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8 Mar 2006 : Column 1501W—continued
Street Cleaning
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department makes available to local authorities with regard to street cleaning. [54954]
Mr. Bradshaw: This Department has developed several forms of guidance to local authorities in relation to street cleansing services. Guidance covering sections of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, relating to street cleaning will be issued to all local authorities in March of this year. A revised Code of Practice for Litter and Refuse will be issued at the same time. Defra produced a document titled 'Achieving improvements in street cleansing and related services', which was sent to all local authorities in November 2005. Further practical guidance on street cleaning services and enforcement will be available through an updated and enlarged 'Knowledge Bank' CD which has been developed in partnership with EnCams, the environmental charity. This will be available from April this year.
Further information and guidance is available at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/index.htm
Supermarkets (Packaging)
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce legislation (a) limiting the amount of packaging that can be used for products sold in supermarkets and (b) to require supermarkets to use easily recyclable packaging. [56119]
Mr. Bradshaw: We have no plans to introduce further legislation on packaging.
There are two sets of Regulations which cover packaging in the UK and which encourage businesses (including supermarkets) to minimise packaging and to manufacture packaging which can be recycled.
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) include a requirement that packaging should be manufactured so that the volume and weight are limited to the minimum adequate to maintain the necessary level of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer. These Regulations also require that
packaging . . . be designed, produced and commercialised . . . to permit its . . . recovery, including recycling, and to minimise its impact on the environment . . .".
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2005 are intended to increase the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. Because the amount of packaging waste recycling businesses have to
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do is determined, in part, by the amount of packaging they handle, they can cut costs if they reduce the packaging used around their products.
Legislation is one way of reducing packaging, but consumers have a part to play. For example, if consumers made a point of choosing goods that are not heavily packaged, or bought 'loose' food rather than pre-packaged, or used their own shopping bags or boxes, manufacturers might be encouraged to reduce the quantity of packaging on their products.
Thames Gateway
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the estimated level of waste in the Thames Gateway is for (a) 2006, (b) 2010, (c) 2015, (d) 2020 and (e) 2025; what the estimated available capacity is for each year; and if she will make a statement; [54688]
(2) what estimate the Government have made of the likely additional waste arising from population expansion and building programmes in the Thames Gateway. [54698]
Mr. Bradshaw: Estimates of the type sought are not normally made or held by Government. National policy set out in Planning Policy Statement 10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management" expects regional planning bodies to prepare regional spatial strategies which aim to provide sufficient opportunities to meet the identified needs of their areas for waste management for all waste streams. In turn, planning authorities are expected to prepare local development documents that reflect their contribution to delivering the regional spatial strategy. At the regional level, regional technical advisory bodies support the work of regional planning bodies and have a key role in assembling data and information on waste including from the Environment Agency.
The ODPM published in December 2005 a sustainability study that assessed across England the environmental, social and economic impacts of additional housing growth scenarios developed in response to the findings of the Barker Review. This study considered the implications for waste management but did not focus down to specific growth areas.
Water Leakage Rates
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the leakage rates were for each water company in the latest period for which figures are available. [56254]
Mr. Morley: The Director General of Water Services publishes leakage figures annually in the Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water" reports. Total water company leakage for 2004–05, in megalitres per day, was reported as follows:
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Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what change there has been in each water company's leakage rate in the last five years. [56255]
Mr. Morley: The Director General of Water Services publishes leakage figures annually in the Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water" reports. Total water company leakage for 2000–01 and 2004–05 and the difference in these figures, in megalitres per day, was reported as follows:
(11) In 2003–04, Anglian Water calculated leakage using 2001 census population data for the first time. If the 2000–01 leakage figure was calculated using the same population data as used from 2003–04, leakage would follow a stable trend.
(12) In spring 2003 Severn Trent Water revised its water balance data. The company attributed most of the increase in leakage to methodological changes.
Water Purification
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research
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her Department has commissioned into methods of purifying water; and what conclusions she has drawn from the research. [56124]
Mr. Morley: The most relevant area of publicly funded research is the Drinking Water Quality and Health Research programme, managed by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Such research can provide credible and authoritative information and help to ensure that regulations and standards for water quality provide adequate safeguards. Much of this programme touches upon issues related to water purification and summaries of all the reports can be found on the Foundation for Water Research website at www.fwr.org.
Treatment of the public water supply is an issue for the water companies themselves, although the Research Councils and the European Union's Framework research programmes contribute significant funding to the development of new technologies. Consequently, Defra does not normally fund research into water treatment technologies for drinking water, unless the research is needed to inform new regulations, or where there may be a perceived risk to health.
One example of research that includes methods of purifying water derived from private sources, is the production of the Manual on treatment for small water supplies systems". This was produced to help local authorities to discharge their statutory duties and functions relating to private water supplies.
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