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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 24 April 2006
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Asda
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date meetings have taken place between her Department andrepresentatives of Asda, including Asda's parent company, Wal-Mart, in the last 12 months; and if she will list the participants. [59959]
Jim Knight: Given the very wide range of goods and outlets involved, the retail sector is affected by more regulations than any other sector. Consequently, major retailers will have regular contact with many departments and may also be involved in working and consultative groups. To list every meeting would involve disproportionate cost, so the following information relates to key meetings only.
In the last 12 months, meetings between DEFRA officials and Asda/Wal-Mart took place on 22 July 2005, 11 November 2005, 8 February 2006 and 3 March 2006. In addition, a meeting with DEFRA Ministers took place on 8 December 2005. Data privacy legislation makes it inappropriate to list the participants in those meetings.
Biological Diversity
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the conclusions of the eighth Conference of Parties on Biological Diversity. [64043]
Jim Knight: The eighth Conference of Parties to the CBD was held in Curitiba, Brazil from 20–31 March 2006. I attended the High Level Segment (HLS) from 26–28 March. During this period I co-hosted, with the Brazilian Deputy Environment Minister, Claudio Langone, a breakfast with business representatives attended by over 40 Ministers. I also had bilateral discussions with other Ministers and met representatives of UK stakeholders.
The COP adopted decisions on over 30 issues, including a new work programme on island biodiversity, and gave new impetus to capacity building for implementation of the convention in developing countries. Other key outcomes included:
an agreement to analyse and explore options for preventing and mitigating impacts of activities on deep seabed genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction
an invitation to the UN General Assembly to follow up work on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including assessing the need for an implementing agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
a decision on access and benefit sharing of genetic resources to progress rapidly the negotiation of an international regime, with a view to completing the work before the 10th Conference of the Parties in 2010
the adoption of a global framework of targets and indicators to be reviewed after 2010 which will provide for a structured assessment of the 2010 biodiversity target
a number of actions relating to climate change and biodiversity including follow up with other biodiversity conventions
recognition of the need to consider biodiversity in development-planning systems including poverty reduction strategies
recommendation of approaches to addressing gaps in the international regime for tackling invasive alien species
a streamlined and outcome orientated approach to national reporting which will support future editions of the global biodiversity outlook
strengthened activities in the forest work programme relating to Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and a precautionary approach to the use of GMO trees
a decision on agricultural biodiversity including elements on food and nutrition, soil biodiversity and Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURTS) which reaffirmed the precautionary approach to GURTS taken in decision V/5, adopted in 2000.
Pollution
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the levels of (a) carbon dioxide emissions and (b) greenhouse gas emissions were in the UK in each year since 1990; what the percentage change was in each year on (i) 1990 and (ii) 1997 levels; and what the breakdown in each year in emissions was between (1) industry, (2) transport, including separately (A) cars, (B) planes, (3) households, (4) the commercial sector, (5) the service sector and (6) other sources. [64384]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 20 April 2006]: UK net emissions of carbon dioxide—all sources minus all sinks—and total greenhouse gas emissions for 1990–2004 are presented in the table, along with the percentage change for each year compared to 1990 and 1997. The data exclude emissions from the overseas territories that are associated with the UK's ratifications of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The sector breakdown is consistent with that presented in the UK's climate change programme published in March 2006. Total UK greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation are also shown, but do not contribute towards the UK total in accordance with international guidelines.
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Sources:
Agriculture, forestry and land management
Farming
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total number of farms in (a) England, (b) the South West, (c) Somerset and (d) Taunton constituency. [64066]
Jim Knight: Based on data from the June 2005 agricultural survey, the number of registered agricultural and horticultural holdings is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| (a) England | 195,908 |
| (b) South West | 49,714 |
| (c) Somerset constituency | 8,551 |
| (d) Taunton constituency | 1,915 |
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the banking industry on the provision of financial support to farmers who do not receive single farm payments by the end of March. [58353]
Jim Knight:
My noble Friend Lord Bach met the British Bankers Association and other representatives of the major lending banks on 30 March to discuss the situation of farmers awaiting payment under the single payment scheme.
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After the meeting, the following joint statement was issued:
We have agreed that we will continue to work closely together in ensuring that farmers awaiting payment are offered support and help wherever possible. We recognise that these are difficult times for many farmers and that a flexible approach on all sides is required.
Lord Bach confirmed the new steps being taken by the RPA to speed up the validation and authorisation of payments, which the banks welcomed.
The banks re-emphasised that no viable business is being refused additional financial support and, as a result, no viable businesses are failing because of uncertainty about the payments timetable."
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