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27 Jun 2005 : Column 1192W—continued
National Bee Unit
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to the National Bee Unit health programme in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [4805]
Jim Knight:
DEFRA supports the beekeeping sector in England by funding a range of measures to protect bee health. These measures are implemented by the
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National Bee Unit. The Department's expenditure with the Unit in each of the last five years is sent out in the following table.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 1,300,000 |
| 2002–03 | 1,300,000 |
| 2003–04 | 1,235,000 |
| 2004–05 | 1,235,000 |
| 2005–06 | 1,235,000 |
Rights of Way (Designations)
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications have been received for areas to be designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; how many have been approved; and how many footpaths have been (a) closed and (b) diverted on grounds of crime prevention as a result. [6695]
Jim Knight: The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 introduced provisions to enable alleyways to be gated to prevent crime, in areas designated for this purpose by the Secretary of State.
We have received 28 applications for designation since the legislation came into force in February 2002. 25 have subsequently been approved. These cover 84 areas in England. Of the remaining three applications, two were withdrawn and one is still pending.
Since the 84 areas were designated, 53 orders have been made under new section 118b of the Highways Act 1980 to close rights of way to prevent crime. 35 of these have resulted in highways being successfully closed. The remaining orders are awaiting confirmation by the local highway authority or Secretary of State. We are not aware of any diversion orders.
Sewage
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are to reduce the amount of sewage being deposited in the Thames. [6335]
Mr. Morley: The Final Determination of Thames Water's price limits in 2005–10, published by the Office of Water Services (Ofwat) on 2 December 2004, include provision for significant treatment capacity increases at Mogden, Beckton and Crossness sewage works, and to improve the treated discharge at Riverside sewage works. The capacity increases are expected to reduce the frequency and impact of storm water discharges from these works.
Since 2001 officials from the Department have been involved in a strategic study of the environmental impact of intermittent storm sewage discharges to the Thames Tideway. The Steering Group includes members from Thames Water, the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority, and, with observer status, Ofwat.
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My officials and the Study Group are currently carrying out further consideration of issues concerning the proposed long-term interceptor tunnel, and possible appropriate smaller-scale measures which could provide earlier improvements to the overflow discharges during wet weather. A further report is expected soon, and it will be carefully considered by Ministers and Ofwat, and a decision made on an appropriate course of action to meet our obligations to protect the environment in a cost-effective way.
Silage
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) economic and (b) animal health impacts of the pollution of silage by earth. [6276]
Mr. Morley: No assessments of the economic or animal health impacts of the pollution of silage by earth have been made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Single Farm Payment
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the representations she has received on the effects of single farm payments on motor sports events being held on agricultural land; what response she has made; and if she will make a statement. [5249]
Jim Knight [holding answer 21 June 2005]: Land used in support of claims for payment under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) must be at the claimants' disposal for the 10-month period nominated on their claim forms. Under recently updated guidance issued by the Department, motor sports may take place on up to 28 days during the nominated 10-month period, in addition to all of the remaining two months of the year. The updated guidance takes on board representations made by motor sports interests and, overall, we would expect the impact of the SPS on the availability of farmland used for such sports to be limited.
Since the updated guidance was issued, the Department has received additional representations from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Motorcycles, the Motorsport Industry Association and a number of individuals, which are currently being considered.
Waste Management
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many kilogrammes per capita of (a) municipal, (b) commercial and industrial and (c) waste electrical and electronic equipment were (i) recycled, (ii) sent to incineration and (iii) landfilled in each member state of the European Union in (A) 2000, (B) 2001, (C) 2002, (D) 2003 and (E)2004. [3466]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information is as follows:
(a) The following tables show the amount of municipal waste recycled, incinerated and landfilled per capita, in each EU country, for each year from 2000 to 2003 based on data supplied to and published by Eurostat.
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n/a = Data are not available, or have been omitted due to significant quality issues.
Notes:
Data for incineration and landfill are collected and published by Eurostat for the EU structural indicators. The recycling figures are an estimate produced by subtracting the amount landfilled and incinerated from the total amount of municipal waste generated.
(b) The following table shows information made available by Eurostat on non-hazardous industrial waste data only. International data on commercial and industrial waste are limited and definitions may not be consistent between countries. Figures are provided intermittently by member states, the following table therefore gives the most recent data produced.
n/a = Data are not available, or have been omitted due to significant quality issues.
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(c) Figures for waste electronic and electrical equipment are not available at European Union level.
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