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9 Nov 2005 : Column 490W—continued
Statutory Instruments
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of statutory instruments laid before the House by her Department arose as a direct consequence of European legislation in each of the last three years. [23001]
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Jim Knight: It is possible to extrapolate from existing data sources a broad estimate of the percentage of SIs which came into force for each of the last three years that arose as a direct consequence of European legislation. The figures are:
| Measures arising from EU affecting the private sector as percentage of total SIs coming into force | |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 53 |
| 2003 | 51 |
| 2002 | 61 |
Archived data is stored depending on the date of entry into force of specific measures and not the date on which the implementing statutory instrument was laid before Parliament. Therefore, information in the precise form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Furthermore, the data provided relates only to measures which have a relatively significant or wide-ranging impact on business. Minor technical or updating amendments to existing regulations, which may have arisen as a consequence either of EU or domestic policies, are not included in the data source.
The total number of SIs covered on this basis for EU and domestic policies, and which came into force in each of the three years, is: 2004 70 SIs; 2003 92 SIs; and 2002 57 SIs. The total number of SIs in any given year will be higher once minor, technical and amending measures are included.
Stewardship Scheme
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received about online applications to the entry level stewardship scheme; and if she will make a statement. [26256]
Jim Knight [holding answer 8 November 2005]: No representations have been received recently at a national level concerning the introduction of the ELS On-Line facility. However, we are aware that local RDS offices continue to receive informal enquiries from farmers and their agents on this subject.
The ELS On-Line system remains under development and our aim is to thoroughly test it before release to ensure that it is robust and fit for purpose. It is our intention to make it available early in the new year.
Sugar
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on EU proposals for reform of the sugar regime. [20426]
Jim Knight:
Defra has conducted a full public consultation exercise on the Commission's proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime. Thirty-seven written responses were received and copies of these are available for inspection in the Defra library. A summary of views expressed will be published shortly. In addition, Ministers have received a large number of letters on this subject outside the formal consultation exercise reflecting a similar range of concerns.
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Meetings with stakeholders have been conducted at both ministerial and official level on a regular basis and will continue to take place as the negotiations progress.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on UK manufacturing industry of production quotas for sugar (a) over the last five years and (b) over the next five years. [23764]
Jim Knight: By sustaining high sugar prices and inefficient sugar production, national sugar quotas have restricted competition and choice for UK and EU based food manufacturers for whom sugar is a crucial ingredient. The European Commission's proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime are expected to increase competition and trade across Europe. Further analysis of these impacts is provided in the Government's detailed Regulatory Impact Assessment of options for reform of the EU Sugar Regime.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will accept the recommendation of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in its Twelfth Report of Session 2003–04, paragraph 52, that, if the reformed Common Market Organisation for sugar maintains the quota system, the competition authorities should conduct an investigation into the UK sugar processing industry. [23849]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the competition authorities themselves to consider. But the Government does believe that the European Commission's present proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime do represent a considerable step forward in the operation of the quota system, with the merger of A and B quotas, the abolition of C sugar and the possibility of some expansion for the most efficient producers.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the base price would be on which payments of export refunds would be calculated under the European Commission's proposals for reform of the Common Market Organisation in sugar. [23850]
Jim Knight: Export refunds for sugar are currently calculated as a function of the difference between the EU intervention price and world market levels. Under the European Commission's reform proposals the intervention system would be abolished and replaced with a number of different market management instruments, the need for which will be assessed in relation to representative prices on the EU market expressed as a reference level.
The question of how export refunds will be set in relation to this will be a matter for the Sugar Management Committee after the Agriculture Council has reached agreement on the main reform proposals.
Warm Front Scheme
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in Cleethorpes constituency have received assistance under the Warm Front scheme in each year since its introduction. [26573]
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Mr. Morley: Between the launch of the Warm Front Scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2005, the numbers of households assisted in each year in Cleethorpes constituency are as follows:
| Number of households assisted | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 199 |
| 2001–02 | 898 |
| 2002–03 | 617 |
| 2003–04 | 790 |
| 2004–05 | 714 |
| Total | 3,218 |
Waste Disposal
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many landfill sites are operational in (a) England, (b) Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency. [26497]
Mr. Bradshaw: There are 561 operational landfill sites in England. This number is not constant given that the Environment Agency is currently undertaking the re-permitting of the landfill sector under the requirements of both the PPC and Landfill Regulations.
There are currently 13 operational landfill sites in Tees Valley and one in the Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland area.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the current capacity of landfill sites is filled. [26498]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information is not available in the form requested at present. However, it is an area being addressed during development of the Waste Data Strategy.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incinerators are used in England to burn (a) household, (b) industrial and (c) other waste. [26499]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Environment Agency regulates 64 incinerators in England under the Integrated Pollution Control Regime (Environmental Protection Act 1990, part 1) and the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 SI 1972. The breakdown is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Burning household waste | 16 |
| Burning industrial waste | (5)23 |
| Burning other waste | (6)25 |
(5) Two merchant waste incinerators and the remaining 21 are in-house waste incinerators.
(6) Clinical waste, sewage sludge and animal carcase incinerators
As regards smaller incinerators regulated by local authorities, data from our 2003–04 statistical survey for England and Wales (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/lapc/survey0304/index.htm) shows 65 incinerators were regulated and a further 36 combustion plant. We do not have a breakdown of how many of the 36 combustion plant burnt waste.
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Separate data collected for 2001–02 for England and Wales (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/lapc/aqnotes/pdf/aq03(02).pdf) show that 19 installations were subject to guidance for waste combustion plant, 22 used clinical waste incineration guidance, 26 used animal carcase incineration guidance and seven used general waste incineration guidance.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are to build additional incinerators to deal with refuse. [26500]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government are exploring options to support the delivery of additional energy generation from residual, post-recycling, waste as part of their current review of waste strategy.
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