---

9 Dec 2004 : Column 680W—continued

EU Sugar Regime

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure market stability after the reform of the EU Sugar Regime. [201882]

Alun Michael: The European Commission has still to make detailed proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. In setting out its preferred approach, the Commission has stressed the need for a sustainable long term policy perspective, including greater market orientation and improved competitiveness. The July 2004 Communication to the Council set out a range of measures intended to provide for a stable future. The Government have welcomed these ideas as an important step in the right direction.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the reform of the EU Sugar Regime on the (a) number of UK sugar beet producers and (b) sugar price. [201883]

Alun Michael: The European Commission has still to make detailed proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. When putting forward options for political debate in September 2003, the Commission published a summary of impact assessment work and has since released additional analysis to support the preferred approach set out in its July 2004 Communication. The Government have commented on this in the Explanatory Memoranda submitted for scrutiny proposes and has also published the results of independent research commissioned by Defra into the economic, social and environmental implications of sugar reform. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment will be prepared once formal proposals are available.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to protect the interests of UK sugar producers in the reform of the EU Sugar Regime. [201884]

Alun Michael: The Government's aim is to secure a more economically rational and market-based sugar regime consistent with our international trade and development obligations and our wider sustainability objectives. A sugar reform which meets these conditions ought to be to the advantage of everyone.
 
9 Dec 2004 : Column 681W
 

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to ensure that there will be competitive prices following the reform of the EU Sugar Regime. [201885]

Alun Michael: The European Commission has still to make detailed proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. Its July 2004 Communication calls for a significant reduction in institutional price support, including the replacement of intervention by a new reference price system. The Commission has also highlighted the need for greater market orientation and improved competitiveness. The Government have welcomed these ideas as a important step in the right direction, but will need to consider the position further once formal proposals are available and negotiations begin.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there will be a sugar quota cut for the UK following the reform of the EU Sugar Regime. [201886]

Alun Michael: The European Commission has still to make detailed proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. Its July 2004 Communication calls for simplification of the present quota system by merging the A and B quotas into a single quota and for a reduction in the resulting total quota level in order to reach a sustainable balance on the EU sugar market. This approach, if adopted by the Council of Ministers, would result in a quota cut for all sugar producing member states, including the UK.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the Government are supporting beet-specific compensation following the reform of the EU Sugar Regime; and if she will make a statement; [201887]

(2) whether the Government are supporting mandatory decoupled compensation in the reform of the EU Sugar Regime. [201888]

Alun Michael: The European Commission has still to make detailed proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. Its July 2004 Communication envisages the introduction of partial compensation for producers in the form of a direct decoupled payment, with the same historical reference period and integrated into the single farm payment scheme resulting from the June 2003 Common Agricultural Policy reforms. The Government have supported this general approach, but will need to consider the position further once formal proposals are available and negotiations being.

GDP/Greenhouse Gases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of historical links between GDP and greenhouse gas emissions. [202092]

Mr. Morley: Greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP in the UK reduced by approximately 36 per cent. between 1990 and 2002. The improving ratio is predominantly due to a combination of energy efficiency improvements and structural change in the UK economy, lower emissions of non-CO2 gases and fuel switching in the electricity supply industry.
 
9 Dec 2004 : Column 682W
 

Oil Tanks

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial measures she plans to provide to assist householders to comply with regulations from the Environment Agency on relocating oil tanks. [201353]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is using its general powers under the Water Resources Act 1991 to promote action by owners of domestic oil storage tanks to reduce the risk of pollution of an important groundwater source, used for public potable supply, underneath the village of Otterton in East Devon.

Neither the Department nor the Agency has plans or funds to offer financial assistance but the Agency will explore with those in genuine difficulty whether it is possible to take remedial action over a longer time period.

Ramin

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure the implementation of the Appendix II listing of ramin agreed at the conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting in Thailand immediately after the 90-day period when the new listing is due to come into force. [202079]

Mr. Bradshaw: This issue is to be discussed at the next meeting of the EU Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora on 14 December 2004 and we will be pressing the Commission to ensure that this, and all the other CITES listings, are implemented within the 90 day deadline.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what efforts are being taken to encourage action at an EU level to ensure that ramin is listed under Annex B of EU Regulation 338/97. [202080]

Mr. Morley: Proposals to amend the Annexes to Council Regulation (EC) No. 338/97, including the listing of ramin on Annex B, will be discussed at the next meeting of the EU Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora on 14 December 2004. These changes are needed to give effect to the amendments to the CITES appendices agreed in Bangkok last October and the UK will be pressing the Commission to ensure that they are adopted within the 90 day deadline.

Recycling (Christmas Products)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) Christmas cards and (b) Christmas trees that were recycled in each year since 1990; what support she provides to local authorities with regard to the recycling of Christmas cards; and if she will make a statement. [202077]

Mr. Morley: The Department does not collect separate data specific to either of these two recyclates.
 
9 Dec 2004 : Column 683W
 

Defra does support and takes part in a Christmas Card Recycling Scheme run by the Woodland Trust. Available data is shown in the following table:

Year in which recyling carried out	Number of cards recycled (millions)	Weight (tonnes)
1999	30.5	600
2000	20	400
2001	41	800
2002	34	671
2003	40	800
2004	45	883

The charity Environ estimates that 750,000 Christmas trees were recycled during 2003 (approx 12.5 per cent. of the total number sold) but they do not have information for previous years.

Defra's Waste Implementation Programme provides a range of support to local authorities to help them improve their recycling and composting performance.

---