| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Ivory
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the (a) control of ivory stock piles and (b) reopening of the trade in ivory. [81928]
Barry Gardiner: The UK has been closely involved in the debate surrounding proposals for one-off sales of stockpiled ivory, through our involvement in the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES).
(a) CITES has placed a number of strict preconditions that have to be met before one-off sales of ivory stock can take place. In addition the proceeds have to be used exclusively for elephant and community conservation projects within, or near, the areas where the elephants reside. The UK will not support the proposed one-off sales if we are not entirely satisfied that the strict conditions have been met.
(b) The international ban on trade in ivory remains firmly in place and is fully supported by the UK Government. We remain clearly of the view that the illegal and unsustainable trade in ivory should not be permitted. We will not support any resumption in the commercial trade in ivory until we are satisfied that this will not result in an increase in the illegal killing of elephants, or undermine the conservation of elephant populations elsewhere in the world.
To assist any considerations I have asked the International Fund for Animal Welfare to prepare estimates of the cost of improving conservation measures to combat elephant poaching commensurate with ensuring that any stimulus that such one-off sales of stockpiled ivory might give to the black market trade would be more than offset by the improved conservation.
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the plans under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for a one-time sale of ivory stocks. [82158]
Barry Gardiner: The UK continues to be closely involved in the debate surrounding calls for one-off sales of stockpiled ivory, through our involvement in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The convention has set a number of strict pre-conditions that have to be met before one-off sales of ivory could take place. In addition, partiesto CITES have stated that the proceeds would have to be used exclusively for elephant and community conservation projects within, or near, the areas where the elephants reside.
The UK will
continue to work with EU member states and CITES parties so that no
decision to allow
the proposed one-off sales can take place unless the strict conditions I
have referred to have been
met.
To assist any considerations I have asked the International Fund for Animal Welfare to prepare estimates of the cost of improving conservation measures to combat elephant poaching commensurate with ensuring that any stimulus that such one-off sales of stockpiled ivory might give to the black market trade would be more than offset by the improved conservation.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will oppose proposals for sales from the ivory stockpile at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Standing Committee meeting on 2-9 October 2006; and if he will make a statement. [84285]
Barry Gardiner: The one-off sales were agreed in principle back in 2002 at the 12(th )CITES Conference of Parties but the Parties set a number of strict pre-conditions that have to be met before one-off sales of ivory can go ahead.
This will be discussed at the next CITES Standing Committee in October and the UK will continue to work with EU member states and CITES parties so that no decision to allow the proposed one-off sales can take place unless the strict conditions I have referred to have been met.
To assist any considerations I have asked the International Fund for Animal Welfare to prepare estimates of the cost of improving conservation measures to combat elephant poaching commensurate with ensuring that any stimulus that such one-off sales of stockpiled ivory might give to the black market trade would be more than offset by the improved conservation.
Levy Boards
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will make a formal announcement on the reconstitution of the UK levy boards. [84098]
Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by my noble Friend, Lord Rooker, the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food on the levy boards on 28 June 2006, Official Report, column 61WS.
Morecambe Sea Defences
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated to Morecambe Sea Defence Scheme for the latest phase of work. [85035]
Ian Pearson: The final two phases of the Morecambe Sea Defence Scheme were approved in October 2005. The approved grant eligible cost is £13.8 million.
North Sea (Carbon Sequestration)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential for carbon sequestration within abandoned North Sea fields; and if he will make a statement. [84275]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 50W.
Nuclear Waste
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the burial of nuclear waste on the environment around the site of burial. [84235]
Ian Pearson: The independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which was appointed by the Government in November 2003, has considered xisting research into the environmental effects of the disposal of nuclear waste. The options CoRWM is considering include the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. They will publish their report at the end of July.
Palm Oil
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will carry out a study into the feasibility of producing an emblem to show which foods are not being produced using palm oil. [83093]
Barry Gardiner: Defra actively encourages manufacturers and retailers to improve the use of claims and labels to cover the environmental impact of their products.
However, as palm oil is used in a very wide range of goods, from food to personal care products, and each of these products falls under a different and complex piece of labelling law, it is currently not practical to demand individual products to be labelled. Instead we are focusing on the level of wholesale suppliers and supporting initiatives such as the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) which has developed criteria to assess sustainable palm oil production.
For information on the RSPO go to: http://sustainable-palmoil.org/
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department were awaiting a reply on 10 July 2006; which of those had been waiting longer than (a) two and (b) three weeks for a reply; and what the reason for the delay was in each case. [85204]
Ian Pearson: At 10 July Defra had received 5,031 parliamentary questions:
4,035 were ordinary written;
747 were named day; and
249 were Commons orals.
We had 141 questions awaiting reply, of which 126 had been waiting longer than two weeks and 15 were waiting longer than three weeks.
We aim to give Members a substantive response to any named day question on the named day and to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of them being tabled. This is not always possible, but Ministers are keen to hold the Department to these levels of performance in general.
Patio Heaters
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the (a) carbon dioxide and (b) greenhouse gas emissions created by outdoor patio heaters in (i) the most recent year for which information is available and (ii) each of the next five years. [84065]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 6 June 2006, Official Report, column 500W to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans).
Pet Fairs
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to change the regulations relating to the sale of pets at pet fairs and other informal markets. [84415]
Mr. Bradshaw: Our proposal to license pet fairs is detailed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published alongside the Animal Welfare Bill. The Bill is currently being considered by Parliament.
The Department will consider any implications that the findings of the recent Judicial Review may have on our proposals to regulate pet fairs. We also intend to undertake a full public consultation before any regulations in this area are made.
Poultry Farmers
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) market conditions for the poultry industry in the UK and (b) the level of consumer confidence in poultry. [82713]
Barry Gardiner: Sales of poultry remain high in this country and the market is recovering generally across the EU. The Government and particularly their relevant agencies, continue to reassure the consumers of the food safety aspects of poultry products. Consumers have been rational in terms of consumption of poultry and eggs, helped by clear advice from the Food Standards Agency.
Regulatory Simplification
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulatory simplification proposals his Department has received since the start of the initiative; which stakeholders have been consulted on each proposal; and if he will make a statement. [81032]
Ian Pearson: Since the launch of the Government's regulatory simplification initiative on 15 September 2005, the Department has received 44 proposals from 21 organisations including the National Farmers Union, Construction Products Association and GlaxoSmithKline. Of these, 28 relate to or have implications for environmental regulations. Where appropriate, the Department has carried out further consultation with stakeholders on these proposals.
The Government is engaging with stakeholders from private, public, and voluntary sectors as part of a radical programme of reform to reduce unnecessary and burdensome regulation. The Government welcome suggestions from stakeholders for regulatory simplification.
Single Payments Scheme
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers are still to receive payment advice from the Rural Payments Agency. [83720]
Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency provides payment advice at the point it is ready to make payment to claimants. All claimants to the 2005 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) have received notification of their entitlement position. In the majority of cases these entitlement statements are supported by a fully validated claim. As of 4 July 2006, approximately 8,500 claimants to the 2005 SPS had yet to receive any payment or payment notification, over 8,000 of which are each due to receive less than €1,000.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have not yet had single farm payment scheme application forms dispatched to them. [76179]
Mr. Bradshaw: Single Payment Scheme (SPS) application forms were dispatched to all known customers by 25 April 2006. A small number of new customers or existing customers requesting an additional copy of their form occurred after this date, all of which have been dispatched.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the error rate for single farm payment forms was for 2006; and if he will make a statement. [77815]
Barry Gardiner: By 15 June, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) had received approximately 110,000 claim forms to the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. To assist customers and reduce processing time, RPA has been undertaking manual checks to ensure that claims contain sufficient information to process. Around11 per cent. of the claims received did not contain the requisite information, and the claimants have been contacted by RPA. With the exception of unsigned claims, which had to be returned to the customer, claimants were asked to provide the missing information to facilitate processing of their claim.
The remaining claims will be paid as soon as legally possible following the positive action set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s written statement on 22 June 2006, Official Report, column 1478.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the largest single farmer subsidy, including EU subsidy, paid in Yeovil constituency was in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005. [82183]
Barry Gardiner: The largest subsidy payment made in the Yeovil constituency for the periods is given in the table:
| £ | |
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of farmers are still to receive their single farm payments. [83718]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s written statement on 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 43WS.
Sugar Beet
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase bioethanol production at sugar beet factories. [84124]
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential for developing sugar beet as a source of biomass and biofuels. [84307]
Ian Pearson: The Government support the use of bio-energy as part of the strategy for improving sustainability and reducing the impact of climate change. We recognise that the production of biofuels offers farmers an alternative market for sugar beet and are keen to develop this. British Sugar are building a biofuel processing plant in Norfolk that will use sugar beet as one of the feedstocks.
The Government are promoting the production of bioethanol through a 20 pence per litre duty rate cut. To further develop the supply of biofuels, a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation will be introduced to require 5 per cent. of fuel sold in the UK to come from a renewable source by 2010. An enhanced capital allowance scheme is also being considered for the cleanest biofuels processing plants. This would allow the cost of capital assets to be written-off against taxable profits. Following the reform of the sugar regime, farmers can claim the EU’s €45 per hectare Energy Aid payment for sugar beet grown on non set-aside land.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the viability of sugar beet as a rotation crop. [84308]
Barry Gardiner: The implications for UK growers of the reform of the EU sugar regime were included in the final Regulatory Impact Assessment which my Department submitted to Parliament following formal adoption of the agreement earlier this year.
Sustainable Competition
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Trade and Industry on the inclusion of the promotion of sustainable development within the remit of the Competition Commission; and if he will make a statement. [84638]
Ian Pearson: The Department has had no such discussions.
Tallow
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the categorisation of tallow as a waste product as defined by the Animal By-products regulations and the Waste Framework Directive. [83343]
Ian Pearson: Whether or not a substance is “waste” within the meaning of Article 1 (a) of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) (75/442/EEC as amended) is a matter that must be determined on the facts of the case and the interpretation of the law is a matter for the Courts. It is not a function of the Government to classify or declassify any particular substance as waste or non-waste.
The EU Animal By-Products Regulation lays down rules governing the use and disposal of tallow, as well as other processed animal by-products, and requires that where tallow is subject to incineration or co-incineration (for example, used as a fuel), it must be disposed of as waste in accordance with the Waste Incineration Directive.
On 21 December 2005, the European Commission published its Thematic Strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste together with a proposed revision of the WFD. The draft revised WFD contains a proposal which would enable the Commission to adopt environmental and quality criteria for specified waste streams. Where these criteria are met, the effect would be to deem that the recovery of the specified waste had been completed and that it had ceased to be waste. The Commission’s Thematic Strategy proposes that, subject to the outcome of an environmental study which the Commission is currently undertaking, the waste streams addressed by this system should include the use of tallow as a fuel.
Televisions
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of predicted future sales of high end television sales, including plasma screens, on carbon dioxide emissions from their use comparative to existing television use. [84072]
Ian
Pearson: The Government’s Market
Transformation Programme (MTP) estimates that in 2005 the 63 million
television sets in use in the UK consumed around9.6 Terra Watt
Hours (TWh) of electricity—equivalent to 1 million tonnes of
carbon. By 2010, MTP estimates
that the number of television sets will increase to around 67 million,
consuming around 15.7 TWh of electricity—equivalent to 1.7
million tonnes of
carbon.
MTP analysis indicates that, at present, new “traditional” cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions (larger than 24 inches) consume around 250 Kilo Watt Hours (KWh) per annum whereas “newer” flat screen plasma and LCD TVs (larger than 24 inches) consume an average of around 900 KWh per annum.
In 2005, MTP estimates that 56 million (88 per cent.) televisions were CRT sets and 6 million (10 per cent.) were plasma or LCD screens. In 2010, MTP expects that 51 per cent. of televisions will be CRT, 28 per cent. LCD, 10 per cent. plasma, and 11 per cent. other technologies.
Beyond 2010, newly emerging television technologies such as Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) screens, will offer potential energy savings in both manufacture and use, compared to existing LED technology. The MTP indicates that commercial OLED televisions will be available by 2010.
The issue of increasing emissions from new generation television sets and the potential impact of emerging technologies was assessed in a report published for Defra in June 2005, entitled 7\n Assessment of Emerging Innovative Energy Efficient Technologies as part of the Energy Efficiency Innovation Review'. This report is available on the MTP web site at: www.mtprog.com
Timber (Papua New Guinea)
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to tackle illegal logging in Papua New Guinea; and if he will make a statement. [78898]
Barry Gardiner: Trade in illegal timber is unacceptable.
As the world’s fourth biggest net wood product importer, the UK recognises that it can play an important role in influencing timber markets. The Government are committed to tackling illegal logging and its associated trade.
At the international level, the UK engages in a number of bilateral and multi-lateral fora. In particular we are working with other major G8 timber consuming countries to follow up commitments made to tackle illegal logging at the G8 Environment and Development Ministerial in March 2005.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |