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Waste Recycling

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the proportion of household waste recycled in Hartlepool was in each year since 1997. [210648]

Mr. Morley: The proportion of household waste sent for recycling or composting in Hartlepool since 1997 is presented in the table.

	Percentage of household waste sent for recycling or composting in Hartlepool
1997–98	4
1998–99	4
1999–2000	6
2000–01	5
2001–02	9
2002–03	11

Source:
Defra's Municipal Waste Management Survey (MWMS)

MWMS Data for 2003–04 have not been released yet. Best Value Performance Indicator data (for the percentage of household waste sent for recycling or composting) are usually a good indicator for Defra's MWMS. The 2003–04 BVPI figure for the percentage of household waste sent for recycling or composting in Hartlepool is 13 per cent.

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding Dudley council received from her Department for waste reduction, minimisation and recycling in each of the last four years; and if she will make a statement. [210922]

Mr. Morley: The main source of funding for Dudley council is through the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of annual Government grant. It is for the local authority to decide what proportion of the block is invested in waste management services including recycling. It is therefore not possible to say how much funding Dudley received for waste reduction, minimisation and recycling in each of the last four years.
 
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Dudley also received funding from the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund; £665,000 in 2003–04 and £1,055, 695 in 2004–05.

To relieve spending pressures in the waste area Dudley received £81,745 in 2004–05.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme has allocated £20,000 to Dudley in 2004–05 to fund an awareness campaign related to kerbside collection.

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) industrial refuse has been recycled within the Greater London area in each of the last three years. [211047]

Mr. Morley: Results from the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey show the following household waste recycling and composting rates in the Greater London area:

	Percentage
2000–01	9.0
2001–02	9.4
2002–03	10.9

Corresponding data for commercial and industrial waste are not available.

Making Space for Water"

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the responses to the consultation, Making space for water", with particular reference to the risk of damage to domestic oil tanks from flooding. [210925]

Mr. Morley: Some 270 responses have been received to the Making space for water" consultation exercise, which sought views on proposals for a new Government strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England.

One response, from a major supplier of alternative fuel, made reference to the risk of damage to commercial and domestic oil tanks from flooding and the resulting environmental impact.

The Government is currently considering all the responses made to the consultation exercise with a view to publishing a Government response in spring 2005.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet Secretary

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to appoint the next Cabinet Secretary. [212197]

The Prime Minister: The serving Cabinet Secretary, Sir Andrew Turnbull, is due to retire from the Civil Service later this year.

Drinks Industry (Meetings)

Mr. Gray: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the meetings he has had with representatives of the drinks, licensing and public house industries in the last 12
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 583W
 
months broken down by (a) date and (b) attendees; whether civil servants were present at each meeting to record what occurred; and what separate meetings his officials have had with the drinks industry. [209543]

The Prime Minister: During the consultation process on the Licensing Act and the Alcohol Strategy, Ministers and officials across Government met a wide range of companies, local authorities, trade unions, the police, and many public bodies and individuals, as part of the usual policy-making process. All meetings were undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the civil service code.

In May 2004 I attended the Responsible Drinking Forum, accompanied by my officials, where I gave a speech on alcohol abuse. A copy of this is available on the Number 10 website. My officials met the organisers of the Responsible Drinking Forum in preparation for this event.

European Constitution

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list occasions when his office has organised briefing meetings on the European Constitution for those outside Government. [211387]

The Prime Minister: My officials and I regularly discuss the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe with outside stakeholders.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he will set a date for the referendum on the European Constitution. [212196]

The Prime Minister: Clause 6 (1) of the European Union Bill provides for the date of the referendum to be set by order, after the Bill has been approved by Parliament. No decision has yet been taken on the date.

Gulf Co-operation Council

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to meet the Chairman of the Gulf Co-operation Council during the British Presidency of the EU. [212195]

The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to meet the Chairman of the Gulf Co-operation Council during the UK Presidency of the EU. Detailed planning for meetings during the UK Presidency is still under way. However, I have frequent contacts with the leaders of the GCC countries and intend to continue this.

Homelessness (Thames Gateway)

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 300, on homelessness and the Thames Gateway development, to which hon. Member he was referring; and what the evidential basis was for his statement that the opposition planned to cancel the project. [211868]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. and learned Member for
 
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Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), at Prime Minister's Questions on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 300. A copy of the article that contains the pledge by the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) to which I referred has been placed in the Library of the House.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present. [210537]

The Prime Minister: No central records are held and to obtain such records would incur disproportionate costs. Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the speeches his special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date. [210568]

The Prime Minister: No central records are held and to obtain such records would incur disproportionate costs. Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

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