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15 Nov 2004 : Column 1001W—continued
Dangerous Wild Animal Licences
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dangerous wild animal licences have been granted for primates in the last five years, broken down by species. [197185]
Mr. Morley: Licensing keeping of dangerous wild animals in England and Wales is carried out at local authority level and so there is no central record of the number of licences granted.
However, a review of the Dangerous Wild Animal Act, published by my Department in 2001, provides some relevant information. This reported that a total of 375 dangerous wild animal licences were granted in England and Wales in 2000, covering 11,878 animals. Of these, 655 of the animals licensed were primates (the figures were not broken down by species or by the number of animals held under each licence).
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Article 10 certificates have been granted for primates in the last five years, broken down by (a) species and (b) purpose of import. [197186]
Mr. Morley: The following table shows the number of Article 10 certificates issued on a species by species basis for the period in question. Details concerning the purpose of import are not recorded. Not all of the specimens were imported into the UK.
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Departmental Offices/Staff
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of (a) decoration and (b) refurbishment of the London offices of the Department was in each of the last four years. [196149]
Alun Michael: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Decoration work carried out to the Department's London offices in each of the last four years was as follows.
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| £000 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Nil | — |
| 2002–03 | Eastbury House—External | 200 |
| 2003–04 | Nil | — |
| 2004–05 | Nobel House—Fine Rooms1, 2 | 200 |
| 55 Whitehall—External(27) | 300 |
(27) Work still in progress
(28) Rooms affected by the Grade II listing of the building
(b) Refurbishment work carried out in the Department's London offices in each of the last four years was:
| 2001–02 | Ergon House | 3.75 |
| Cromwell House | 1.3 | |
| 2002–03 | 9 Millbank | 2.5 |
| 2003–04 | 3–8 Whitehall | 1.3 |
| Nobel House | 6.0 | |
| 2004–05 | Nobel House(29) | 13.0 |
| 55 Whitehall(29) | 3.3 |
(29) Work still in progress
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the staff in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities. [196123]
Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly), on 9 November, Official Report, column 619W.
Disposable Nappies
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of (a) the number of disposable nappies used in each of the last five years, and (b) the costs in each of those years of disposing of those nappies. [193832]
Mr. Morley: We do not collect information on the number of disposable nappies used. Nor of the costs associated with their disposal.
A number of Waste Disposal Authorities have estimated the costs are incurred from the disposal of disposable nappies, which range from £500,000 to over £1 million per year.
Dogs
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department gives to local authorities regarding the implementation of effective penalties against individuals whose dogs foul public highways, pavements and parks. [196855]
Alun Michael: We do not provide guidance to local authorities for implementation of effective penalties for dog fouling offences but do offer advice wherever consulted.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department gives to local authorities regarding the provision of dog waste bins. [196856]
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Alun Michael: We do not provide local authorities with guidance on the provision of dog waste bins. Local authorities decide on the placing and quantity of dog waste bins in light of local circumstances.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what initiatives her Department is promoting to local authorities for combating dog fouling on public highways, pavements and parks. [196857]
Alun Michael: On our behalf ENCAMS run campaigns to raise awareness of local environmental issues, including dog fouling. The 2002/03 Local Environmental Quality Survey of England recorded a 27 per cent. drop in dog fouling, which followed a successful campaign in the summer of 2002. This trend has continued and figures from the survey indicate that fouling is less socially acceptable than has previously been the case.
We are looking at several measures relating to dog fouling, including allowing local authorities to set the level of fixed penalty for dog fouling offences, and we will look to take them forward into legislation at the earliest available opportunity.
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many puppies were imported into the UK from the Republic of Ireland in each of the past 10 years, broken down by breed; and if she will make a statement. [193516]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 27 October 2004]: Under Single Market rules no records are kept of the number of puppies imported into the UK from the Republic of Ireland. There are no rules that restrict the trade in accompanied pet animals.
Eels
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the numbers of eels in England; and what assessment she has made of the impact of recent changes in numbers on (a) rivers and (b) the Severn, with specific reference to elvering. [192331]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 18 October 2004]: There is no comprehensive monitoring of the numbers of eels in England, but surveys on three rivers and catch data for a number of other rivers indicate no significant decline in stocks of yellow eels or changes in population structure over the last 20 years. However, elver recruitment in England and Wales has declined from peak values in the late 1970s, mirroring the changes seen elsewhere in Europe.
There is no evidence for a large change in eel numbers in the Severn over the last 20 years, though there is a significant reduction (approximately 50 per cent.) in the proportion of small eels (under 150 mm) in the lower Severn which reflects the decline in recruitment of glass eel. The elver catch over recent years in the Severn is around 30 per cent. of the 1980/84 average.
The decline in eel stocks is problem across the European Community and we support the need for a Community-wide rebuilding plan, and for the introduction, as soon as possible, of a coordinated framework of international management measures. We
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are actively involved with the Commission, and other Member States, in drawing up proposals to improve the conservation of eel stocks.
In recognition of the poor state of stocks in England and Wales, new Environment Agency byelaws will soon be passed, introducing a new licensing system, and other controls on fishing for eels, other than by rod and line.
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