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9 Nov 2004 : Column 580W—continued
Fallen Stock
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has held with organic certification bodies on the effect that non-burial of fallen stock might have on the soil's microbiology. [193624]
Mr. Bradshaw: Although no specific consultation has taken place with organic certification bodies the Department undertook an extensive public consultation process in respect of the Animal By-products Regulation, which bans on-farm burial of fallen stock. Several of the certification bodies, notably the Soil Association, have made the Department aware of their concerns that the effect that non-burial of fallen stock might have on the soil's microbiology. These concerns have been duly noted.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have signed up to the National Fallen Stock Scheme. [196112]
Mr. Bradshaw: None. We will not know how many farmers will register until the scheme begins on 22 November.
Government Grants
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which funding streams have been allocated by her Department using a funding formula which includes rankings or scores on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000; and if she will list the amount of funding allocated in such a way (a) nationally by the Department or (b) to all Government sponsored bodies reporting to the Department. [191529]
Alun Michael: Defra has four funding streams which have been allocated taking account of the Index of Multiple Deprivation. In all cases the Index has contributed to identifying the least well performing rural areas in terms of economic productivity but, other factors, including quality of application and nature of enterprise, are taken into account in awarding projects. The first two funding streams below are both part of the Department's Rural Voluntary and Community Sector and Social Inclusion Programme.
(1) A contribution to The Pensions Partnership Fund which seeks to increase benefits uptake by the elderly. £834,000 has been allocated in 2004–05 to fund projects in the priority wards in rural areas.
(2) An action research contract examining social enterprise in rural areas. Some £500,000 has been allocated in 2004–05 to fund projects in four English Regions, with priority being given to those which operate in priority wards.
(3) For the Warm Front programme, the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 has not been used as a sole indicator for any allocation purposes. It is considered with a number of other indices—including the fuel poverty indices under the English House Condition Survey. In 2004–05 the Fuel Poverty budget is £169 million.
(4) Defra uses the Index as one of a number of measures which contribute to the priority scores of proposed flood and coastal erosion risk management improvement projects, when
- considering which projects should receive grant from the ring-fenced national budget. The budget being allocated in 2004–05 is £56 million across local authorities and internal drainage boards.
(b) Government Sponsored Bodies:
The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by Defra and its share of the flood and coastal erosion risk management improvement projects funding in 2004–05 is £76 million.
Heathrow
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the methodology for drawing up a noise map for Heathrow. [195090]
Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has not received any representations on the methodology for drawing up a noise map for Heathrow.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to publish (a) a strategic noise map for Heathrow, (b) an action plan to manage noise issues around Heathrow and (c) a public consultation on plans to manage noise levels at Heathrow. [195204]
Alun Michael: Strategic noise maps and action plans for Heathrow and other specified airports will be produced as part of the requirements of Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (the Environmental Noise Directive). There will be public consultation on the action plans as this is also a key requirement of the Environmental Noise Directive. Details of proposed options to transpose the Directive will be put out to public consultation in due course.
Noise from aircraft using Heathrow is regulated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport, under section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. The DfT's Stage 1 consultation on night restrictions from 30 October 2005 closed on 29 October and the second stage of this consultation process will be undertaken in due course.
Daytime noise at Heathrow was considered in last year's consultation on the "Future of Air Transport in the UK—South East" and "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper (Cm 6046) set out (paras 11.52–53) the Government's view that all practicable steps should be taken to prevent any deterioration in the noise climate there.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will start the work to produce a strategic noise map for Heathrow. [195205]
Alun Michael: Details of our proposed options to transpose the Directive will be put out to public consultation in due course. That will include proposals regarding the competent authorities for the production of strategic noise maps for airports under Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (the Environmental Noise Directive).
A pilot project to produce noise contours for Heathrow in terms of noise indicator required by the Environmental Noise Directive (Lden) was carried out in
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2003 by the Civil Aviation Authority for Defra as part of the development of the National Ambient Noise Strategy. These contours have been published and can be seen at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/noise/mapping/aviation/index.htm
In addition daytime noise contours for Heathrow are produced annually for the Department for Transport.
Local Food Chains
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she is offering to (a) central and (b) local government on public procurement with regard to assisting local food chains. [194283]
Alun Michael: Defra has published advice on its website to help central and local government implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI). A key objective is to increase the opportunities for small and local suppliers to compete to supply food to public sector bodies.
Within the EC policy and legal framework they can inform local suppliers of forthcoming contract opportunities and explain to them how the procurement process works and what is expected of them. There is also scope to specify more in-season food, rather than out of season or exotic produce that can only be supplied from abroad, and to organise the size of contracts and lots within contracts so that small and local suppliers have more chance of being able to meet demands. Public bodies do, of course, have an overarching duty to secure value for money and so must ensure that the measures they adopt to encourage more supplies of local food are proportionate and justified. They are also required by the EC treaty, the EC procurement directives and the UK regulations that implement them to ensure that public procurement is fair, transparent and not used to discriminate by setting up barriers to free trade. We are also encouraging public sector bodies to work with their food service companies to play an active part in achieving this aim by ensuring that local suppliers are given opportunities to be part of their supply chains, provided they are able to provide value for money and meet their requirements on quality, consistency of supply and food safety etc.
The newly restructured PSFPI website contains more detailed guidance, best practice case studies (including one for South Gloucestershire schools) and links to other sources of useful information. URL: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/index.htm.
Online Publications
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which her Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. [195398]
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Alun Michael: Defra statements, announcements and documents are published on the departmental website as soon as possible—generally on the same day or the following day. Operational procedures and resources of staff and equipment are continually reviewed and reassessed with the aim of minimising the number of occasions when it is not possible for statements to be published on the website on the same day as they are made available through other channels.
Information on posting targets for material published by public bodies for which Defra has oversight is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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