuss (i) cetacean strandings in the English Channel and (ii) the future of pair trawling for bass. [190106]
Mr. Bradshaw: Officials have already met with the European Commission to explore their recent statement of commitment to co-operate with the UK and other member states to find an effective solution to the cetacean by-catch problem. The technical meeting referred to in their response to the UK closure request is already being arranged and will allow the UK to present its findings in the bass fishery to other member states. The UK and the Commission will build on this sharing of knowledge to progress discussion on the problem and investigate possible mitigation measures.
As this process develops, I will take every opportunity to seek to persuade my counterparts in all member states, and the Commission, of the need for further action in this area.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish publications and reports (a) undertaken by, (b) commissioned by and (c) undertaken in collaboration with her Department on flooding over the last five years. [189893]
Mr. Morley: Recent reports undertaken or commissioned by Defra are available through the Defra website, including all research reports published since January 2003. Earlier reports are available on request.
Where Defra has been a collaborator in a project then the information will often be referenced on the Defra website but detailed arrangements for publication and dissemination will generally rest with the organisation responsible for leading the work.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the continued presence of the four ghost ships at Hartlepool; and under what legal basis they remain there; [189559]
(2) for what reason the weather window afforded by summer has not been used to return the four ghost ships at Hartlepool to the US; [189560]
(3) if she will set out the options she has assessed for the future of the four ghost ships, currently docked at Hartlepool, indicating the (a) timeline and (b) decision-making process that applies to these options. [189561]
Mr. Morley:
The future of the four US ships at Teesside is primarily a matter for the US Marine Administration, as owners of the vessels, and Able UK, who are intending to seek the necessary permissions for dismantling the vessels at their Teesside facility.
11 Oct 2004 : Column 93W
The four US ships are currently docked in Able UK's Graythorp dock on Teesside. The necessary permissions are being sought by Able UK for dismantling to take place at this location. Relevant applications will be considered and the outcome will depend upon the relevant regulators.
Dismantling work is prevented and the dock facility is subject to regular inspection by the Environment Agency in liaison with the Health and Safety Executive. The results of environmental monitoring indicate that storage of the four US naval ships at the Graythorp dock has not had a detrimental impact or posed a significant threat to the environment or human health.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the advantages and (b) the disadvantages of genetically-modified crops to developing countries. [190094]
Mr. Morley: This is a matter for the Department for International Development.
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget for (a) research and development in and (b) marketing support to the horticulture industry was in each year since 1997. [187500]
Alun Michael: The Department's annual budget for research and development on horticulture and potatoes in England and Wales for the budget years 199798 to 200405 was as set out in the following table. In 200405 an additional £2,250,000 was set aside to support the guarantees provided to the University of Warwick and East Mailing Research following the restructuring of Horticulture Research International.
Financial year | R&D |
---|---|
199798 | 12,202,000 |
199899 | 12,273,000 |
19992000 | 11,069,000 |
200001 | 11,021,000 |
200102 | 10,807,000 |
200203 | 9,804,000 |
200304 | 9,845,000 |
200405 | 9,422,000 |
There is no specific budget for marketing support to the horticulture industry but grants of £421,000 and £498,000 respectively were made to the industry under the Agricultural Development Scheme in 2000 and 2003. The industry also benefits from EU payments to producer organisations under the fresh fruit and vegetables regime of the common agricultural policy.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to support the proposal at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
11 Oct 2004 : Column 94W
Conference of the Parties 13 in Bangkok on 2 to 14 October to list the Irrawaddy dolphin in Appendix 1; and if she will make a statement. [189380]
Mr. Morley: Although the UK had some initial reservations about the trade and population data, I am pleased to report that we have now decided that an Appendix 1 listing is in the best interest of this species. We therefore fully support the current EU position of support for the proposed listing, subject to the views of the Range States.
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