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EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what lessons have been learned from the deadline for the implementation of phase I of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in the UK for phase II. [219339]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 March 2005]: The directive specifies the dates by which National Allocation Plans in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) should be submitted to the European Commission, final allocation decisions should be made and the date by which allowances should be issued. For phase I these deadlines have proved extremely challenging to meet for all member states.

One of the key lessons learned from phase I is with regard to the volume of analysis, negotiation and decision making required to develop a robust and effective NAP within a demanding timeframe. In light of
 
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this we have already started work on phase II in particular focussing on analytical work to inform the decision making process.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many member states have implemented Phase 1 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [219340]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 March 2005]: The Commission has approved 21 National Allocation Plans (NAPs) (eight on 7 July 2004, eight on 20 October 2004 and five on 27 December 2004). The Commission has yet to announce decisions on NAPs from Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy and Greece.

To date only Denmark has begun spot trading, although the Netherlands are expected to start shortly. A number of member states have announced installation level allocations (e.g. Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia and Ireland) but are not yet in a position to issue allowances, either as a result of the registry not being approved or because a final allocation decision has not yet been made.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the European Commission to make a decision on the UK's application for an opt out from Phase 1 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [219341]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 March 2005]: We aim to make an application to the Commission for temporary exclusion from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for Climate Change Agreement participants before Easter, after operators have made their applications to Defra by 4 March. We do not know when the Commission will make a decision on the application, but there is no guarantee that they will approve it.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent developments there have been on the application to the European Commission for exemption from phase one of the Emissions Trading Scheme; and if she will make a statement. [218612]

Mr. Morley: Installation level allocations for the National Allocation Plan were published on 14 February. Operators of Climate Change Agreements were asked to decide whether they wished to apply for temporary exclusion by 4 March. Defra aims to make an application to the Commission before Easter.

Fallen Stock Scheme

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what threshold has been set for the number of farmers who need to sign up to the Fallen Stock Scheme in order to make it viable; and if she will make a statement. [218471]

Mr. Bradshaw: In its business projections for the Scheme the National Fallen Stock Company estimated that it would need 40–50,000 members to ensure the Scheme was viable in the longer term. However, no threshold has been set and the number which would ensure viability may differ from this depending on how closely actual Scheme costs and income match those that had been projected.
 
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Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what safeguards she has put in place to ensure that contamination does not take place between farms when animals are transferred through the Fallen Stock Scheme; and if she will make a statement; [218472]

(2) what research she has conducted of the risks of bio-contamination occurring due to the Fallen Stock Scheme; and if she will make a statement. [218473]

Mr. Bradshaw: Animal By-Products legislation, which applies equally to fallen stock collected outside and inside the Scheme, already controls the collection, storage and transportation of animal by-products, including animal carcases. It also requires records to be kept of any consignment of animal by-products to assist in the auditing and traceability of this material. General guidance on biosecurity is also available on the Defra website.

Although no formal assessment has been made of the biosecurity risks of the National Fallen Stock Scheme, Scheme rules require that fallen stock are collected and disposed of according to strict biosecurity guidelines and is available on the Defra website. The National Fallen Stock Company has engaged the State Veterinary Service to inspect collection premises and vehicles to ensure compliance with these rules.

Farm Income

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total estimated income for the farming industry was in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [218470]

Alun Michael: Information on total income from farming for the years 1995 to 2004 is given in the following table:
Total income from farming (real terms at 2004 prices)

	£ million
1995	6,599
1996	5,962
1997	3,508
1998	2,432
1999	2,424
2000	1,805
2001	2,037
2002	2,521
2003	3,281
2004	3,014

Total income from farming is income generated by production within the agriculture industry, including subsidies. It represents business profits plus remuneration for work done by owners and other unpaid workers.

Fisheries

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which other EU member states the fishing industries are subject to full cost recovery for their management costs; how many have partial cost recovery; and how many do not charge their industries management costs. [218140]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not hold information on all other EU member states in relation to cost recovery for fisheries management. However, we are making enquiries in order to complete the information and will respond in writing once we have the complete picture.

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the withdrawal of designated port status for haddock landings from Warkworth Harbour, Amble, Northumberland; and if she will reconsider the decision. [219077]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 1 March 2005]: The Fisheries Department has received three representations regarding the withdrawal of designated port status for haddock landings from Warkworth Harbour, Amble, Northumberland.

The purpose of designating ports is to assist Defra inspectors in the monitoring of landings of fish. Amble was designated in 2004 following the introduction of the haddock permit scheme which made it compulsory for vessels with haddock permits to land into designated ports. It was made clear at the time that designation would only remain while the haddock permit scheme remained. The scheme has now ended.

Under current rules, landing into a designated port is not compulsory except for vessels with more than two tonnes of cod on board. Vessels landing into Amble do not normally catch such quantities and they are therefore free to continue landing there, subject to requirements for advance notification in certain circumstances. I therefore do not propose to reconsider the decision.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion of the management costs of the UK fishing industry was borne (a) by her Department and (b) by the industry in the last year for which figures are available; [218116]

(2) what proportion of the management costs of the UK fishing industry was borne by her Department in the last year for which figures are available. [218117]

Mr. Bradshaw: The costs of the Fisheries Directorate within the Department was £53 million in financial year 2003–04. This included expenditure on enforcement, regulation, quota management, licensing, European negotiation, research and policy development. All of these activities contribute to management of the industry. Devolved administrations bear their own costs.

The industry bears the cost of Producer Organisations (PO) which play a part in quota management. The Department does not have information on the sums involved.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by (a) her Department and (b) departmental sponsored bodies on research into aquaculture and fish farming at sea in the last year for which figures are available. [218127]

 
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Mr. Bradshaw: Defra spent £1,907,488 on aquaculture related research including fish health and welfare in 2004–05. The Sea Fish Industry Authority have allocated £190,000 to fund aquaculture research and development projects in 2004–05. They also contribute about £150,000 to the research work of the Scottish Association of Marine Science in 2004–05.

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