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Greenhouse Gases

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been in percentage terms in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) City of York since 1997. [191299]


 
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Mr. Morley: Data for industrial processes regulated by the Environment Agency are published in the Environment Agency's Pollution Inventory for years since 1998. This information shows that greenhouse gas emissions from major industry and power generation in Yorkshire and the Humber increased by about 1.7 per cent. between 1998 and 2003, mainly because of an increase in emissions from power generation in 2003. The Pollution Inventory does not include emissions from transport, the residential sector, small-scale business or the public sector. A previous study conducted for Yorkshire Forward by Cambridge Econometrics suggests that between 1995 and 2001, greenhouse gas emissions from all sources in Yorkshire and the Humber fell by 2.4 per cent.

The Pollution Inventory records data only for one plant within York itself. Greenhouse gas emissions from this plant increased by about 121 per cent. between 1998 and 2003, but this will not be representative of the total emissions from the city.

The National Environmental Technology Centre has, on behalf of Defra, prepared estimates for carbon dioxide only which suggest that in 2002, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the City of York, accounted respectively for about 10.6 per cent. and 0.15 per cent. of the UK total. Similarly disaggregated estimates will be prepared on an annual basis in future, which will improve the basis for estimating trends at the local level.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in the level of greenhouse gas emissions from the European Union in 2001. [191597]

Mr. Morley: In 2001 the EU had reduced its overall emissions by 2.3 per cent. below base-year levels. In 2002, the most recent year for which data are available, emissions had fallen to 2.9 per cent. below base-year levels. The base-year is 1990 for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and 1995 for fluorinated compounds.

The EU is committed under the Kyoto Protocol to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 8 per cent. by 2008–12. Analysis indicates that, with planned new national measures within member states and with the use of flexibility mechanisms (including emissions trading), the EU should meet its Kyoto target.

Hazardous Waste Recycling

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hazardous waste recycling sites were (a) licensed and (b) operating in the United Kingdom on 11 October (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004. [190375]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency are responsible for licensing hazardous waste recycling sites in England and Wales. Their current data for the relevant periods is shown in the following table and relates to those handling special waste as defined in the Special Waste Regulations. The sites listed as "all status" include permitted sites that are closed, expired, issued, modified, partially revoked, revoked, surrendered, suspended and transferred. "Issued only" refers to sites currently in operation.
 
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Current quarter to
11 October 2003
Quarter ending
2 July 2004
DescriptionAll statusIssued onlyAll statusIssued only
Special Waste Transfer Station582425596439
Clinical Waste Transfer Station189127192130
Transfer Station taking non-biodegradable284199287202
Physico-Chemical Treatment Facility1058411089
Chemical Treatment Facility41344134
Biological Treatment Facility1049110895



Note:
This information is updated quarterly. Data for the entire current quarter will be available from 18 October.


Hedges

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives are available to farmers (a) to plant new hedges, (b) to improve dilapidated hedges and (c) not to grub up hedges. [190716]

Mr. Morley: Grants are available through our agri-environment schemes for planting new hedges or improving dilapidated hedges, for example by hedge-laying. The current rates for both are £5/metre.

There are no incentives for not grubbing up hedges, but such activity is governed by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. Compliance with these regulations is a condition of the agri-environment schemes and from 1 January 2005 will also be a condition for receiving payment under the Single Payment Scheme. Any breach of the requirements may lead to a financial sanction.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Farmers Union on the two metre strip along each hedge which will be a pre-condition for the single farm payment. [190717]

Alun Michael: Defra's Ministers and officials have held a continuing dialogue with the National Farmers Union and other key stakeholders over the development and implementation of cross compliance requirements.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition her Department uses of the term hedge. [190718]

Mr. Morley: The term hedge is not separately defined in the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 nor in section 97 of the Environment Act 1995.

A hedge may broadly be considered as a row of low bushes or trees. The detailed interpretation given to the term by this Department depends on the particular circumstances in which it is being used.

Under cross compliance scheme rules, the definition used will be: a more or less continuous boundary line of
 
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woody vegetation maintained in a linear shape by cutting or another traditional method of management e.g. coppicing, laying, pollarding.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the two metre stretch on either side of a hedge may be grazed for the purposes of the single farm payment. [190719]

Alun Michael: Yes.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conditions under the entry level scheme will prevent farmers from grubbing up all but their perimeter hedges in order to avoid the two metre border requirement. [190726]

Mr. Morley: Farmers who wish to join Entry Level Stewardship must record all their hedges and agree to retain them throughout their 5-year agreement. The scheme includes hedgerow management options which provide an incentive to maintain their hedgerows in good environmental condition.

Legislative protection is provided by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 which prevent the removal of most countryside hedges in England and Wales without seeking permission from the local planning authority.

Hydrofluorocarbons

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what comparison she has made between measures taken to reduce hydrofluorocarbon emissions in the UK and those taken by other EU member states; and if she will make a statement. [190864]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 14 October 2004]: Extensive information about measures to reduce hydrofluorocarbon emissions was collected by the European Commission. This included a report (2001) by the Fluorinated Gas Working Group which included representatives from all relevant industrial sectors, environmental non-governmental organisations and Member States. In addition, a further consultancy report (2003) for the Commission included an analysis of government policies on fluorinated gases in then fifteen Member States of the EU.

This material was used in the preparation of the Commission proposal of August 2003 for a Regulation on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases.

Incineration

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of incineration in the UK was in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003. [190531]

Mr. Morley: Waste Management is a devolved responsibility. The Municipal Waste Management Survey of English local authorities, which is conducted
 
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annually by Defra, shows the amount of municipal waste incinerated has remained largely constant at just under 9 per cent. throughout the period 2000–03.

Figures for the amount of commercial and industrial waste incinerated are not collected annually. However the Environment Agency's National Waste Production Survey of a sample of 20,000 businesses, conducted in 1998–99, estimated that slightly more than 2 per cent. of commercial and industrial waste was incinerated that year.


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