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14 Dec 2004 : Column 1001W—continued
Regional Climate Change Partnerships
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated public expenditure on the regional climate change partnerships in England was in the latest year for which figures are available. [203560]
Mr. Morley: The regional climate change partnerships are stakeholder-led groups which determine their own work programmes on the impacts of climate change and adaptation. The Department funds the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) to help UK organisations assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change. UKCIP works with the regional climate change partnerships, but the partnerships do not receive direct funding from this source. However, many other national, regional and local level public sector organisations are represented in the partnerships, providing varying amounts of both financial and in-kind resource. Private sector organisations are also represented.
It was developed following independent research, which revealed that the rules relating to personal imports of food were relevant to black and minority ethnic communities within the UK, but that awareness of the legislation within these communities was not wide spread. The communications activity is intended to reach and engage with black and minority ethnic communities through communications and media channels relevant to them.
Press advertising is only one communications option which the Department considers when planning a public awareness campaign and is evaluated alongside other paid and non-paid communications activity which may involve outreach work, distribution of bi-lingual printed materials and radio advertisements and/or features.
Sellafield (Flooding)
Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of the threat of flooding to Sellafield from
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the River Calder; and what assessment she has made of the relevant flood maps produced by the Environment Agency. [202811]
Mr. Morley: I understand the Environment Agency has carried out a thorough evaluation of the threat of flooding to Sellafield from the River Calder using their most accurate modelling techniques. More detailed site specific modelling work has now been made available which takes account of the heavily engineered channel that improves conveyance to the River Calder running through the site.
This evaluation will be used to update the flood map on 10 January 2005. The new outline will show the area of site predicted to be at flood risk to be significantly reduced and limited to a 0.1 per cent. risk of a flood occurring in any one year.
Timber
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to fund the establishment and maintenance of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [204109]
Alun Michael: The UK central Government Departments and devolved Administrations have agreed that Defra should proceed to invite tenders for a service provider to set up and operate a central point of expertise on timber (CPET) help line. This will be Phase 2 of CPET and we plan to invite tenders in the spring of 2005.
Defra has already commissioned consultants ProForest to operate a pilot help line. This is planned to finish by the end of March 2005 and will help Defra to draw up the contract terms and conditions for the full help line service.
Bidders for the CPET help line will be invited to offer proposals that will include income generation through fees and charges. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent income generation is a viable proposition but the Government have earmarked funds to underwrite the service for its first three years.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what projects local authorities are undertaking to reuse household wood. [200473]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 1 December 2004]: The Department does not hold information on all the projects local authorities are undertaking to recycle waste products such as household wood. However the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) "RecycleWood" programme does hold a map of self-nominated organisations that offer services and facilities for collecting and processing wood waste and this is available through WRAP'S website, http://www.wrap.org.uk/.
Waste
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairswhat measures
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she is taking to ensure that the polluter pays principle applies to the collection and management of municipal waste; which 10 local authorities have the (a) highest and (b) lowest recycling rates; and which political parties control each of these authorities. [203660]
Mr. Morley:
Government applies the polluter pays principle to the collection and management of municipal waste by enabling local authorities to charge
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for the collection of commercial and industrial waste and bulky or heavy items of household waste. Landfill tax is payable on all municipal waste landfilled.
The 10 local authorities with the highest and lowest recycling and composting rates in England are given in the following table, with percentages achieved for 2002–03, which are the most recent audited data available. The table also shows the current political control in these local authorities.
(1) These data are published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and are available at www.bvpi.gov.uk. The level of household waste recycling and composting in local authorities is the sum of Best Value Performance Indicator 82a and 82b (percentage of household waste sent for recycling and composting respectively).
(2) Information on party political control has been obtained from councils' websites or by direct contact with the authority.
Water Rates
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the tax component of the recent increase in water rates is. [203673]
Mr. Morley: Changes to Corporation Tax on water companies from 1 April 2004 will contribute about £5 to the increase in the average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2010. The effect on each company, which depends on its tax position, is set out in 'Future water and sewerage charges 2005–10: final determinations', published by Ofwat on 2 December 2004, which is in the Library of the House.
CABINET OFFICE
Official Residences
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of running each official residence for which her Department is responsible in the last year for which figures are available. [204423]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford, (Mr. Prisk), 1 November 2004, Official Report, column 129W.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the cost of receptions and parties hosted by Ministers in her Department in their official residences has been since 1997; [204533]
(2) if she will list overnight guests to official residences in her Department since 1997. [204532]
Ruth Kelly: Ministers in the Cabinet Office do not have an official residence.
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