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31 Oct 2005 : Column 692W—continued
Waste
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what percentage of controlled non-municipal waste in England and Wales was classified as recyclable in each year since 1995; [19210]
(2) what the total amount of controlled waste from non-municipal sources in England and Wales was for each of the years 1995 to 2005; and what amount of controlled waste from such sources went to landfill in each year. [19211]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information is not available for all years in the format requested. Information is not available on the amounts of non-municipal waste which is recyclable but not actually recycled or re-used. The tables show available information on controlled non-municipal waste. Information for construction and demolition waste cover England only. Industrial and commercial waste cover England and Wales. Information for dredged materials cover United Kingdom.
(2) In addition there is around one million tonnes of sewage sludge produced each year.
(3) Materials dumped at sea.
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Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will introduce a zero waste policy as a long-term goal of its waste strategy. [19765]
Mr. Bradshaw: Waste Strategy 2000 set out the Government's priorities for sustainable waste management. The Government's response to the Strategy Unit Report Waste Not Want Not" identified further steps to be taken to help deliver our priorities and targets. Although Waste Strategy 2000 is not a zero waste strategy (either zero waste to landfill, or a totally closed resource cycle), it does demand substantial waste minimisation, and significantly increased levels of re-use and recycling. In our current review of Waste Strategy 2000 we are considering what our long-term goal should be.
Whaling
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2005, Official Report, column 474W, on whaling, how meat from whales killed under special permits was then sold on the consumer market. [20263]
Mr. Bradshaw: Under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling any whales taken under special permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds shall be dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted.
It is therefore a matter for those countries who conduct whaling operations under special permit to decide how they dispose of the meat of the whales taken. Only Japan and Iceland conduct such operations and we understand that the vast majority of the whale meat derived therefrom is sold on their domestic markets.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Africa
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has made to the recent African Union Declaration on EU-ACP economic partnership agreements, with particular reference to Reform Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. [21662]
Ian Pearson: The UK has not responded to the African Union declaration. In the UK position paper on Economic Partnership Agreements published in March, the Government said that
'the EU should propose within the WTO that Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, should be reviewed as suggested by the Commission for Africa, in order to reduce the requirements for reciprocity and increase the focus on development priorities.'
Anti-Dumping Legislation
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on the anti-dumping legislation on polythene bags being proposed by the European Commission. [20524]
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Ian Pearson [holding answer 21 October 2005]: The European Commission has yet to propose anti-dumping legislation on polyethylene bags originating in China, Malaysia and Thailand. If it does so, any proposal will be examined on its merits.
Atomic Energy
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements there are for the review of security at the Dounreay Atomic Energy Research Centre. [20980]
Malcolm Wicks: Security at the UK's civil nuclear sites is kept under regular review by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), the security regulator. They are satisfied that existing procedures are robust and effective.
Awards
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what awards his Department has sponsored in the last 12 months; what the value was of each; and how many entries were received for each award. [20961]
Alan Johnson: This information is not held centrally within the DTI. An answer to this question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Below-cost Retailing
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the effects of introducing a ban on below-cost retail selling; and what assessment he has made of the extent of such bans in other EU countries. [20888]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 24 October 2005]: I have no plans to assess the effect of introducing a ban on below-cost retail selling at the current time.
The Competition Commission (CC) monopoly report 'Supermarkets: A Report on the Supply of Groceries from multiple stores in the United Kingdom' was published on 10 October 2000. The CC concluded that the practice of persistent below-cost selling when conducted by supermarkets with market power, operates against the public interest. However, the CC stated that remedies to prevent below-cost selling could themselves have adverse effects and would be disproportionate to the problem. Therefore the CC made no recommendations for remedial action. In its report, the CC noted that bans on sales below-cost in other countries had not been very effective.
The European Commission is currently undertaking a study of member state regulations on sales below-cost and my Department will follow the results with interest.
Clear Skies Programme
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to ensure the continuity of grants for both sections of the Clear Skies Programme. [21390]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Clear Skies Programme is being replaced by the low Carbon Building Programme and we are currently developing the details of the new
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programme and considering how best to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to grant support.
Clearskies and Solar Photovoltaics
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to replace the grant scheme for clear skies and photovoltaics when they come to an end. [22897]
Malcolm Wicks: Clear Skies and the Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme will be replaced by a low carbon buildings programme which is due to be in place by April 2006.
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