| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
30 Mar 2006 : Column 1105W—continued
State Aid
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the Spanish agricultural organisations of national importance as referred to in state aid approval notice N 400/2005 whose state funding has been authorised by the Commission; whether UK agricultural organisations of national importance have (a) requested and (b) been granted equivalent state funding authorised by the European Commission; and if she will make a statement. [59805]
Jim Knight: Aid scheme N 400/2005 provides for (a) start-up aid for new producer groups and (b) aid-related to the extension of the activities of existing producer groups. In both cases the remit of the producer group must extend to more than one autonomous region of Spain. We do not have information on the Spanish groups that have received aid, the award of which is a matter for the Spanish Government.
The aid scheme covered by state aid approval notice N 400/2005 is a national scheme which applies only in Spain. The UK has not sought state aid approval for a grant scheme offering a similar type of aid and we have no plans to do so. We have, however, obtained approval under aid scheme N 424/2003, to provide grant to English Farming and Food Partnerships which was set up to encourage and support collaboration and co-operation between farmers in England, and between farmers and the rest of the food chain. Grants are also available under the Agriculture Development Scheme (aid N 505/2002 extended as N 508/2005) for projects in England which involve collaboration and co-operation benefiting primary producers.
State of the Countryside
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in England were in the sparsely populated area analysed by the Countryside Commission in its recent report, the State of the Countryside; how many of those households were second home owners; and how many of those households that were not second home owners had access to a vehicle. [60586]
Jim Knight: The Commission for Rural Communities (which is an operating division of the Countryside Agency) used census 2001 data on housing stock and car ownership in its annual State of the Countryside report in 2005.
Analysis of data on housing stock reveals that, in 2001, there were 344,321 'household spaces' in sparse areas of England, of which 24,475, or 7.1 per cent., were categorised as unoccupied second residence or holiday accommodation.
30 Mar 2006 : Column 1106W
It is not possible to assess, from the analysis that has been completed to date, how many households resident in sparsely populated areas owned second homes.
Analysis of the number of non-second homeowners in sparse areas with access to a vehicle was not included in the 2005 State of the Countryside. However, basic car ownership figures reveal that, at the time of the census in 2001, 252,908 households (82.4 per cent.) in sparse areas of England had access to at least one car.
Thames Basin Heaths
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what consultation with local planning authorities in the affected areas took place prior to the implementation of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Areas; [61348]
(2) if she will list the occasions on which the implementation of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) was referred to (a) in Parliament and (b) in public by Ministers in her Department prior to designation of the SPA. [61349]
Jim Knight: In March 2000, Thames Basin Heaths was notified to Parliament as potentially qualifying as a Special Protection Area.
It was classified as a Special Protection Area on 9 March 2005 following consultations undertaken by English Nature and my Department. All relevant local authorities were directly consulted by English Nature.
We do not hold records of when the implementation of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area was referred to in Parliament, or on all public references by Ministers.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister about the implications of the implementation of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Areas for the ability of the surrounding local authority areas to accommodate intended housing allocations. [61350]
Jim Knight: My officials have had a number of meetings with officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, English Nature and the South East England regional assembly about the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA). Discussions have focused on how the intended housing allocations can be accommodated in a way that avoids damaging the conservation of the SPA, and on ensuring that our obligations under the habitats directive are met. These discussions have considered proposals for a delivery plan, which could provide a strategic framework for mitigating the impacts of new development on the SPA.
Officials will maintain a regular dialogue with partners involved in the draft delivery plan as it evolves.
30 Mar 2006 : Column 1107W
Water
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average level of water (a) leakage and (b) use per household in litres was in each water company area in each year since 1996–97. [60108]
30 Mar 2006 : Column 1108W
Mr. Morley: Figures for water leakage and household water consumption are published annually by the Director General of Water Services in the 'Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water' reports. Total water company leakage for 1996–97 to 2004–05, in Megalitres per day, was reported as follows:
(1) In spring 2003 Severn Trent Water revised its water balance data. The company attributed most of the increase in leakage to methodological changes
Water company estimates of average daily household consumption in litres per head per day for 1996–97 to 2004–05 was reported as follows:
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |