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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 20 April 2006
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Energy Efficiency
13. Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on improving the energy efficiency of households; and if she will make a statement. [63740]
Mr. Morley: I and my ministerial colleagues have had a number of discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and his ministerial team on the energy efficiency of households and other related issues.
Single Farm Payments
14. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the oral answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of 9 March 2006, Official Report, column 941, on single farm payments, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary became aware that it would not be possible to make the bulk of payments by the end of March. [63741]
Margaret Beckett: I and fellow Ministers were made aware of this on 14 March, which as the hon. Member will be aware led to the removal of the RPA Chief Executive on the 16 March and the appointment of Mark Addison as Acting Chief Executive.
Climate Change
15. Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her plans for meeting the target for carbon dioxide reduction by 2010. [63742]
18. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's UK carbon dioxide targets. [63746]
Margaret Beckett: The Government published the 2006 climate change programme on 28 March. The policies and measures in the programme are expected to reduce UK carbon dioxide emissions by 15 to 18 per cent. by 2010 compared with 1990 levels.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the climate change review. [63737]
Mr. Morley:
A new climate change programme was published on 28 March. It will advance progress to tackle climate change domestically and to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
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Flood Defences
17. Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the provision of flood defences for Lewes. [63744]
Mr. Morley: Following the floods in 2000, the Environment Agency has completed a flood risk management strategy for the Sussex Ouse and £1.8 million has been spent on reducing flood risk in the Mailing area of Lewes. The Environment Agency Regional Flood Defence Committee is planning further works between the Phoenix Causeway and Cliffe Bridge and in the Cliffe cell.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the security of flood prevention in and around the Thames Estuary. [63747]
Mr. Morley: London and the Thames Estuary have one of the best tidal defence systems in the world, which provides a high standard of protection from flooding.
The Environment Agency is currently developing a major flood risk management strategy—Thames Estuary 2100—to look at how we can manage flood risk to London over the next 100 years, taking into account future predicted impacts of climate change.
Water Efficiency
20. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage greater water efficiency in the home. [63748]
Mr. Morley: We have established the new Water Saving Group with key water stakeholders, which has agreed and is making progress on a comprehensive action plan; we are going to consult in summer on regulatory changes to secure improved water efficiency in new housing; and all stakeholders are seeking to educate customers to act responsibly in the use of water.
Paul Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department plans to improve water efficiency in housing growth areas. [63743]
Mr. Morley: We announced on 28 March that we will consult on proposals to mandate minimum standards of water efficiency in new housing, which will include new housing development in the four growth areas.
Milk Prices
21. Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average farmgate price for milk was in 2005 and 1997. [63749]
Jim Knight: The average farmgate price for milk delivered in 1997 was 21.96 pence per litre, while in 2005, it was 18.46 pence per litre.
Recycling and Waste
22. Mr. Mackay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the performance of local councils in meeting their recycling and waste targets. [63750]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Levels of recycling by local authorities have improved dramatically from the appalling record under the previous Conservative Government. In 1997 only 8 per cent. of household waste was recycled. This year we expect local authorities will achieve the target we set them of 25 per cent.—a more than trebling of recycling since Labour come to power.
Farm Incomes
23. Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average level of farm income was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005. [63751]
Jim Knight: UK Total Income from Farming per full-time person equivalent was £12,500 in 2005 compared to £14,600 in 1997 (when expressed in real terms at 2005 prices).
CFC Recovery
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many licensed CFC recovery sites are still operational in the UK; and how many of these achieve greater than 300g of CFC recovery per domestic refrigerator or freezer; [63850]
(2) what the average CFC recovery level was per domestic refrigerator or freezer for each year since 2002. [63851]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 April 2006]: A number of facilities hold Waste Management Licences for the treatment of waste refrigerators. Not all licensed facilities are operational. Typically, there are a dozen specialist facilities recovering CFCs from domestic refrigerators. Some facilities also treat panels from commercial refrigeration equipment.
Operators of fridge treatment plants are not required to report CFC recovery on a grammes per fridge basis. CFC recovery data for 2005 is currently being assessed and collated and will be available to report to the European Commission by the reporting deadline of 30 June this year.
A detailed audit of fridge treatment facilities in 2004 concluded that the quantity of controlled substances recovered from the refrigerant and blowing agent equated to approximately 236g per fridge/freezer treated in England and Wales during 2003.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the UK's position in European CFC recovery league tables. [63852]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 April 2006]: Recovery of CFCs/HCFCs (chlorofluorocarbons/hydrochlorofluorocarbons) in the UK in 2004 (the last year for which figures are available) represented some 25 per cent. of the total CFC/HCFCs estimated to have been recovered in the EU. The UK figure also includes CFC/HCFCs recovered from imported waste refrigerators from elsewhere in the EU.
Gregory Barker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many tonnes of the CFCs recovered by the UK's licensed
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facilities have been (a) destroyed and (b) processed to render them harmless to the environment in each year since 2002; [63845]
(2) what amount of CFC was recovered from domestic and commercial appliances in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate she has made for 2006; [63846]
(3) how many tonnes of CFC were recovered in 2005; what estimate she has made of the amount which will be recovered in 2006; and if she will make a statement; [63848]
(4) what plans she has to address falling levels of CFC recovery in the UK. [63849]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 18 April 2006]: The following information is available on the recovery of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) from all equipment:
| Tonnes | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 387 |
| 2003 | 494 |
| 2004 | 427 |
The requirement to recover CFCs and other ozone depleting substances from domestic refrigerators did not come into force until 2002. Recovery levels were not reported or collated for any previous year. CFC recovery data for 2005 is currently being assessed and collated. This will be available in time to meet the European Commission's reporting deadline of 30 June.
It is not possible to know in advance the levels of CFC recovery from domestic or commercial refrigeration equipment in 2006. The amount available for recovery will be influenced by the number of fridges and freezers presented for treatment, the proportion that contained CFCs when manufactured, and the proportion of CFCs lost in use, storage or transit. Recovery figures for 2006 will be reported during 2007.
CFCs recovered at fridge treatment plants are converted/destroyed on site or sent to specialist facilities for destruction.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department has issued on the recovery of controlled substances in refrigerators and freezers; what assessment she has made of the impact of the guidance on CFC recovery rates in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [63847]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency "Guidance on the Recovery and Disposal of Controlled Substances Contained in Refrigerators and Freezers" was published in 2002. The Agencies intend to review this guidance when the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is implemented.
The publication of guidance is only one factor which may influence the amount of CFCs recovered in the UK. Other major factors include the number of fridges and freezers presented for treatment, the proportion that contained CFCs when manufactured, and the proportion of CFCs that are lost in use, storage or transit.
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