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Badger Culling

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the experience of the previous badger culling operations in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, for (a) legal issues, including trespass, and (b) practical issues, including the need to treat setts, in relation to current proposals for a cull. [55949]

Mr. Bradshaw: We are currently consulting on both the principle and method of a badger culling policy. Experience from previous badger culling operations was considered when developing the consultation document and partial regulatory impact assessment.

Bag for Life Scheme

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the results of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's Bag for Life scheme to be published. [58494]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Waste and Resources Action Programme hope to publish the results of their study by Easter.

Biosecurity

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out her responsibilities for Government policy in respect of biosecurity matters. [57422]

Mr. Bradshaw: Guidance on animal health biosecurity for owners of livestock and anybody who comes into contact with, or visits, premises with farm animals is available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/biosecurity/index.htm. The guidance has been published to meet the Government's obligations under the Animal Health Act 2002.

In response to the threat of an outbreak of avian influenza, Defra has distributed guidance materials to a range of poultry industry groups who have helped to distribute information to their members. We have also provided leaflets and posters to farmers and local
 
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veterinary surgeons and placed advertisements in poultry hobby magazines. Specific guidance on worker protection has been issued by an industry and cross-departmental working group. Information is also available on the avian influenza pages of the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm.

Bovine TB

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what representations she has received about the veterinary costs involved with the pre-movement tuberculosis testing of cattle; [56057]

(2) what assessment she has made of the costs of pre-movement tuberculosis testing of cattle for farmers; and if she will make a statement; [56058]

(3) what assessment she has made of the implications of pre-movement tuberculosis testing costs for the future viability of the dairy farming industry; and if she will make a statement. [56059]

Mr. Bradshaw: Pre-movement testing will be introduced in England on 27 March following a rapid independent survey of veterinary capacity and preparedness to deliver the new policy. The costs and the impact on the industry were considered by the Tuberculosis Pre-Movement Testing Stakeholder Group. They were also addressed in a Regulatory Impact Assessment, available on the DEFRA website at:

www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/premovement/index.htm

We will keep the policy under review.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the significant wildlife reservoirs for bovine tuberculosis. [57251]

Mr. Bradshaw: The main wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis in the UK is in badgers. Wild deer are the other significant wildlife reservoir though experts believe they generally present less of a disease risk to cattle than badgers.

Brownfield Sites (Borehole Soakways)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on applications for the use of borehole soakways on brownfield sites with surface drainage constraints. [56718]

Mr. Morley: Under the Water Resources Act the Environment Agency is responsible for controlling discharges to groundwater, taking into account whether such discharges could lead to pollution. Under the Groundwater Regulations 1998, disposals to land which contain substances listed in the Regulations require prior authorisation. For cases where pollution of groundwater might result, the Environment Agency may not grant consent. Thus where surface water contains polluting matter; including listed substances, prior authorisation to discharge or dispose of it is required.
 
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Under the WFD direct discharges of pollutants to groundwater will be prohibited, subject to certain exemptions which currently do not include surface water drainages.

Carbon Dioxide

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of carbon dioxide globally which is generated by (a) human activity and (b) natural phenomena. [56981]

Mr. Morley: The IPCC Third Assessment (2001) considers carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) generated by both natural phenomena and human activities. Human emissions are estimated to be approximately 8 billion tonnes of carbon in 1990, rising to 9.1 billion tonnes of carbon in 2002, compared to approximately 210 billion tonnes of carbon generated naturally in 1990. However, as natural emissions and their removal from the atmosphere are about balanced, the additional emissions from human activities are extremely significant for the energy balance of the atmosphere.

Most recent research indicates that in 2002, approximately 55 percent. of human emissions were removed from the atmosphere (5.2 billion tonnes of carbon), leaving approximately 45 percent. (3.9 billion tonnes of carbon) remaining in the atmosphere to cause global warming. This is the reason the Government have introduced a long-term aim to reduce UK CO ₂ emissions by 60 percent. by 2050, with real progress by 2020.

Carbon Emissions (New Homes)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on carbon emissions of the development of new homes in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's growth areas. [55665]

Mr. Morley: The Government have not undertaken any assessment solely of the impact of the development of new homes in the four existing Growth Areas on carbon emissions.

Defra and ODPM have, however, jointly employed the consultants Entec to provide a comprehensive report on the range of sustainability impacts (including increased carbon emissions) which would be likely to arise under the scenarios for increased housing supply proposed by Kate Barker. This report took the levels of increased housing supply proposed for the Growth Areas as its baseline. The Entec report is accessible on both the Defra and ODPM websites.

In addition, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, under contract to Defra, has assessed the possible impact of the new housing on carbon dioxide emissions from soil, which could be around 0.02 per cent. of projected UK emission in 2010.

Regional Planning Bodies are also required under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to have regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State when preparing draft Regional Spatial Strategies. They must also carry out a sustainability appraisal of these drafts.
 
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This means that, in proposing housing in their Strategies, account will be taken of its impact on climate change. Homes built to new standards will also less emissions then existing stock.

Circus Animals

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2006 to Question 54633, on animals in circuses, if she will place in the Library the considerations her Department has made of the various research projects. [57435]

Mr. Bradshaw: It would not be appropriate to place these considerations in the Library of the House. But the steps we are taking under the Animal Welfare Bill will improve significantly the welfare of animals in circuses.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response she has made to the submission from Animal Defenders International in the consultation on the welfare of animals in travelling circuses. [57665]

Mr. Bradshaw: We considered this submission carefully. On 8 March 2006, Official Report, column 60WS, I made a Parliamentary Statement concerning the use of certain non-domesticated animals in travelling circuses.

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