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5 Jun 2006 : Column 142W—continued
Church Commissioners
Cathedrals
Mark Pritchard: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what central funding the commissioners expect to receive in 2006-07 for repairs to cathedrals. [74916]
Sir Stuart Bell: None. In this period grant aid for repairs paid directly to English cathedrals from English Heritage will be £1 million, which has been the level since 2005.
Solicitor-General
Departmental Bills (Amendments)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour backbencher, (b) an Opposition backbencher and (c) an Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by his Department that has been accepted by his Department during the current session; and if he will make a statement. [72132]
The Solicitor-General: My Departments have not sponsored any legislation in the current session.
Private Members' Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list those Private Members' Bills in respect of which his Department has adopted a policy of neutrality in each session since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement. [72130]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is not collected by my Departments and providing it would incur disproportionate costs.
Scotland
Devolution
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what devolution issues the Advocate General has considered since 9 May. [75053]
David Cairns: Since 9 May, 37 devolution issues have been intimated to the Advocate General. Of these 37 devolution issues, 20 arose in civil proceedings and 17 in criminal proceedings.
Eid-Ul-Adha
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff from his Department attended the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-Ul-Adha event in London in 2005; and what the total cost was to his Department of their attendance. [73056]
David Cairns: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has written to the hon. Member with details of the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-Ul-Adha event. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
International Meetings
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will encourage the Scottish Executive to participate in UK delegations as appropriate at relevant international meetings; and if he will make a statement. [74672]
David Cairns: Arrangements for the Scottish Executive participating in UK delegations to international meetings are clearly laid out in the Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements—specifically the Concordats on the Co-ordination of European Union Policy Issues and International Relations.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a substantive reply to Question 63598, on electors in Scottish constituencies, tabled by the hon. Member for Glasgow East on 14 April. [74606]
David Cairns: As my hon. Friend is aware, I replied on 24 May 2006, Official Report, columns 1804-05W.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 5 June 2006
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
32 (The Royal) Squadron
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions on which she has used 32 (The Royal) Squadron since 2001; what the approximate take-off and landing times were of each flight; whether the carbon emissions were offset in respect of each flight; which other transport options were considered for each flight; why other transport options were not used; for what official duties each flight was used; and if she will make a statement. [66161]
Barry Gardiner: The rules on the use of special flights, including 32 Squadron, are set out in “Travel by Ministers”. The annual lists of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500 set out when special flights are used, and the destination, cost and purpose of each trip. Copies are available in the Library. Carbon dioxide emissions arising from 32 Squadron flights are included in the Government’s carbon offsetting commitment. Carbon emissions arising from the use of these flights have been recorded and offset in the same way as the use of scheduled flights since April 2005.
Agricultural Ties
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions an agricultural tie places on occupants of a house so registered; and if he will make a statement. [74172]
Barry Gardiner: An agricultural tie is a condition attached to the planning consent for a house or another similar dwelling. The precise conditions that the tie brings will vary from case to case. However, these will usually limit occupation of the property to an agricultural worker, or their widow or widower.
Agricultural Waste
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to bring into force regulations to bring agricultural waste within the controls of the waste framework and the landfill directives. [74547]
Mr. Bradshaw:
The Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 came into force on 15 May 2006. These Regulations apply to agricultural
waste the same national waste management controls that have long applied to other sectors of industry. The Regulations comply with the Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC as amended) and the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC).
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum has determined how farm plastic waste can best be collected and recovered; and if he will make a statement. [74548]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum (AWSF) has been awarded £1 million worth of funding under the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme over three years. This is to develop a programme of work examining how farm plastic waste can best be collected and recovered within the formal structure of a producer responsibility scheme. Producer responsibility regulations are already in place for producers placing packaging on the market. It is likely that any new collection scheme will be set up to collect both packaging and non-packaging farm plastics.
This programme of work is feeding into the development of statutory producer responsibility regulations. These are currently being developed to increase the collection and recycling of non-packaging farm plastics.
An advisory group, operating as part of the existing Advisory Committee on Packaging, is also being established to assist with the development of the regulations. This group will include producers of both packaging and non-packaging farm plastics, the farming community, the waste industry and relevant Government Departments and Environment Agencies.
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to develop a national producer responsibility scheme for the collection and recovery of farm plastics. [74553]
Mr. Bradshaw: Research has shown that most farmers and growers are keen to recycle waste non-packaging farm plastics.
On 21 March this year, Defra announced plans to develop statutory producer responsibility regulations to increase the collection and recycling of non-packaging farm plastics. This was in response to a consultation carried out in December 2004, which put forward proposals for such a scheme. The regulations will be developed in collaboration with the devolved administrations, covering England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland will consider introducing separate regulations following consultation.
Producer responsibility regulations are already in place for those producers placing packaging on the market. It is expected that any collection scheme would be set up to collect both packaging and non-packaging farm plastics.
Badgers/Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what
scientific evidence he based his estimate of culling efficiency in the Krebs Trial; [73570]
(2) what methods of estimating the badger population were used to monitor the effectiveness of badger culling in the Randomised Badger Cull Trial; [73571]
(3) what factors account for the size of the range in his Department's figure for badger culling efficiency; [73874]
(4) whether the Independent Scientific Group validated his Department's badger culling efficiency figure; and if he will make a statement. [73875]
Mr. Bradshaw: Culling efficiency in the proactive trial areas is calculated by taking the proportion of the badger population that is available to be trapped within the whole trial area (the trapping efficacy) and correcting this to reflect the degree of landowner consent.
At the time of publishing the consultation document, “Controlling the Spread of Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle in High Incidence Areas in England: Badger Culling”, experts at the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) estimated the culling efficiency within the proactive areas of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) to have been 20 to 60 per cent. during the initial proactive culling operations. This figure was based on a trapping efficacy of 50 to 80 per cent. and landowner consent of 43 to 82 per cent.
The Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on cattle TB believe the trapping efficiency may be greater than the 20 to 60 per cent. estimate. I have asked CSL to carry out further analysis on both these estimates, using the latest data from the RBCT. Variations in trapping efficiency will reflect the season, the weather, the differing amount of non-consent land within each proactive removal area, and trap interference. The approach and results from the revised estimates will be discussed with the ISG.
At the end of the trial, following the completion of all culling, the relative density of badgers in the proactive and survey only areas was assessed using a technique known as distance sampling. This found that there was an average difference of 58 per cent. (range 26 to 93 per cent.) in the relative density of badgers in the proactive and survey only areas at the end of the proactive treatments.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has collated on the levels of tuberculosis in badgers. [74328]
Mr. Bradshaw: Data from the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) survey and the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) have been used to estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in badgers. RTA badger prevalence data for 2002 to 2004 are available on the Defra website: http://vwwv.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/isg/publications/isg1430.pdf
Data on the prevalence of TB in badgers culled in the initial proactive culls of the RBCT can be found in table 2 of the paper from the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB entitled “The Spatial Association
of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle and badgers”. Further information about this paper is available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/isg/isgpublications.htm
Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour back bencher, (b) Opposition back bencher and (c) Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by his Department, which has been accepted by his Department during the 2005-06 Session; and if he will make a statement. [72477]
Barry Gardiner: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has sponsored the following Bills during the current session.
Animal Health and Welfare Bill
Commons Bill
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (received Royal Assent on 30 March 2006)
Information on amendments moved and accepted during the Committee and Report Stage on these Bills is published in the Official Report.
Biomass
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of woodchip from forests and woodlands in each region was used in biomass (a) boilers and (b) electricity generators in the last year for which figures are available. [74100]
Ian Pearson: The Forestry Commission are currently compiling data on the use of forestry woodfuel in each region of England. Usage ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 green tonnes (gt) per region per year. In total each year, around 36,000 gt are estimated to be used for biomass boilers and 50,000 gt for co-firing in electricity generators.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to paragraph 9.5 of the Government's Response to the Biomass Task Force, by what date he expects the planned two million tonnes per annum production to be achieved. [74101]
Ian Pearson: The Forestry Commission will be submitting options for delivery to the Government in its report at the end of September 2006.
Brownfield Development
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations his Department has received on the effect of the definition of waste on the use of soil and aggregates in the context of land remediation and brownfield development. [73839]
Mr. Bradshaw: The most recent representations received by the Department on this issue are contained in a letter dated 4 May from the Environmental Industries Commission, to which I will be responding shortly.
Climate Change
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) companies and (b) others with large energy bills on plans to restrict carbon dioxide emissions. [70304]
Ian Pearson: In 2005, the Government commissioned research from the Carbon Trust and Ecofys to assess alternative policies to increase carbon savings from the non-energy intensive business and the public sector. The Carbon Trust held five stakeholder workshops with energy-intensive sectors, non-energy-intensive sectors (hosted by CBI), the public sector, NGOs and suppliers of energy-efficient equipment.
In October 2005, DEFRA, DTI and the Climate Group co-hosted a major international conference for business entitled “Climate Change: The Business Forecast”. This was attended by over 300 delegates from the UK, other EU and G8 countries, and the major emerging economies of China, Mexico and South Africa.
Energy-intensive industries are covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. DEFRA and DTI have consulted extensively with industry during the development of the phase 2 National Allocation Plan, which sets out our plans to restrict carbon dioxide emissions between 2008-12. A questionnaire canvassing stakeholders’ initial views on the longer term future of the EU ETS, post-2012, has recently issued to feed into the Commission’s review of the scheme.
Negotiations are continuing with sectors that became eligible for entry into climate change agreements under S159/2006 and 60/2006, which came into force on 21 January 2006. To date, six new sectors covering approximately 180 companies have joined the agreements. A further six sectors covering approximately 140 companies are awaiting state aid approval and the laying of further regulations before their agreements can be signed.
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