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12 May 2006 : Column 576W—continued
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which private contractors have signed up to his Department's claims handling agreement for mining diseases. [69804]
Malcolm Wicks: UK Coal, the largest of British Coal's successor companies, has signed up to the respiratory disease claims handling agreement (CHA) as has AGF, the insurers of the small mines owners.
A list of coal mining contractors who are party to the 1999 VWF CHA(1) follows:
A. Monk and Co. Ltd. (now Kvaerner Construction Ltd.)
AM Mining Services Ltd. (dissolved 7 May 2002)
Amalgamated Construction Company Ltd.
Caledonian Mining Company Ltd. (now Calsafe Group Ltd. incorporating Caledonian Building Systems Ltd).
CEMEC
Cementation Mining Ltd.
Cleveland Potash
Davy Mining Ltd.
Derek Crouch Mining Ltd.
G. Elect Services Ltd.
Hollybank Engineering Ltd.
James Williams (Neath) Ltd.
Kvaerner Construction Ltd.
Low Valley Engineering and Shot Blasting Ltd.
Matthew Hall Mining Ltd.
MB Installations and Site Services
Mining Skills Ltd.
National Plant and Transport
OMEC Engineering
Small Mines
Specialist Mining Services Ltd.
T. Bridges and Co. Ltd.
Techplus Mining Ltd.
Thyssen (GB) Ltd.
Trafalgar House Group
UK Coal Mining Limited
West Riding Technology
Coal Investment
Hatfield Colliery
Midland Mining Ltd.
Tower Colliery
(1 )Please note that the VWF CHA has since been amended by negotiation with the Claimants Steering Group, which the above Coal Mining Contractors are only in agreement with in part
Offshore Petroleum Licensing
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 March 2006, Official Report, columns 91-92WS, on offshore petroleum licensing, what protection is in place in the 24th round of offshore petroleum licensing for Cardigan Bay, as a special area of conservation. [69304]
Malcolm Wicks: There are several types of protection which will be afforded to any special areas of conservation within Cardigan Bay.
Prior to commencing the 24th Licence Round, my officials carried out a strategic environmental assessment in order to predict and evaluate the environmental implications of the round.
We will shortly be conducting an "Appropriate Assessment" (pursuant to the habitats and birds directives) of potential impacts of the 24th Licence Round. An Appropriate Assessment will enable my officials to ascertain whether the proposed plan or project is likely to have an adverse effect on the integrity of a relevant site. In carrying out this Appropriate Assessment we will consult the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
Should any licences be granted and the operators subsequently apply to undertake activities that are likely to have a significant effect on a relevant site within Cardigan Bay then further Appropriate Assessments will be conducted at the project level. In addition, an environmental impact assessment may also be required as part of the permit application process.
These assessments will be used to determine what type of activity may be licensed or consented and/or what form of mitigation should be applied.
Post Office Card Account
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will compensate those post offices which will be affected by the proposed withdrawal of the Post Office card account. [70250]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Post Office Ltd and the Department for Work and Pensions are currently discussing various options to help mitigate any impact on post offices resulting from the end of the Post Office card account.
Share Certificates
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's policy is on the removal of share certificates under a programme of dematerialisation; and if he will make a statement. [67757]
Margaret Hodge: The Government have welcomed the work of an industry working group which is looking at options for greater use of paper free holding and transfer of shares. The responses to the company law reform White Paper of March 2005 showed strong support for this initiative, but it is also clear that more information is needed on the costs and benefits of a paper free approach. The Government do not wish to rule out any option at this stage, and have therefore decided to extend the existing power relating to transfer of securities under section 207 of the Companies Act 1989 so that it could be used to require, as well as to permit, the paper free holding and transfer of company shares. In doing so, we wish to ensure that the new arrangements for paperless holding and transfer of securities do not deprive individual shareholders of existing rights which may be important to them.
Sub-Auroral Magnetometer Network
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of how the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council's changes to the funding of the UK Sub-Auroral Magnetometer Network will affect amateur astronomers. [67752]
Jim Fitzpatrick: To maintain the health of its programme, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) has conducted a rigorous review of its investments. As a result of this review, PPARC has decided to withdraw support from UK Sub-Auroral Magnetometer Network (SAMNET). SAMNET records natural variations in the Earth's magnetic field, PPARC's assessment is that the withdrawal of support will therefore have minimal impact on amateur astronomers.
Telephone Numbers
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many possible telephone numbers had not been issued to subscribers or service providers (a) in the UK, (b) on the Isle of Wight and
(c) in each London code area (i) immediately before the revisions to the numbering system in (A) 1990, (B) 1995 and (C) 2000 and (ii) at the most recent date for which information is available. [64806]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 24 April 2006]: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Television Licences
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the value of the business brought to the post office by its sale of television licences. [70413]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The value of the business brought to the post office by the sale of television licences derives from a commercial contract with the BBC, and is therefore an operational matter for the company. I have asked Alan Cook, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd., to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Thorp Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely timescale for reopening the THORP nuclear reprocessing plant; and if he will make a statement. [69376]
Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimates that the thermal oxid reprocessing plant (THORP) is likely to be ready to reopen in the summer. A decision on whether to restart rests with the NDA Board is subject to the Health and Safety Executive's safety requirements being met. The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate will not allow THORP to restart until it is satisfied that these safety requirements have been met.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Avian Influenza
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the average infection rate is for the (a) H7 and (b) H5N1 strains of avian influenza; [69410]
(2) what information he has received on the infection rate in other countries where there has been an outbreak of the H7 strain of avian influenza. [69411]
Mr. Bradshaw: The infection rate within a flock will depend on the stage at which the disease is detected. The rate of spread and local epidemiology within a poultry population will depend on many factors, but
once the virus is introduced into a holding its rate of spread within the flock will be most strongly influenced by the virus strain, the host species and the production type.
Recent incidents of low pathogenic H7 avian influenza in Italy have usually resulted in infection rates of 100 per cent., especially where the disease was not detected early and intervention strategies were not put in place. Early detection of low pathogenic viruses is particularly difficult since clinical signs are often very mild or not apparent. In the outbreaks of H7N7 highly pathogenic avian influenza in flocks in the Netherlands in 2003, 100 per cent. of birds became diseased when there was no early detection or intervention. The average infection rates for H7 or H5 avian influenza in flocks of poultry will depend on the influence of all of the factors mentioned above.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the infection rate was in each UK outbreak of the H7 strain of avian influenza in the last 30 years; and if he will make a statement. [69412]
Mr. Bradshaw: The infection rate, as determined by serology, in the three poultry premises recently confirmed with H7N3 was 100 per cent.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what testing methods are used by the UK Government to detect (a) the H7 strain of avian influenza, (b) the H5N1 strain of avian influenza and (c) other strains of avian influenza; what information he has received on the methods used in other countries in each case; and if he will make a statement. [69414]
Mr. Bradshaw: The UK national laboratory at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency (VLA), Weybridge follows standard international protocols (including EU directives) to detect avian influenza viruses.
A combination of screening and confirmatory tests are used. Initially, samples are screened using a rapid, highly sensitive and specific real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) that detects all influenza A viruses. Further tests of this type are used specifically for the detection of H5 and H7 subtypes, in addition to conventional PCR tests that provide information on the pathogenicity of the virus.
In all cases involving suspicion of disease in poultry, or following positive detection in any host, virus isolation in embryonated fowls' eggs is carried out to provide further characterisation. In addition, especially forH5 or H7 viruses, blood samples are analysedfor virus-specific antibodies using standard haemagglutination inhibition tests.
As an international reference laboratory—and the EU community reference laboratory for avian influenza—the VLA takes a leading role in developing new technologies for diagnosis, together with the transfer and standardisation of such methodologies to other laboratories. The agency is also responsible for ensuring test harmonisation across all national laboratories and ensuring that common testing methodologies are used.
Carbon Trust
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the Carbon Trust is exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [67866]
Ian Pearson: The Carbon Trust is a private company and is not listed in the schedules of the Freedom of Information Act. It would be Defra’s responsibility to answer any request for information held by the Trust on Defra's behalf.
Climate Change
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to address the effects on the UK of global warming; and what further steps he plans to take in the next five years. [65392]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 11 May 2006]: The recently published climate change programme in March 2006, sets out the Government's commitments both at international and domestic level to meet the challenge of climate change. The programme contains a series of measures between now and 2010 both to further reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and bring us closer to our domestic target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010. The programme also contains commitments to adapt to that climate change which is already unavoidable.
Further information on the new climate change programme can be found on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/index.htm
Community Energy Programme
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the community energy programme has had its funding programme curtailed; and what alternatives have been put in place. [68568]
Ian Pearson: The recent climate change programme review involved a wide-ranging appraisal of the effectiveness of existing climate change policies. We have concluded that other programmes deliver carbon savings in a more cost-effective way, compared with the community energy programme. These include support for biomass community heating through the new heat support scheme, which will include combined heat and power.
Dairy Industry
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of recent developments in the milk producing and dairy industry. [66107]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department commissioned a report from Professor David Colman and Yaqin Zhaung, 'Changes in England and Wales Dairy Farming since 2002/03: A Resurvey', which was published last year. This showed that more farms had
ceased production than had been previously indicated and there was a higher concentration of more profitable and larger herds among those that left. It reconfirmed previous findings which indicated that milk production is likely to fall.
Although the trend of farmers leaving the industry is not new, in terms of the sustainable future of the dairy industry, the apparent trend of some of the more efficient dairy farmers leaving the industry is worrying. We commissioned the report because we wanted some firm evidence of what was happening in the dairy sector. This is part of that evidence base. The Dairy Supply Chain Forum, chaired by my noble Friend, Lord Rooker, is working to understand why these farmers are leaving. While it is likely that profitability will be an important factor, there are also issues such as succession and possibilities for diversification which need to be considered.
The report, 'Changes in England and Wales Dairy Farming since 2002/03: A Resurvey', can be found on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/milk/pdf/colman3report.pdf
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