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12 July 2006 : Column 1846W—continued
Avian Influenza
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential threat of H5N1 avian influenza to the British agriculture industry. [84612]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department regularly carries out qualitative risk assessments of the potential threat of H5N1 avian influenza to the UK. These assessments are published on the Defra website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/monitoring/riskassess.htm.
Defra has robust disease control plans and instructions to address an avian influenza epidemic in birds. These are set out in our Exotic Animal Disease Generic Contingency Plan, which is available on the Defra website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/avianinfluenza-contplan.htm
These plans and procedures were tested recently during the national avian influenza exercise, Exercise Hawthorn, and used effectively to deal with the incident of H5N1 in Cellardyke and the outbreak of H7N3 in Norfolk.
Brixham Fish Market
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what decision was taken by his Department within the panel meeting on 25 May 2006 in relation to Torbay council’s application for public funds for Brixham Fish Market; and what estimate he has made of the percentage of the total cost of the project the proposed funding from his Department would constitute. [83536]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 10 July 2006]: Torbay council's application for public funds for Brixham Fish Market was approved in principle, at the panel meeting on the 25 May 2006, and has subsequently been finalised as noted in my answer to the hon. Gentlemen’s previous question to me on this matter.
The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) funding granted for the project constitutes 29 per cent. of the overall cost of the project, based on current estimates from Torbay council.
Carbon Emissions
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the carbon emissions of his Department; what commitment he has made to reducing such emissions; and if he will make a statement. [81060]
Ian Pearson: Government departments submit data on their carbon emissions for annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports. The last report published by the Sustainable Development Commission in December 2005, covering the reporting period April 2004 to March 2005, is available at: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/watchdog
DEFRA reported a 3 per cent. increase in absolute carbon emissions since 1999-2000, against a target of a 12.5 per cent. reduction by 2010-11 for central Government departments. It should be noted that due to machinery of government changes, the area
occupied by the Department and its Executive Agencies increased by almost 9 per cent. during this period.
On 12 June 2006, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced new sustainable operations targets for the Government Estate, replacing those in place since 2004. They focus on key areas such as carbon neutrality and emissions, energy efficiency, waste and water consumption.
They require all central Government departments to: reverse the current upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007; reduce carbon emissions by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, (relative to 1999-2000 levels); reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent. by 2020; have a carbon neutral office estate by 2012; and reduce carbon emissions from road vehicles used for Government administrative operations by 15 per cent. by 2010-11, (relative to 2005-06 levels).
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 there have been for (a) crime and disorder, (b) fixed penalty notices, (c) nuisance and abandoned vehicles, (d) litter, (e) graffiti and fly-posting, (f) waste, (g) dogs and (h) noise in (i) each local authority and (ii) each police authority, broken down by basic command unit in each region of England and Wales since the introduction of the powers. [83764]
Mr. Bradshaw: Prosecutions cannot be brought under Part 1 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (CNEA) (Crime and Disorder).
The number of prosecutions for littering offences in relation to antisocial behaviour, and the number of penalty notices for disorder issued for littering offences, are shown in the following tables.
The measures involving prosecutions under the CNEA or the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) (as amended by the CNEA) on fixed penalty notices, graffiti and fly posting, waste, dogs, and noise were not commenced until 6 April 2006. Therefore, comprehensive figures for prosecutions under these sections will not be available until 2007. Similarly, figures relating to prosecutions pursued for nuisance parking offences under Sections 3 and 4 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act are not available until the autumn.
From 6 June 2005, Section 18 of the CNEA extended the offence of littering under Section 87 of the EPA to all open spaces. However, data on prosecutions under Section 87 will not include the specifics of the offence, for example, if the case was being brought for the offence of littering in a watercourse.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for littering offences related to antisocial behaviour, by police force area, England and Wales, 2003 and 2004( 1) | ||
| Depositing litter( 2) | ||
| Police force area | 2003 | 2004 |
| (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Offence under Environmental Protection Act 1990 S.87 Notes: Offence under Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(6) Offence under Noise Act 1996 Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform | ||
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