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16 Mar 2005 : Column 252W—continued
Transport (Hampshire)
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the transport infrastructure to support the proposed level of housing development for South Hampshire set out in the South East England Regional Assembly's document, The South East Plan. [221751]
Charlotte Atkins [holding answer 15 March 2005]: The consultation draft of the plan that the South East England Regional Assembly published in January 2005 does not at this stage specify the transport projects in South Hampshire that will be required to implement the plan's objectives.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants were made to (a) Hampshire county council, (b) Portsmouth city council and (c) Southampton city council for (i) new transport schemes and (ii) road maintenance in each of the last five years. [221753]
Charlotte Atkins
[holding answer 15 March 2005]: The total allocations over the five years, from 2000–01 to 2004–05, follow. Hampshire has been allocated a total of approximately £139.6 million—of which £53.3 million has been provided for capital road maintenance, £77.2 million for new transport schemes and £9.1 million specific grants for bus services.
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Portsmouth has been allocated a total of approximately £21.4 million—of which £5.7 million has been provided for capital road maintenance and £15.7 million for new transport schemes. Southampton has been allocated a total of approximately £19.4 million—of which £6.8 million has been provided for capital road maintenance, £11.9 million for new transport schemes and £0.7 million specific grants for bus services.
The funding provided directly to the three authorities, including a breakdown by year, is shown in the following table. It has been for Hampshire county, Southampton city and Portsmouth city councils to determine exactly how the allocation should be spent, in line with their local transport plans and their priorities. The funding has been provided through a mixture of direct grants and borrowing approvals supported through revenue support grants.
(5) Includes Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and both Rural and Urban Bus Challenge funding
(6) Includes Urban Bus challenge funding
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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Biofuels
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many plants there are in the UK producing biodiesel or bioethanol using UK farmed and produced raw materials as their feedstock; what the production capacity of each is; and what new plants plan to commence production of biofuels in the UK in the next five years. [221341]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 14 March 2005]: We are aware of a number of companies that are either currently producing biofuels from UK farm-sourced raw materials or have plans to do so. The details are set out in the table provided.
Other companies are known to be interested in establishing production facilities in the UK but are awaiting the results of the feasibility study on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and the decision on the UK's 2010 target for the use of biofuels under the Biofuels Directive.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2005, Official Report, column 1169W, on foot and mouth, how any animals vaccinated following a future outbreak would be treated subsequently. [220707]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Emergency Vaccination Protocol sets down how vaccinated animals and any meat or milk produced from them would be subject to specific restrictions. This document is on the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/pdf/vacprotocol.pdf, and I am also arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the difference in total payments of compensation paid for (a) sheep and (b) cattle in the foot and mouth epidemic would have been if the amount paid per animal had remained the same as the amount paid per animal in February 2001. [221408]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 14 March 2005]: The difference in total payments of compensation paid for sheep would have been £254,005,966, and for cattle £367,455,967 if the amount paid per animal had remained the same as in February 2001.
Growth Areas (Funding)
Phil Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her
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Department has earmarked for growth areas to ensure that they have the resources required to meet the demands of a growing population. [218329]
Alun Michael: Defra's aim is sustainable development, ensuring that environmental, social and economic considerations are balanced and integrated. As a result most of the Department's activities benefit the locations which fall within the growth areas, either directly or indirectly. As well as Defra's own actions we can achieve a great deal by working with a variety of partners and through exerting influence on Government Departments and others.
The key Defra policy areas which have a direct impact on growth areas include waste and recycling initiatives, flood defence works, our wide-ranging rural development programmes and regulation of the water supply industry. Funding associated with these activities has not been exclusively earmarked for growth areas, and will be part of mainstream business delivery, not specifically as a result of growth area status.
Delivery is carried out on Defra's behalf by a number of delivery agents, including the Environment Agency, the Countryside Agency, Government Offices, local authorities, and the Rural Development Service, all of whom have a strong regional focus. We also provide support to regional development agencies, rural community councils, parish and town councils and the voluntary and community sector.
Turning to specific policy areas, the priority for flood defence is to optimise the protection of people and the reduction in flood risk as measured by net damages from flooding in relation to the funding available. Total Government spend has risen from £312 million in 1997–98 to £478 million in the current year and £570 million for 2005–06 and the following two years. Where growth areas might have a risk of flooding, in many cases they will already have benefited from investment to protect them to a high standard, e.g. in the Thames Gateway. These defences will be subject to a renewal programme. Where further investment is needed, the development partnerships will consider provision in consultation with the Environment Agency, taking account of Planning Policy Guidance Note 25.
The main source of funding for local authority waste management is the Environmental Protection and Cultural Services block of the central Government revenue support grant, which is allocated through the Local Government Finance Settlement using a population-based formula. Defra's waste performance and efficiency grant, which totals £255 million over the three years from 2005–06, is also allocated to all authorities using a population-based formula. Defra is currently considering mechanisms other than direct funding to assist authorities in growth areas in addressing the additional challenge they face in meeting their landfill directive obligations as a result of population growth.
The Environment Agency is the statutory body with a duty to secure the proper use of water resources in England and Wales. The Environment Agency's Water Resources Strategy looks some 25 years ahead and considers the needs of public water supply, agriculture,
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commerce and industry, as well as the environment, examining the uncertainties about future water demand and availability including the potential effects of climate change and different societal values. It takes account of the Sustainable Communities Plan where the numbers and locations of housing have been defined and recognises the impact that the growth areas will have on the water supply infrastructure. It concludes with a series of actions that will provide the right amount of water for people, agriculture, commerce and industry and an improved water-related environment.
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