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United Utilities Water Company

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the leakage rate was for the United Utilities Water Company in the latest period for which figures are available; and what change there has been in United Utilities' water leakage rate in the last five years. [58004]

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 reported leakage at United Utilities for 2004–05 was 500 megalitres per day. This is an increase of 37 megalitres per day from 2000–01.

Waste Management

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with stakeholders in the Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough growth corridor on future waste management facility provision and policy. [55725]

Mr. Bradshaw: I have had no discussions with stakeholders on this issue. National policy set out in Planning Policy Statement 10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management requires 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.
 
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An Examination in Public (EIP) was recently held for the East of England RSS. Waste was one of the issues considered by the EIP.

Water Leakage (London)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action has been taken to reduce leakage rates from water pipes in the London area. [55459]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 6 March 2006]: The Director General of Water Services is responsible for setting targets and monitoring reductions in water company leakage. In 2001, following failure to meet their leakage targets, Ofwat suspended Thames Water's leakage targets in favour of an action plan to improve its leakage monitoring and control activities. This was in addition to a continuing requirement for Thames Water to provide quarterly reports on progress with its agreed leakage reduction plan. The aim is to restore leakage to its target level and achieve adequate security of supplies.

The company is now carrying out 60 per cent. more repairs than two years ago, and a major upgrade of its water distribution network in London is under way. This will involve replacing more than 1,200 km of water mains over the five years up to 2010. In 2004–05 Thames Water reduced its overall leakage for the first time since 1999–2000, moving towards the target of reducing leakage to its economic level of 725 Ml/d by 2009–10.

Water Supply

Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likelihood of standpipes being required in (a) Kent and (b) Sussex in the course of 2006. [57299]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 March 2006]: The Environment Agency is the statutory body with a duty to manage water resources in England and Wales. It has produced a report, Drought prospects 2006", explaining the likely consequences of a continuing rainfall deficit. This report indicates that if rainfall in Kent and Sussex, from February to April, is only 60 per cent. of the average for that period, there would be a risk later in the year of extreme steps to manage public water supplies such as the introduction of standpipes and rota cuts. This risk will be influenced by the efficacy of measures adopted to conserve water supplies.

Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to increase water supplies in (a) South East England and (b) Kent; and if she will make a statement. [57300]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 March 2006]: All water companies in England and Wales have statutory duties to maintain adequate supplies of water. It is for water companies to plan the investment required to achieve a supply-demand balance, including that for any necessary increase in supplies. Details of how each water company, including those in South East England and Kent, propose to reconcile supply with anticipated future demand are included in their 25 year water resource plans. These water resource plans are produced voluntarily every five years at present but will become a
 
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statutory requirement under the provisions of the Water Act 2003. My Department is currently consulting on the exercise of the new powers in respect of statutory water resource plans.

Water companies in South East England and Kent, in common with the other water companies, also produced drought plans which are now a statutory requirement. The drought plan sets out how the company will continue to meet its duty to maintain an adequate supply of water during a short term water shortage. One of the actions may involve applying to my Department for drought orders to restrict non-essential uses of water.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Carbon Footprint

Mr. Vaizey: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment has been made of the carbon footprint of the Palace of Westminster. [57717]

Nick Harvey: The quantity of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere as a result of gas and electricity consumption on the Commons part of the parliamentary estate, including the Commons part of the Palace of Westminster, in 2004–05 was 11,694 tonnes CO ₂ . I understand that the equivalent total for the Palace of Westminster as a whole, but excluding the other buildings on the estate, was 8,892 tonnes CO ₂ .

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Age Discrimination

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in eliminating age discrimination in employment. [58601]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations were laid before Parliament in draft on 9 March and, subject to parliamentary approval, will come into force on 1 October 2006. The regulations represent a big step forward in eliminating age discrimination in employment. In the meantime, the Government's Age Positive and Be Ready campaigns have been encouraging the benefits of an age diverse work force in readiness for the new legislation.

Arms Exports (Iraq)

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Ministers have had responsibility for the approval of arms export licences to Iraq since the beginning of 2004. [58251]

Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 13 March 2006]: The DTI is the licensing authority for goods whose export is controlled for strategic reasons. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for issuing all export licences, including those for Iraq. The DTI Export Control Organisation carries out this function on his behalf.
 
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Farnborough Air Show

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Ministers will be attending the Farnborough Air Show in July. [57136]

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry plans to attend the Farnborough Air Show. Possible attendance by other DTI Ministers is under consideration. Attendance of Ministers from other Departments is a matter for those Departments.

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2006, Official Report, column 2178W on nuclear waste, to the hon. Member for Cardiff Central, from which countries the spent nuclear fuel stored in Scotland comes; where the spent nuclear fuel has been stored since arriving in the UK; how long he expects the spent nuclear waste to be stored at the current site; what assessment he has made of the risks of pollution from the storage of the waste; and if he will make a statement. [57129]

Malcolm Wicks: The overseas spent fuel stored in Scotland (less than one tonne), originates from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland and Georgia. Spent fuel has been stored at the UKAEA site at Dounreay.

Other than material removed to the UK for international security reasons, material is stored for a period as agreed under contract with the customer. Since 1976, all contracts for reprocessing of overseas spent fuel in the UK contain a clause stating that the materials, including waste, resulting from the reprocessing will be returned to the country of origin.

Spent fuel stored in accordance with regulatory requirements as determined by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and associated radioactive discharges are regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

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