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Recycling (Southampton)

13. Sandra Gidley (Romsey) (LD): If she will make a statement on the five-year recycling record of Southampton city council. [192832]

The Minister for the Environment and Agri-environment (Mr. Elliot Morley): Southampton city council has demonstrated steady improvement over the last five years from a household waste recycling and composting rate of 8 per cent. in 1998–99 to 12 per cent. in 2002–03, the most recent year for which audited data are available.

Sandra Gidley: The Minister will be aware that that rate is low, and that the Labour group devised a new refuse collection and recycling scheme to boost the figures. The Liberal Democrats supported that scheme and implemented it on taking control of Southampton city council, but Labour councillors have now scuppered it. Will the Minister speak to them and tell them that recycling and protecting the planet are far more important than petty political posturing?
 
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Mr. Morley: I cannot get involved in local issues, apart from saying that the formerly Labour-controlled Southampton council advanced excellent proposals and received £1 million from the Government to implement them. I do not know all the details, but I understand that the incoming Liberal Democrats made a series of pledges about household collection that they have had some difficulty in carrying out.

Fisheries Council

16. Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): What the Government's main objectives at the next Fisheries Council will be. [192835]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): Our objective at November's Fisheries Council, as at every such meeting, will be to maximise opportunities for the UK fishing industry while protecting fish stocks and progressing the important reforms of the common fisheries policy.

Mr. Carmichael: The Minister is aware that the haddock permit management scheme has had very severe consequences for the Shetland white fish fleet in particular. Does he accept that, if that is rolled over for the beginning of 2005, there is a risk that that will lead to substantial dumping of haddock—surely something that no one wants? Will he make the removal of that scheme one of his main priorities at November's discussions?

Mr. Bradshaw: Yes, I am well aware of the problems that the hon. Gentleman outlined, especially since my visit to the Shetlands this summer. His fishing industry representatives there made me very well aware of the problems being caused. It is important that we maximise fishermen's opportunities to catch fish such as haddock, which are plentiful, while protecting cod. However, we will look closely at what we might be able to do in the run-up to this November's Council meeting to help address the problems that the hon. Gentleman described. If he or his industry have any practical suggestions about how that might be done that they have not submitted to my officials already, I should be very grateful to receive them.

Milk

17. Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD): What assessment her Department has made of changes in the farm-gate price for liquid milk in the last 10 years. [192836]

The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael): The farm-gate price of milk has generally declined over the past 10 years. That is mainly due to exchange rates, but other factors affect the farm-gate price, including prices on world commodity markets, domestic supply and demand, the value of the product mix and the structure of the UK dairy industry.
 
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Mrs. Brooke: What advice can the Minister give to organic farmers in my constituency, who find current farm-gate prices inadequate to sustain their activities, whereas supermarkets are thriving?

Alun Michael: It is fair to point out that farm-gate prices in August were at 18.43p per litre, which was 0.01p higher than in July. One has to look at these matters over a period of time, and the way in which a product is marketed is also an issue for many producers. I think that the hon. Lady wants me to give business advice to her producers, but I do not think that that is necessarily my role.

Mr. Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire) (Con): At a time when the price of bottled water is higher than the price of milk, what future does the Minister see for the British dairy industry?

Alun Michael: The hon. Gentleman knows that the industry is bound to change as a result of reform of the common agricultural policy. It will have to meet the needs of the market rather than simply reach certain levels of production. The reports that we have seen—such as last year's KPMG study, and the Competition Commission's investigation of the role of the supermarkets in 1999–2000—show that there are complex reasons for different price levels. It is therefore wise not to set those findings, which demonstrate the complexity of the issue, on one side.

Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome) (LD): No one expects the Minister to give business advice to constituents, but we do expect him to take an interest in the future of the dairy industry. Given that the Milk Development Council has confirmed what we all knew—that dairy farmers are struggling while supermarkets are making record profits—surely it is time for him to have words with his colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry and do something about it.

Alun Michael: A recent study by the university of Manchester found that, in 2002–03, 60 per cent. of the milk produced in the UK was produced at a profit. That was produced by something like 40 per cent. of our dairy farmers, so there is change going on in the market. The result of CAP reform will be that production must meet the needs of the market.

Hill Farmers

19. Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle) (Lab): If she will take steps to boost the income of hill farmers. [192839]

The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael): I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. Is it Question 19? [Hon. Members: "Yes."]

The new countryside code, which I launched on 12 July this year, is being promoted through cartoon films on television, and at selected cinemas and outdoor venues. The code is available free of charge. It is also being promoted through tourist information centres
 
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and through the Countryside Agency website. Educational materials specially developed for teachers and youth leaders will be available from January 2005.

Mr. Prentice: That is an answer to a question that I did not ask.

Mr. Speaker: Order. I am not responsible for the Minister's answer. The Minister may have made a mistake. Since he does not often do so, perhaps the House will allow him to give the right answer.

Alun Michael: That is why I asked which question was being asked, Mr. Speaker. It does appear that several hon. Members are not with us today, but I am glad that my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) is in his place.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed on 22 April 2004 that the hill farm allowance will continue to operate for the remainder of the current England rural development programme to 2006.

Mr. Speaker: Was that all right, Mr. Prentice?

Mr. Prentice: In so far as it goes, Mr. Speaker.

I am told that net farm income for hill farmers in the less favoured areas is some £12,000 a year, and one cannot easily keep body and soul together on such an income. What are the Government doing to boost the incomes of people on the hills who look after our famous landscapes in, for example, the Pennines? What steps are the Government taking to encourage young people into hill farming, given that the average age of hill farmers is close to 60?

Alun Michael: I share my hon. Friend's concern about the future for hill farmers, but it is fair to point out that provisional figures for net farm incomes in the English less favoured area suggests that they are some 20 per cent. above those of 2003. The hill farm allowance has provided dedicated support to upland farmers since 2001 and, in 2004, payments totalling £34.5 million were made to hill farmers in England.

Carbon Emissions

20. David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire) (Lab): What action is planned to reduce domestic carbon emissions by 2010 beyond the targets set out in the Kyoto protocol; and if she will make a statement. [192840]

The Minister for the Environment and Agri-environment (Mr. Elliot Morley): We announced the terms of reference for a review of the climate change programme on 15 September. That will assess progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and whether we are still on track towards our 2010 domestic goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. It is too early to say what new initiatives will be included in the new programme that we aim to publish in the first half of next year.

David Taylor: It is encouraging to hear that adequate progress is being made, but does my hon. Friend fear, as
 
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I do, that because relatively little investment has been put into rail travel in non-main line areas, the major contributor to carbon emissions—the motor car—will continue to pose problems for this and future Governments?

Mr. Morley: It is certainly true that rail travel and other modes of public transport have an important contribution to make to reducing emissions and car usage. I am glad to say that the number of passengers using rail travel has increased. As my hon. Friend will be aware, huge investment has gone into track infrastructure, upgrading, new trains, better services and more comfort. I am sure that that will continue to attract more people. Encouraging rail travel and all forms of public transport is certainly an important part of combating climate change.

Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): Does the Minister recognise that a good way to
 
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reduce carbon emissions would be to encourage more renewable sources of heat, as well as electricity? There is concern that, although there are incentives to use biofuels and biomass for electricity generation, there is no incentive if it is purely substitution for heat. It would thus be sensible to bring in a renewables obligation for heat as well as for electricity.

Mr. Morley: I understand the hon. Gentleman's point, although the issue is more difficult in relation to heat than in terms of power. Nevertheless, use of combined heat and power systems is expanding, whereby more heat is being utilised, especially in manufacturing. Such issues have been put to us, particularly in relation to the national allocation plan and the way in which we allocate carbon credits, and we are giving them careful consideration.
 
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