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State Visits

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what state visits (a) by Her Majesty the Queen to foreign countries and (b) by foreign heads of state to the UK have been agreed; and what the planned dates of such visits are in each case. [31244]

Dr. Howells: Announcements have already been made concerning Her Majesty the Queen's outward state visits to Malta 23–24 November 2005 and to Singapore 16–18 March 2006.

Proposals and dates for further inward and outward state visits are kept under constant review. It is not our practice to announce such visits until they are firm and the formal invitation has been delivered to the Head of State of the country concerned.

Sudan

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of recent events in the Darfur area of Sudan on the prospects for peace in the region. [31048]

Ian Pearson: We remain seriously concerned about the situation in Darfur. Although the African Union (AU) monitoring force has expanded and is increasingly effective, there are reports of tribal clashes as well as skirmishes within the Sudan Liberation army, and ongoing banditry. In his latest report on Darfur, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, notes that September and October recorded a rise in the number of people being killed. We continue to press the parties to rein in their fighters and to reach a political agreement within the UN Security Council's deadline of the end of the year. We have also made clear that those who are responsible for attacks must be held to account.

It is only through political negotiation that a sustainable solution to the conflict will be found. The AU led talks in Abuja provide a political process and are making steady progress, although there is still a long
 
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way to go, particularly given rebel divisions. We are firmly committed to the Abuja process and are pushing for the negotiations to be better structured so as to have maximum impact on the immediate security situation on the ground. We have a UK observer at the talks, to support both the mediation and the parties and to provide technical assistance if needed.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agicultural Levy Boards

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the terms of reference for the investigation into agricultural levy boards. [30486]

Jim Knight: The terms of reference were published on the DEFRA website and laid in the Library of the House when the review of the agricultural and horticultural levy boards was announced on 15 March 2005. They are also reprinted in annex A of the report of the review, published on 11 November 2005.

Bees

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what improvements are planned to the work of the Plant and Invertebrate Ecology Division at Rothamsted Research Station into bee viruses; [26898]

(2) what arrangements are being made for the future preservation of bee viruses held at the Rothamsted Research Station. [27089]

Jim Knight: Rothamsted Research is sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It is one of several contractors with whom the Department funds research that supports our bee health policy to control pests and diseases of bees in England. Rothamsted completed a three-year Defra funded project on exotic bee viruses and their interactions under UK conditions in November 2004. While Defra has no current plans to commission further work on bee viruses at the institute, we have made provision for continuing expenditure on research on bee health.

I understand that Rothamsted is considering future arrangements for the preservation of its collection of bee viruses and antisera and for access to this collection.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to increase the number of bee inspectors; and if she will make a statement. [29283]

Jim Knight: The Bee Health Inspection and Advisory Service of the National Bee Unit undertakes a range of statutory disease control measures and delivers an extensive training programme to beekeepers to help maintain the health of the honey bee population.

The Department has no current plans to increase the size of the Inspectorate in England. Funding on bee health and any changes to the provision of the inspection services will be considered as the Department's expenditure plans are developed for future years.
 
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Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for beekeepers to be required to make their own diagnosis of European foulbrood in their colonies. [29285]

Mr. Bradshaw: The responsibility to ensure the maintenance of a healthy bee population is a shared one between the Department and beekeepers. The National Bee Unit already provides a training programme that aims to help beekeepers become more self-reliant in controlling pests and diseases through improved disease recognition and bee husbandry techniques.

The Department believes that beekeepers can take a greater measure of responsibility for the control of European foulbrood as improved disease control methods are developed. However, as was indicated to the House on 20 October, we will not make changes to the inspection arrangements for European foulbrood unless we are sure that bee health will not suffer as a result.

Biomass and Biofuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the division of departmental responsibilities for biomass and biofuels is between the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Transport; and what reallocations of responsibility have occurred in 2005. [30927]

Jim Knight: In common with other policies and issues which are wide-ranging in their impact on the UK, there are a number of Government Departments with an interest in biomass and biofuels. There is strong liaison across the Departments both at ministerial and official level to ensure co-ordinated policy. Defra has responsibility for the role biomass and biofuels can play in sustainable development, climate change, air quality and rural issues. The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for the overall renewable energy policy, new technology and industry development and sponsorship. The Department for Transport is responsible for transport policy and the promotion of low carbon fuels, including the Biofuels Directive and the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. No reallocations of responsibility have occurred in 2005.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the Government are continuing to aim to meet the target to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. by 2010; [30268]

(2) whether the Government plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050. [30269]

Mr. Morley: The manifesto reiterated the Government's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and stated that a 60 per cent. reduction by 2050 remains necessary and achievable.

Combined Heat and Power

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made towards achieving the year 2000 target of 5 gigawatts of installed combined heat and power (CHP)
 
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capacity in the UK: and what impact she expects the dismantling of the 18 megawatt CHP plant in Bury to have on this target. [31609]

Mr. Morley: The Government target for CHP, announced in 2000, is to achieve at least 10 gigawatts of Good Quality CHP capacity by 2010. Installed capacity at the end of 2004 was 5.6 gigawatts. We have no record of a CHP plant in Bury.

Commons Registration Act

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued on whether a common registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965 which has consequently been mapped as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 but which has an Order of Limitation placed on it by way of provisions under section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 has full access rights by ways of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [31844]

Jim Knight: Section 15 of the Countryside and Right of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) lists enactments, under which the public has rights of access, including access on foot and higher rights such as horse riding. Where land which falls under these enactments has been mapped as open country or registered common land, the right of access under the CROW Act does not apply because an existing right is in place. Section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 is one of the enactments listed in section 15. The right of access under the CROW Act does not therefore apply to land which falls under section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 even if that land has an Order of Limitation placed on it.

We have provided public guidance on section 15 in the context of appeals relating to the mapping of open country and registered common land and applications for restrictions and exclusions of the right of access. We have not so far seen a need to provide guidance specifically on those cases where land subject to section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 has an Order of Limitation placed on it.

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