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15 Dec 2004 : Column 1113W—continued
Supermarkets
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with which supermarkets her Department has had discussions regarding policies on stocking UK-produced food. [203716]
Alun Michael: As part of the Defra funded £3 million programme of support for the quality regional food sector, Food From Britain have held discussions with Asda, Booths, Budgens, the Co-op, Londis, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Waitrose to understand their local sourcing policies and to work with them and regional food groups to get more quality regional foods listed.
In addition, as part of the work under the "Action plan to develop organic food and farming in England" my ministerial colleague, the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), has had meetings in the last 12 months with representatives of Tesco, Asda and Morrisons. Officials have also had regular contact with the British Retail Consortium and the Association of Convenience Stores regarding local sourcing.
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list in descending order the percentage of (a) pork, (b) bacon and (c) ham which (i) was British and (ii) bore the Meat and Livestock Commission's Quality Standard Mark offered for sale in supermarkets in (A) March and (B) May. [203717]
Alun Michael: The information requested is as follows:
| (a) Pork | (b) Bacon | (c) Ham | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | ||||
| (i) | British produced | 90 | 43 | 44 |
| (ii) | Bears quality standard mark | 68 | 23 | 10 |
| May | ||||
| (i) | British produced | 84 | 39 | 30 |
| (ii) | Bears quality standard mark | 71 | 24 | 11 |
However, in addition to the above figures several large supermarkets 1 currently supply 100 per cent. British fresh pork, but do not carry the Quality Standard Mark. The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is working closely with them to encourage the use of the QSM on their packaging.
1 Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Budgens supply 100 per cent. British fresh pork, and Morrisons supply predominantly British fresh pork.
Turkey Farms
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (1) how many cases of the liver disease blackhead have been detected in commercial turkey farms in the UK, in each of the past 10 years for which records are available; [204999]
(2) what measures her Department has taken to protect commercial turkey farmers from the liver disease blackhead. [205000]
Mr. Bradshaw:
Blackhead is not a notifiable disease so it is not possible to provide an accurate figure for the number of cases. Over the past 10 years the number of
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incidents of blackhead in turkeys recorded on VIDA by VLA and SAC for England, Scotland and Wales between 1994 and 2003 are listed in the table:
21 incidents have been recorded on VIDA so far during 2004 from England and Wales.
In addition to the diagnoses of blackhead recorded on VIDA, other cases may be diagnosed by veterinarians in practice, without submitting material to the VLA. To obtain a better idea of the current prevalence of the disease in the industry as a whole a questionnaire has been prepared in conjunction with Defra and supplied to the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) for their members to report any cases they encounter. Veterinary colleagues in practice have also been encouraged to use the questionnaire to provide surveillance information on the disease particularly in cases where the diagnosis is not confirmed by the VLA.
Two questionnaires have been received relating to blackhead in turkeys in 2004 from flocks of 30 and 77 birds.
Information on the prevention of Blackhead in Turkeys is available on the Defra website at http://defraweb/animalh/diseases/other/blackhead.htm.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what technology her Department uses to monitor the spread of turkey manure. [203096]
Alun Michael: Defra has collected information on the land-spreading of organic manures, including turkey manure, in the 2003 British Survey of Fertiliser Practice. Information collected in the survey included rate and timing of application and the allowance made by farmers for the nutrient content of the manure.
Farmers located within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones are obliged to comply with an Action Programme of measures that includes restrictions upon the rate and timing at which organic manure can be spread. The Environment Agency is the pertinent enforcement body, and checks farm records to monitor compliance with the Action Programme.
In some cases the spreading of turkey manure may be subject to control under the Waste Framework Directive. On 9 December Defra published a consultation paper on the draft Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2005. These Regulations are necessary to repeal the current exclusion in section 75(7)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act
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1990 and to apply the Directive's requirements to "agricultural waste". The consultation paper is available on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/default.asp The application of the Directive's requirements to manure is discussed in paragraphs 3.22–3.23 of the consultation paper.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department is taking to control the spread of odour from turkey manure. [203099]
Alun Michael: From 2007 large turkey producers (those with 40,000 or more places for turkeys) will be regulated under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime. New installations are now regulated from the outset. Under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime farming installations will have to comply with the Environment Agency's Standard Farming Rules and Guidance for the poultry sector. In regards to manure spreading, turkey producers will be required to set up a manure management plan for spreading turkey manure on their own farm. Turkey producers would also be required to identify the quantity—and the nitrogen content—of manure if it is sent to another farm for land spreading.
Land spreading of organic manures in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (approximately 55 per cent. of England) must comply with the Action Programme that includes limits on nitrogen application, controls on spreading and periods when spreading cannot take place. Guidelines for farmers are published by the Department, while enforcement action is with the Environment Agency. Outside of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, farmers are encouraged to comply with the advice in Defra's Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water, Air and Soil.
Where odour is a nuisance for those living in the vicinity of a farm where the spreading of turkey manure is practised, local authorities can take action under the statutory nuisance regime of section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Local authorities have a duty to take reasonable steps, where practicable, to investigate complaints of odour. If a local authority decides that an odour is prejudicial to health or a nuisance, an abatement notice must be issued, requiring that the activity causing the nuisance cease, or that 'best practicable means' be employed to reduce the level of odour. The penalty for non-compliance with an abatement notice is a fine not exceeding £20,000 upon summary conviction.
Waste
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total tonnage of waste collected has been by community recycling organisations in England in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003. [203663]
Mr. Morley:
This information is not held centrally. The Community Recycling Network holds some information on the tonnage of waste collected by its members, but this represents only a part of the total collected by community recycling organisations.
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Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much public money was spent on collecting and managing municipal waste in England in each year between 1997 and 2002; and how much on average it cost to collect and manage one tonne of municipal waste in the UK in each year. [203689]
Mr. Morley: The amount of public money spent on collecting and managing municipal waste in England in each year between 1997 and 2002 is set out in the table below. These figures include the amount of landfill tax paid, which does not form part of the net cost of waste management. It is not possible to separate out the proportion of landfill tax which relates to municipal waste disposal because landfill site operators make a single return to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise which covers all of their activities.
Waste management is a devolved function. The hon. Member may wish to approach the devolved Administrations about their costs for the collection and management of one tonne of municipal waste in each year between 1997 and 2002. The information for England is given in the table.
| Cost for collection and management of one tonne of municipal waste (Revenue Outturn (RO6 Form)) | |
|---|---|
| Financial year | £ million |
| 1997–98 | 46.63 |
| 1998–99 | 48.68 |
| 1999–2000 | 51.78 |
| 2000–01 | 54.21 |
| 2001–02 | 57.44 |
| 2002–03 | 61.65 |
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