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Tsunami

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions has she had with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) national governments on assistance for animal welfare measures following the recent tsunami. [211725]

Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not held any discussions with NGOs or national governments on assistance for animal welfare measures following the tsunami.

Bovine TB

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the findings from the Krebs trials; and if she will make a statement. [211169]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) has advised that the Randomised Badger Culling Trial should be complete in the first half of 2006. The ISG will share the initial findings from its analysis of the effect of the proactive treatment with Defra shortly thereafter. A final report will be published once full analysis of the data has been carried out. This is likely to be early in 2007.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to demonstrate to (a) EU members and (b) G8 members that tackling climate change need not have a detrimental economic impact. [210975]

Mr. Morley: The EU as a whole is currently investigating the economic implications of tackling climate change; the Commission will shortly publish a cost-benefit analysis which member states will use to help formulate our long-term strategy.

Between 1990 and 2003 the UK economy grew by 36 per cent. while emissions of all greenhouse gases fell by around 14 per cent. and as part of our Energy White Paper an analysis was undertaken showing that reductions in carbon dioxide of 60 per cent. by 2050 need not have a major impact on economic growth.

Keeping the cost manageable depends on the steady introduction of measures, starting from now, which is why the UK has a long-term policy. We share this experience with our G8 partners and other member states on a regular basis.

Community Energy

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have written to her Department supporting the continuation of the Community Energy programme. [205248]

Mr. Morley: We have received 22 letters supporting continuation of the programme from parliamentarians. A further dozen letters were recorded from other
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 576W
 
organisations and individuals: Mayor of London; Southwark council; XCO ₂ ; DWP Harvesting and Marketing; Birmingham council; LGA Environment Board; CIBSE's CHP Group; Highland Council; P.North; R. Rippengal; G. V. Gilliam and N. Bolger.

Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost of removing (a) pesticides and (b) nitrates from drinking water supplies for each year since 2000. [210266]

Mr. Morley: The cost of removing pesticides and nitrates from drinking water supplies is not available on an annual basis. Water companies reported to Ofwat that they incurred capital expenditure of £18 million for pesticide treatment and £36 million for nitrate treatment in order to meet the respective drinking water quality standards during the period April 2000 to March 2004.

Energy Crops Scheme

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers participated during the reference period of the Energy Crops Scheme; and what the total payment was. [207309]

Alun Michael: Grants totalling £1.2 million have been paid to date under the Energy Crops Scheme since it was launched in 2000. Funding has been approved for: 56individual farmers to plant energy crops; and for three producer groups (comprising a total of 53 farmers) to be set up to supply energy crops to end-users. A further 91 applications for planting grants, totalling £1.4 million, are currently being assessed.

Environment Council

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's priorities for the Environment Council will be during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement. [209552]

Mr. Morley: The issues the Environment Council will be working on during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union are contained in the 2004–06 Multiannual Strategic Programme and the Luxembourg-UK Annual Operating Programme for 2005, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. We will seek to maintain progress on the range of business covered in these plans, in the light of where matters stand at the end of the Luxembourg presidency. However, we expect the following to be included in this business.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that climate change is a priority for both our G8 and EU presidencies, and we will maintain momentum towards establishing mid and longer-term strategies and targets, and seek to ensure that the EU can demonstrate progress towards its Kyoto commitments. We will take forward any Commission proposals to incorporate aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
 
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The Government will invest major efforts in progressing the REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) Regulation based on an effective balance between economic, social and environmental considerations.

The UK presidency will take forward work on those thematic strategies in the framework of the Sixth Community Environmental Action Programme that have been published by the European Commission in time for the UK presidency.

The Government will take follow-up action to the spring European Council's review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, and will provide environmental input to the 2006 review. We will apply the principles of better regulation by proceeding with proposals that have been through proper economic, social and environmental impact assessment, and seek to build on the Cardiff integration process at the level of individual policies.

In 2005 momentum will be maintained on the regulation on a financial instrument for the environment (LIFE+) and on the INSPIRE directive which aims to put in place infrastructures for the prevention and better management of potential environmental risk. Concerning nature and biodiversity, we will take forward work on biodiversity action, depending on the timely submission of proposals from the European Commission, and on the directive on humane trapping standards.

Work will also continue on: the bathing waters directive; the sulphur content of marine fuels; a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register; priority substances and emissions control; protection of ground water; waste shipments; the directive on batteries and accumulators; the management of mining waste; end-use energy efficiency and energy services directive; stricter emissions standards for light duty vehicles; and applying the Aarhus Convention to the EC.

The Government will also seek to make progress on the implementation of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP), to ensure that measures are taken to stimulate innovation and market penetration for environmental technologies so that synergies between environmental protection and enhanced economic competitiveness are fully exploited.

The UK and Luxembourg presidencies will also ensure effective preparation and coordination of international meetings throughout the year, including for the UNEP Governing Council, the UN CSD and the UN's high level review of Progress against the Millennium Declaration and the WSSD commitments. The annual meeting of the UN Climate Change Convention will be particularly important because of the expected entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.

EU Fisheries

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the European Community institutions are bringing forward covering the fishing fleets of the EU member states that acceded to the EU in 2004. [211355]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: The regulations which applied to the Community of 15 will apply equally to the new member states.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on levels of fishing by vessels from European Union member states that joined the EU in 2004 within the UK's home waters. [211356]

Mr. Bradshaw: The following quotas which can be fished in UK waters are held by the new member states for 2005:
Tonnes

	Poland	Latvia	Lithuania	Estonia
Mackerel	844	—	—	—
Greenland halibut	10	—	—	10
Roundnose grenadier	676	32	10	—
Deep sea sharks	10	—	10	—
Black scabbardfish	1	32	131	73
Blue ling	1	—	2	5

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