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7 Mar 2006 : Column 1260W—continued
National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members of staff were employed in the National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit on 1 March (a) 2005 and (b) 2006; how many are expected to be employed on 1 April 2006; and if she will make a statement. [55321]
Jim Knight: It would not be appropriate to publicise operational details about a specialist unit of this kind, but I am pleased to say that on 28 February I announced that the Government will contribute an additional £200,000 to the Unit, and that the Association of Chief Police Officers will provide a further £50,000. This will enable the Unit to expand, strengthening its role in fighting wildlife crime and in reducing the risk of diseases, such as avian influenza, entering the UK through illegal trade.
Pheasant Shooting
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) pheasant eggs for hatching and (b) pheasant poults were imported from France to the UK for shooting purposes in each year since 2001. [55890]
Jim Knight: [holding answer 6 March 2006]: Imports of pheasant eggs are not reported separately by HM Revenue and Customs. The numbers of eggs for hatching, for all poultry other than turkeys or geese, imported from France are shown in the following table:
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 191 |
| 2002 | 3,372 |
| 2003 | 1,314 |
| 2004 | 1,219 |
| 2005 | 2,163 |
Imports of pheasant poults are also not recorded as a separate category but are recorded within imports of live other birds (detailed in the footnote). Information is only available on the weight and value of the birds imported. Data are not currently available for the volume of imports in 2005, as the data are still being processed. Imports from France of live other birds are shown in the following table:
| Live: Other birds1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tonnes | £000 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 61 | 214 |
| 2003 | 286 | 908 |
| 2004 | 155 | 1,056 |
| 2005 | n/a | 1,421 |
(3) Live other birds exclude: chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, birds of prey, pigeons, parrots, parakeets, macaws, cockatoos
Private Sewers
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the protocol on private sewers introduced in April 2002; [55530]
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(2) what recent representations the Department has received on problems with private sewers; what response she plans to make; and whether a public consultation on tackling problems with private sewers is planned; [55531]
(3) what recent research has been undertaken by the Department to ascertain the level and nature of problems with private sewers; [55532]
(4) how many houses in each local authority area are connected to private sewers. [55533]
Mr. Morley: The Government are aware of the problems associated with private sewers.
Few records are kept of private sewers and a breakdown of how many houses in each local authority connect to private sewers is not available. It is estimated that up to 50 per cent. of properties in England and Wales connect to private sewers in one form or another. Householders are often unaware that their property is connected to a private sewer or that they are responsible for its maintenance (sometimes jointly with others) until a problem occurs.
The Government have taken action to tackle the problems associated with private sewers in two stages. The first stage is designed to prevent the creation of further private sewers. A voluntary protocol for the construction of new sewers was introduced in April 2002 which detailed a build standard to make sewers suitable for adoption by water and sewerage companies (WaSCs). A recent review of the protocol conducted on behalf of Government by WS Atkins Consultants Ltd. (Atkins) found that less than 1 per cent. of developers were adhering to it. The Government are currently considering whether the protocol should therefore be mandatory.
The second stage looks at existing private sewers. Research commissioned from Atkins formed the basis of a public consultation reviewing existing arrangements for private sewers and drains in England and Wales. The consultation sought views on a number of possible solutions to the problems they pose. The majority of respondents favoured transferring ownership of private sewers to WaSCs. The Government published their initial response to the consultation in October 2004, which summarised responses, gave the Government's preliminary views and set out the issues that needed to be addressed before a final decision is made.
Defra held a seminar in January 2005 with over 90 relevant stakeholders to agree sustainable options for transferring ownership of private sewers and lateral drains. The information gathered through discussions at the seminar will inform the Government's final decision. Further information on the seminar is available on Defra's website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/industry/sewers/existing/index.htm
Defra also commissioned market research to explore customers' possible views on the transfer of private sewers. A qualitative customer survey comprised 20 focus groups across England and Wales and a final report explaining the findings is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/industry/sewers/existing/index.htm.
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The Government intend to publish their decision on how to deal with existing private sewers and lateral drains in England and Wales in the next few months,, but do not rule out further consultation on implementation options should a decision be taken to transfer their ownership to WaSCs.
Regulatory Simplification
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regulatory simplification proposals relating to environmental regulations were received in 2005; how such proposals are made public; and what mechanisms are in place to enable interested parties to comment on these proposals. [54668]
Mr. Morley: Since the launch of the Government's regulatory simplification initiative on 15 September 2005, DEFRA has received 20 proposals relating to environmental regulations.
There is no current requirement to make such proposals public but the Department will consult interested stakeholders before agreeing to take any simplification ideas forward.
Proposals that are taken forward by the Department will be included in updated versions of DEFRA's simplification plan. The Department's initial plan Lifting the Burden" was published in November 2005 and contains details of 64 simplification initiatives that are taking place over the next year. Copies of the plan have been placed in the House Library or can be downloaded at
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will hold a public consultation on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. [56661]
Mr. Morley: DEFRA do not intend to hold a public consultation on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution prior to the government's response, which is being coordinated by DEFRA and will be published this summer. Any new policy initiatives resulting from the response will be developed in line with Cabinet Office guidance on holding public consultations.
Sustainable Procurement
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she is offering to other Departments on sustainable procurement. [55420]
Mr. Morley:
The Sustainable Procurement Task force was set up in May 2005 under the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy. The Task Force, under the chairmanship of Sir Neville Simms, is a business led group reporting jointly to DEFRA's Secretary of State and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The Task Force will deliver a Sustainable Procurement National Action Plan to DEFRA and HM Treasury before the end of April 2006, enabling the UK Government to bring about a step change in public
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procurement such that, by 2009, it can meet the goal in the Sustainable Development Strategy of the UK being recognised as amongst the leaders in sustainable procurement across the EU.
The Task Force is addressing five key themes: international benchmarking; data and priorities; engaging with the supply base; accountability; and capacity and is building on existing and previous initiatives in sustainable procurement. These include the Market Transformation Programme; the Sustainable Procurement Group; the Quick Wins list published jointly by DEFRA and the OGC; the joint note by the OGC and DEFRA on environmental issues in purchasing; the Framework for the Government Estate, which required every Department to have published a sustainable procurement strategy by 1 December 2005; the work of the Sustainable Development Commission, Envirowise, WRAP and The Carbon Trust amongst others; the work of the Strategic Supply Chain Group; the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative and the Catering Services Toolkit; the UK's timber procurement policy; and, most recently, the OGC's note on Social Issues in Purchasing. The UK is leading work in the EU on green public procurement under the Environmental Technologies Action Plan. The UK is a member of the OECD Steering Group on Green Public Procurement.
DEFRA is working closely with its suppliers to ensure that products, equipment and services supplied to it are from approved recognised sustainable sources; has grouped its commodities and services into categories and is implementing a category management strategy; seeks every opportunity to work collaboratively with the NAO, the OGC and other public and private sector bodies to adopt and implement sustainable best practice. Two recent examples include the cross public sector travel procurement tender and the pan Government printed paper contract. DEFRA has also published a Position Statement on DEFRA and Social Enterprise, and the OGC and Home Office have published Think smart.think voluntary sector!"
The Department has published its Sustainable Procurement Strategy and Toolkit at:
the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) website is at:
and the minimum environmental products list (Quick Wins) is at:
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