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Genetically Modified Organisms
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the quantity of (a) unapproved and (b) experimental GM material entering (i) animal feed and (ii) food intended for human consumption. [210879]
Mr. Morley: Importers and suppliers of food and feed have the responsibility for ensuring that only GM material approved under relevant EU legislation are imported into the EU and supplied through the food and feed chain. Our information is that importers and suppliers take these responsibilities seriously and that the quantity (if any) of unapproved GM material in the food and feed supply chain will be very low.
In the UK release of experimental GM material is closely controlled and strict precautions taken to prevent it from entering the food or feed chain.
Greyhound Licensing
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will require British Greyhound Racing Board members' (a) kennels and (b) tracks to be licensed by local authorities; and if she will make a statement. [210411]
Mr. Bradshaw: Under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, the Secretary of State will be able to introduce secondary legislation regulating certain activities, and the welfare of racing greyhounds is a possible area for regulation. No decisions have yet been taken as to the level of regulation that should apply. Dogs in the care of man, which includes racing greyhounds, would also be protected by the welfare and cruelty provisions in the Bill.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Antisocial Behaviour
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the establishment of central-local partnerships in relation to antisocial behaviour; and what their (a) terms of reference and (b) membership will be. [210758]
Yvette Cooper: The last Central Local Partnership (CLP) meeting agreed to set up a CLP sub-group on Crime. Antisocial behaviour issues could be covered under this new sub-group. Terms of Reference and membership are yet to be decided.
Building Regulations
Mr. Love:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential to achieve the
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objectives of (a) lower fuel bills and (b) lower carbon emissions through amending Part L of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [210655]
Phil Hope: The most recent assessment is contained in the consultation document published last July by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. That document contains proposals to raise the standards in Part L this year in line with the commitments in the Energy White Paper. As normal, the proposals aim to achieve substantial improvements consistent with Better Regulation policy, cost-effectiveness, design flexibility and the avoidance of excessive technical risks.
Flood Risks
Mr. Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to ban the use of oil tanks and oil heating systems in flood plains and coastal areas believed to be at risk from flooding in respect of (a) new housing and (b) existing housing; what representations he has received regarding this from the Environment Agency; and if he will make a statement. [210631]
Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to prohibit the use of oil tanks and oil heating systems in areas which are at risk from flooding and, to date, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from the Environment Agency concerning this issue.
Living Spaces Programme
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which projects in the Eddisbury constituency under the Living Spaces programme have (a) applied for funds, (b) been supported with funds, (c) been refused funds and (d) have applications pending that were submitted before the 21 July 2004 deadline. [210283]
Phil Hope: Five projects in the Eddisbury constituency have applied for funding from the Living Spaces programme. Four projects have been approved and awarded funding. They are:
The Nantwich Embankment Environmental Improvement Scheme project which has been awarded a grant of £40,000.
The Nursery Road Recreation Ground Revitalisation project which has been awarded a grant of £82,275.
The Moulton Children's Playing Field Trust Improvements project which has been awarded a grant of £25,000.
The fifth group has had its initial application approved and has since worked up their plans with the help of a trained Living Spaces enabler. Once Living Spaces receives a final recommendation from the enabler a decision on funding will be taken. This project is:
To date, no applications from groups in the Eddisbury constituency have been refused funds from the Living Spaces programme.
New Build Standards (South Midlands)
Andrew Selous:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether the Building Research Establishment standards of (a) EcoHomes and (b) BREAM will be
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applied in the construction of new homes in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-region as part of the sustainable communities plan; [210226]
(2) what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the proposed new housing in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-region has high standards of energy efficiency and thermal insulation. [210228]
Phil Hope: The Government are not in a position to impose mandatory environmental standards specific to housing in the Milton Keynes South Midlands sub-region as the boundaries of the growth areas do not have any legal status. Furthermore, to set such mandatory standards could potentially lead to perverse consequences, by providing a disincentive to development in the growth areas relative to other areas.
However, the Government are keen to promote the construction of sustainable and energy efficient housing in the growth areas and believes that local delivery vehicles (LDVs) have an important role to play in promoting all aspects of sustainable development. Draft guidance has been circulated to the LDVs in the newer growth areas which identifies achievement of high quality design and higher environmental performance as being among their main objectives.
More generally, the Government are keen to promote environmentally sustainable and energy efficient housing throughout the country. In line with the commitments made in the Energy White Paper and at the Better Building Conference work is in train on bringing the next major revision of the building regulations energy efficiency provisions into effect this year and to publish a Sustainable Buildings Code that will encourage energy efficiency standards above those in the regulations and address sustainability more widely. For publicly funded housing, the Housing Corporation is already recommending that social housing schemes should achieve an EcoHomes rating of very good" from April 2005 with the good" rating as an essential condition for a project to receive a grant.
Regional Government (North-west)
David Maclean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1)if he will make a statement on the legal status of the unelected regional structures that have been established in the north-west region; [210197]
(2) what the legal status is of the North West regional chamber; and if he will make a statement. [210920]
Mr. Raynsford: The North West Regional Assembly is an unincorporated association designated by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister under section 8 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 as the regional chamber for the North West Regional Development Agency. Further to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the North West Regional Assembly has been designated by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister as the Regional Planning Body for the region.
The North West Regional Development Agency is a body corporate established under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.
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