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17 Nov 2004 : Column 1485W—continued
Fisheries
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cod by-catch from hauls using (a) 80 mm and (b) 110 mm mesh in cod ends deployed by the Fleetwood over 10 metre fishing fleet in the Eastern Irish Sea were in the last 10 years for which figures are available. [192947]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information is only available on the proportion that cod made up of total landings of fish caught in the Irish Sea, as opposed to total catches of fish, and this is given in the following table. This excludes any fish that may have been caught and then discarded before landing. There are several different types of fishing gear that have been used with the mesh sizes quoted, depending on the species of fish being targeted. Only those involving otter trawl in any form have been included. In addition, the 110 mm mesh size was not used significantly in the Irish Sea by the over 10 metre vessels based in Fleetwood until 2003, when it made up a sixth of the trips carried out. Prior to that year, 100 mm and 80 mm gear represented the most frequently used mesh sizes. The figures represent averages, and there is considerable variability seen between individual vessels and individual months of the year.
n/a = Not applicable as mesh size not used by any Fleetwood based over 10 metre vessels during the year on fishing in the Irish Sea
Emissions Trading
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on how the European Emissions Trading Scheme will apply to non-EU companies operating in the UK. [198471]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 15 November 2004]: The EU Emissions Trading Scheme will apply to all installations operating in the UK regardless of whether they are owned by EU or non-EU companies. Operators must comply with the obligations set out in the regulations implementing the scheme in the UK. These include requirements to hold an emissions permit, and to monitor and report emissions of carbon dioxide.
Energy Efficiency
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will
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arrange an international conference on energy efficiency objectives as part of the forthcoming UK presidency of the European Union. [197867]
Mr. Morley: There are no plans as yet to hold an event specifically focused on energy efficiency under the auspice of the UK's presidency of the European Union. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recognises the key role that energy efficiency will play in tackling climate change, which in addition is itself one of the two priorities for our G8 presidency. However ministers have not yet approved the programme of events, conferences and seminars that will be held next year.
Energy Recovery
Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which organisation and for which projects her Department is providing funding to develop demonstration units in the UK for new technologies involved in energy recovery processes. [183556]
Mr. Morley: The Department funds the Carbon Trust to support the development of a low carbon economy in the UK. The Carbon Trust are contributing £150,000 to a project costing £430,000 to recover waste heat from industrial processes. In this case the Carbon Trust have defined "energy recovery" as recovering useful energy from a waste stream. Heat pumps would not come into this definition.
As a private company provision of support and funding by the Carbon Trust is a matter for the Carbon Trust board. Defra does not provide direct funding to support the development of energy recovery processes.
Flood Prevention
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what flood prevention schemes have been implemented since 1997; and what the cost of such schemes has been, broken down by county. [198530]
Mr. Morley: We do not currently hold the information in the form requested. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, column 1013W. This included a list of flood defence (including flood warning) projects approved for Defra grant aid which started after 1 May 1997 and gave the Operating Authority, the date the scheme started and the approved cost.
Officials have been asked to consider whether the data currently held can be analysed by county but this cannot be completed in the time available.
GM Crops
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Dutch Government on the publication of national proposals for GM co-measures; and what discussions she has had with the IFOAM EU Group on the proposals. [198478]
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Mr. Morley [holding answer 16 November 2004]: Each EU member state is responsible for developing its own proposals to ensure the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. We are aware of the recent announcement that a commission has presented a national co-existence plan to the Dutch Government. We have not discussed this development with either the Dutch authorities or the IFOAM EU Group.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU countries have already put in place proposals for a compensation fund for farmers affected by GM contamination. [198077]
Mr. Morley: We are aware of three EU member states which have prepared definite proposals covering this issue. Denmark is proposing a levy per hectare of a GM crop to finance a compensation fund. Germany is proposing to amend its code of civil law to clarify liability in cases where a non-GM farmer suffers an economic loss as a result of a GM presence. Finally, Luxembourg is proposing that each GM grower will be required to take out a civil liability insurance contract.
We understand that other member states are in the process of developing proposals but the details of these are not yet confirmed.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Bury Metropolitan borough council area have benefited from the home energy efficiency scheme in each of the last three years. [198322]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 16 November 2004]: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of September 2004 approximately 4,000 households in Bury Metropolitan borough council, received assistance from the scheme.
This includes in the past three years:
| Approximate number of households | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,000 |
| 2003 | 1,000 |
| January–September 2004 | 800 |
Kyoto Protocol
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the level of emissions reduction that will be needed after the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. [198060]
Mr. Morley:
The EU Environment Council has stated that to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, overall global temperatures should not exceed 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, with a carbon dioxide stabilisation level below 550ppm. To be on track for this goal, the UK considers that developed countries will need to make a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 20 per cent. by 2020 and 60 per cent. by 2050 (compared to
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1990 levels), as outlined in the Government's Energy White Paper of 2003. The UK has therefore set itself on a path to achieve these reductions domestically.
Making Space for Water Consultation
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses her Department has received to its consultation Making Space for Water. [197781]
Mr. Morley: There have been 275 responses to the consultation.
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