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25 July 2006 : Column 1492W—continued
| Huntingdonshire | South Cambridgeshire | Total | ||||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
Genetic Use Restriction Technologies
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will (a) publish and (b) place in the Library the emerging research on the impacts of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies that was considered at the Convention on Biological Diversity in March. [88417]
Ian Pearson: All the documents considered by the eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are available on the website of the Convention at:
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meeting. asp?lg=0&mtg=cop-08.
The Conference also considered several documents emanating from the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and related provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which met from 23-27 January 2006, in Granada, Spain. The documents which relate to this earlier meeting are available at:
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meeting.aspx?mtg=WG8J-04.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Government are (a) funding and (b) undertaking into the (i) ecological, (ii) economic, (iii) social and (iv) cultural impacts of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies. [88420]
Ian Pearson: On 22 June 2006, DEFRA published a review that considered possible methods for containing the spread of novel genes in Genetically Modified (GM) crop plants. This issue is of potential relevance to the risk assessment of new types of GM crop. The review is available on the DEFRA website at:
www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/More.asp?l=CB02036&M=KWS& V=CB02036&SUBMIT1=Search&SCOPE=0.
DEFRA is also part-funding an EU project called "COEXTRA (GM and non-GM supply chains—their coexistence and traceability)". This aims to study bio containment technologies and will, among other things, examine their legal, social and ethical dimensions. The project is due to report in 2008.
Greyhounds
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues about the introduction of statutory regulations concerning animal welfare for the greyhound industry. [86536]
Mr. Bradshaw: The outline of our proposals for secondary legislation, including the regulation of greyhound welfare, has been considered at Cabinet level.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what health risks are associated with the burial of dead greyhounds; and if he will make a statement. [87514]
Mr. Bradshaw: The landfilling of previously healthy dead greyhounds would not be expected to result in an increase in risks to health. Where greyhounds are buried (other than as private pets) the landfilling operation should be subject to regulation under a Pollution Prevention Control (PPC) permit, issued by the Environment Agency, which meets the environmental and health objectives of the Waste Framework Directive and the technical requirements of the Landfill Directive.
Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the transfer of Sites of Special Scientific Interest Wildlife Enhancement Scheme agreements into the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme. [87073]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 20 July 2006]: The Rural Development Service and English Nature are jointly managing a project to ensure the smooth transfer of sites from the Wildlife Enhancement Scheme into new management agreements with the aim of meeting the PSA target for 95 per cent. of SSSIs by area to be in ‘favourable or recovering condition’ by 2010. This has included identifying all sites where a transfer into the Higher Level of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme will be the appropriate land management agreement and setting a timetable for those transfers.
In 2005-06 the interim target of 70 per cent. of SSSIs in ‘favourable or recovering condition’ was achieved. The project to manage transfer referred to above will continue to support progress towards the longer term target. Currently 25 per cent. of HLS agreements include land within a SSSI.
Ironbridge Power Station
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Environment Agency has imposed additional emission controls on Ironbridge Power Station since it commenced generating electricity from co-incineration. [88671]
Ian Pearson: The Ironbridge Power Station is regulated under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and an Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) authorisation has been issued by the Environment Agency to regulate emissions.
In 2003, a variation to the authorisation was issued which imposed a number of conditions specifying the acceptable biomass raw materials to be co-fired with the main fuel, coal. The existing emission controls remained unchanged.
The station is not regulated as a co-incineration plant as it does not burn waste materials to generate energy.
Judicial Review
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2006, Official Report, column 1285W, on judicial review, where the information is held; and how (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public may have access to that information. [85172]
Barry Gardiner: Since 1 January 2006 the litigation team in DEFRA has maintained a database on which details of all judicial reviews against DEFRA are recorded. Prior to that date no central record was kept of the number or of the outcome of judicial reviews and therefore the information requested could only be obtained by recalling and examining all litigation files from the file store. If an hon. Member or member of the public wishes to pursue the outcome of any particular judicial review then a request can be made under the Freedom of Information Act and will be dealt with accordingly.
Judicial review proceedings are commenced in the High Court. The proceedings are public proceedings. The High Court may maintain a record of the outcome all judicial review proceedings issued. The title of the proceedings will enable an inquirer to determine the identity of the defendant and a request made to see the final order or judgment. Many judicial review judgments are available on the Courts Service website or on http://www.bailii.org/databases.
Landfill
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much waste has been sent to landfill in the last 10 years. [86466]
Mr. Bradshaw: From 1997 to 2005, we landfilled an estimated total of 100.8 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste. From 2001-02, which is the first year for which we have reliable figures, to 2004-05, we reduced the amount of that waste sent to landfill from 15.7 million tonnes to 13.9 million tonnes, thanks to the considerable efforts of the Government, local authorities and the public to recycle more waste.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to limit the amount of waste that goes to landfill. [88903]
Mr. Bradshaw: Action to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill is driven by regional and local strategies and supported by nationally funded programmes.
Less of most kinds of waste is being landfilled; the proportion of municipal waste being disposed of in landfill has continued to decrease from 72 per cent. in 2003-04, to 67 per cent. in 2004-05. The actual tonnage of municipal waste disposed of in landfill also decreased again from 20.9 million tonnes in 2003-04 to 19.9 million tonnes in 2004-05. In addition, England is on course to meet its 2005 targets of reducing the amount of commercial and industrial waste landfilled by 15 per cent. against the 1998 figures. However, we have more to do to meet our obligations under the landfill directive to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste.
We are working towards challenging targets, but we are beginning to make progress towards them through higher recycling and composting rates for household waste, greater reuse of waste materials, plus work to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first instance.
The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, which we established in 2005, is the main measure to help us meet our obligations under the landfill directive to divert the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
The continued increase in the rate of landfill tax (rising to £3 per tonne per year from 2005-06, until it reaches £35 per tonne in the medium to long term) is another important instrument in reducing our reliance on landfill and moving to more sustainable waste management options.
Revenue from the additional landfill tax is, in turn, being fed into the Business Resource, Efficiency and Waste programme, which is returning £284 million to businesses over three years through resource efficiency and waste minimisation programmes. The programme ensures that while increased landfill tax incentivise businesses to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill, the advice and assistance is available to them to develop ways to achieve this effectively.
The revised Waste Strategy for England, which we will publish later this year, will outline what steps are being taken, and what more needs to be done, to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill. The public, businesses and Government all have roles to play in following more sustainable waste management practices.
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