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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 30 January 2006
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal Welfare Bill
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific advice her Department has received on whether to include cephalopods within the remit of the Animal Welfare Bill. [45980]
Mr. Bradshaw: DEFRA officials have considered numerous reports on whether cephalopods experience pain and suffering, but the current scientific evidence is not clear-cut. Before making a decision, we intend to await the outcome of a European Union review of Directive 86/609/EEC relating to the use of cephalopods in scientific research.
If future research shows that cephalopods can in fact experience pain and suffering, there are powers within the Animal Welfare Bill to extend the definition of an animal to include such invertebrates.
Batteries
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of batteries were recycled in each European Union country in the last year for which figures are available. [43353]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information on percentage of batteries recycled in European Union countries is not readily available for all battery chemistries. Member states have not been required to provide this in the past. However, officials are in the process of acquiring this data.
Portable battery (small consumer type batteries—used in phones, clocks, watches, cameras) collection rates are available for 2002 for the following countries:
| Austria | 44 |
| Belgium | 59 |
| France | 16 |
| Germany | 39 |
| Netherlands | 32 |
| Sweden | 55 |
| Spain | 14 |
| UK | 0.5 |
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department will spend on research into the disposal of batteries in each of the next three years. [40621]
Mr. Bradshaw
[holding answer 17 January 2006]: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are currently undertaking work to determine the most cost
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effective way to meet the collection targets set out in the forthcoming EU Batteries Directive. They are aiming to look at ways of ensuring that this is done without incurring excessive costs for any of the businesses involved in the collection and recovery or disposal of batteries. The work is being funded by Defra's BREW (Business Resource Efficiency and Waste) programme with just under £600,000 spent in 2005. We are about to determine funding for the next three years as part of departmental business planning.
Beavers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) progress of the reintroduction of the beaver to Gloucestershire and (b) its compatibility with the British ecosystem. [43706]
Jim Knight: The Department is continuing to hold constructive discussions about the project in Gloucestershire which, to the Department's knowledge, is keeping the beavers in captivity and is therefore not a re-introduction project.
The re-introduction of beavers into the wild in England would require a licence under section 16(4) of the 1981 Act. As part of the application process for such a licence, an impact assessment would have to be undertaken to consider the possible consequences for the local environment (such as forestry, farming, fishing, public health), impacts on local biodiversity and also to consider issues such as liability or compensation payments.
Biodiesel (Environmental Impact)
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what environmental impact assessment has been carried out into the process that converts vegetable oils into biodiesel of diesel quality. [43911]
Mr. Morley: The most common process for converting vegetable oil into biodiesel is trans-esterification. This process is well known from years of use in the oleochemical sector. However, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership will be looking at the specific environmental impacts of biodiesel processing as part of their work on developing draft environmental standards for biofuels. The impacts in terms of pollution to air, land and water are controlled by the Environment Agency. A pollution prevention control permit is required where biodiesel is being produced for own-use by six or more people or for commercial operations producing more than 5,000 litres a year. The processing of biodiesel from waste cooking oil and tallow is also subject to waste management controls. Various studies have assessed the greenhouse gas impact across the whole production process from raw material to finished biodiesel. UK-produced biodiesel typically gives greenhouse gas savings of around 55 per cent. compared to fossil diesel.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make
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provision for those cattle that react following a skin test to have a blood test before they are required to be slaughtered. [46348]
Mr. Bradshaw: The current skin test for bovine tuberculosis is an effective test. It is the accepted standard laid down in both national and international legislation for determining the existence of the disease in a cattle herd. Under EU law, the gamma-interferon diagnostic blood test may be used to supplement the skin test. It is considered marginally more sensitive than the skin test, but less specific. This means that it results in a higher probability of false positives. EU legislation allows for the gamma-interferon test to be used to pick up cases missed by the skin test, but not to overrule it.
Preparations are being made for wider use of the gamma-interferon test (in prescribed circumstances). A Gamma-interferon Working Group has been established to prepare and deliver a policy for increased use of the test.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the minutes of the discussions she has had with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales on bovine tuberculosis. [42253]
Mr. Bradshaw: Defra Ministers have not held any recent discussions on bovine tuberculosis with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on badger culling to eliminate bovine TB. [46347]
Mr. Bradshaw: No decision has been made on culling badgers to control bovine tuberculosis (TB) in England. We are still consulting both on the principle and the method of a badger culling policy in areas of high TB incidence in cattle.
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial savings she has estimated will be made over (a) two, (b) five, (c) 10 and (d) 15 years from the planned closure of Centre for Ecology and Hydrology sites; and what the cost to her Department will be over each period of obtaining the services previously provided by those centres. [44150]
Mr. Morley: Defra would not make any savings over (a) two, (b) five, (c) 10 and (d) 15 years from the proposed closure of Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) sites. CEH is part of the Natural Environment Research Council, which receives grant in aid funding from the Department for Trade and Industry. As well as funding from NERC, CEH also obtains external funding for commissioned research.
Defra contracts research to CEH and the current contractual agreements would continue to be delivered.
Mrs. Moon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) financial and (b) scientific impact of the proposed closure of each of the five centres for Ecology and Hydrology on research into (i) emergent
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diseases, (ii) invasive species, (iii) climate change, (iv) Avian influenza, (v) GMO release, (vi) sea level rises and (vii) monitoring biodiversity; and if she will make a statement. [44151]
Mr. Morley: The aim of the restructuring proposal for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) is to ensure its long-term sustainability which would ensure continued capacity for environmental research in the UK into the future. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has confirmed that the scientific programmes for the restructured CEH would remain as:
Defra contracts research to CEH and the current contractual agreements would continue to be delivered.
NERC is currently consulting widely with stakeholders and I am sure that NERC council will consider all evidence and views on the potential impact of the proposals.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology on (a) the amount of independent research undertaken into climate change and (b) capabilities for the long-term collection and analysis of environmental and ecological data necessary to reveal the effects of climate change; and if she will make a statement. [44850]
Mr. Morley: The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) is only one of a large number of institutions undertaking climate change research for, and providing long-term environmental and ecological datasets to the Department. We believe that the restructuring that the Natural Environment Research Council has proposed for CEH would not reduce the amount of independent research into climate change nor reduce capabilities for the long-term collection and analysis of environmental and ecological data available to the Department.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact that proposed Centre for Ecology and Hydrology closures will have on the Government's ability to maintain and improve the environment; and if she will make a statement. [44851]
Mr. Morley: The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) is one of a large number of institutions undertaking scientific research for the Department. We believe that the restructuring that the Natural Environment Research Council has proposed for CEH would not reduce the amount of scientific research capability available to the Department. Consequently there should be no loss to our ability to be able to maintain or improve the environment.
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which the proposed Centre for Ecology and Hydrology closures will affect the
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capacity of the Government (a) to react to environmental issues across the geographic range of the United Kingdom and (b) to monitor biological diversity in different regions. [44861]
Mr. Morley: The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) is only one of a large number of institutions undertaking climate change research for, and providing long-term environmental and ecological datasets to the Department. We believe that the restructuring that the Natural Environment Research Council has proposed for CEH would not reduce our capacity to react to environmental issues across the geographic range of the United Kingdom nor affect our ability to monitor biological diversity in different regions.
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