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14 Mar 2006 : Column 2084W—continued
Fly-tipping
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) incidents of fly-tipping were reported and (b) prosecutions were made for the offence in (i) Lancashire and (ii) West Lancashire constituency in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [58449]
Mr. Bradshaw: Defra has worked with the Environment Agency to establish a national database on fly-tipping (Flycapture) which has been operational since April 2004. No national data were previously available on illegal waste disposal or fly-tipping. Flycapture collects data at local authority level only.
It is important to note that the data are probably an underestimate and will increase as authorities get better at collecting and reporting the data.
West Lancashire district council reported 1,515 incidents of Fly-tipping between April 2004 and March 2005 (average of 152 per month) and 1,260 between
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April 2005 and January 2006 (average 126 per month) during the same time periods all Lancashire authorities reported 32,724 (average of 2,879 per month) and 36,073 (average of 3,674 per month) respectively.
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Prosecution data are only available from April 2005 to January 2006. During this period West Lancashire district council reported 32 prosecutions and all Lancashire authorities a total of 72.
Foot and Mouth
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether additional payment has been made to valuers in relation to the foot and mouth outbreak in Cumbria since 2001. [56662]
Mr. Bradshaw: Disputes arose with some valuers in Cumbria over the rates paid to them, or claimed by them, for valuation work undertaken by them during the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. The circumstances and facts pertaining to these disputes vary from dispute to dispute. These disputes have been settled though commercially confidential negotiated settlements, and formal debt recovery by Defra. A number of ongoing cases are the subject still of formal debt recovery by the Department.
The right hon. Member wrote to the Secretary of State last year on behalf of one valuer in his constituency who is concerned that other valuers in Cumbria may have been remunerated more favourably, but the Department has yet to receive the information requested from the right hon. Member, the valuer, and the valuer's solicitors necessary to support the contention of the valuer that he has been disadvantaged financially, but for which no evidence has yet been presented.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether valuers have been paid at a rate in excess of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers formula in relation to the foot and mouth outbreak in Cumbria. [56663]
Mr. Bradshaw: The right hon. Member is aware that disputes have arisen with some valuers in Cumbria over the rates paid to them, or claimed by them, for valuation work undertaken by them during the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. The circumstances and facts pertaining to these disputes vary from dispute to dispute. These disputes have been settled through commercially confidential negotiated settlements, and formal debt recovery by Defra. A number of ongoing cases are the subject still of formal debt recovery by the Department.
GM Terminator Seeds
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the Government will take at (a) the EU and (b) the forthcoming UN Convention on Biodiversity on genetically modified terminator seeds. [57173]
Mr. Morley: In 2000 parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decided that there should be a precautionary approach to the field testing and commercial use of these technologies while further research was carried out, particularly into their possible socio-economic impacts. The EU and the UK supported this decision in 2000 and continue to do so. We will be seeking reaffirmation of this decision at the forthcoming CBD meeting.
Goats
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 884W, on goats, what evidence she has that the application of tattoos to sheep and goats can cause welfare problems. [57235]
Mr. Bradshaw: None. The EU rules no longer provide for tattoos as the primary means of identification for sheep and goats. There is nothing to stop keepers continuing to use tattoos as a management tool, but they cannot replace the official identification.
Groundwater Protection
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to revise the Environment Agency's publication Policy and Practice for the Protection of Groundwater; and if she will make a statement. [56603]
Mr. Morley:
The Environment Agency is responsible for the preparation and publication of policies for its own internal guidance.
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I understand that the Agency is proposing to replace its existing Policy and Practice for the Protection of Groundwater, last revised in 1998, with a new Groundwater Protection Policy, and that the initial document will be published for consultation in April 2006 with further material later this year.
Hatching Eggs
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls (a) she and (b) the European Union have placed on (i) the import and (ii) the export of hatching eggs. [58591]
Mr. Bradshaw: EU Directive 90/539/EEC sets down rules on the import and export of hatching eggs within the European Union. The import of hatching eggs from third countries is covered by Directive 96/482/EEC.
Rules concerning the export of hatching eggs to third countries are dictated by the country of destination.
Home Owners (Environmental Incentives)
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives the Government have offered to homeowners to make environmentally friendly improvements to their homes. [56750]
Mr. Morley: The Government is committed to the promotion of environmentally friendly measures in homes as an integral part of its policies to tackle climate change and other environmental impacts. Key incentives include;
The Warm Front Scheme provides a package of heating and insulation measures to vulnerable households in receipt of certain benefits. The Scheme's central aim is to tackle fuel poverty, and the Scheme has assisted more than one million households since its launch in June 2000. A further £300 million of funding was announced in the 2005 pre-Budget report taking the total fund to tackle fuel poverty in England to £800 million for the period 2005–08;
Since 2002 the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) has required energy suppliers to meet targets for the promotion of improvements in household energy efficiency. The current 3 year phase of EEC is expected to stimulate around £1 billion of investment which will deliver net savings to customers in excess of £4 billion over the lifetime of the measures;
Reduced VAT rates were introduced on a number of residential insulation and heating products, heating controls, and grant-funded installations of most heating systems. These were extended in Budget 2005 to include micro-CHP and air source heat pumps;
The Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme (2002) and Clear Skies Programme (2003)—for the installation of renewable technologies. The Government will continue its support for Photovoltaics and other micro-renewables through a new Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which is due to start in April 2006;
Under the Water Industry Act 1991, Water Companies have a duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers. Many water companies publish advice on how to save water, offer subsidised water butts and distribute free cistern displacement devices.
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