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4 Dec 2006 : Column 30W—continued
Climate Change
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice and guidance he has provided for farmers on the effects of climate change and the potential effects it will have on how crops are grown in the future. [105806]
Ian Pearson: For agriculture, as for all sectors, our key advice is that businesses should consider the risks and the opportunities of a changing climate as an integral part of business planning. The impact of climate change on businesses will vary, and it is best that farmers and other decision-makers adapt to match their own circumstances, based on clear and relevant information from the Government.
The UK Climate Change Impacts Programme (http://www.ukcip.org.uk/) is a DEFRA-funded resource and outreach service that facilitates advice
and guidance on impacts and adaptation for the public and private sectors. It is very active in engaging and advising the farming sector, for example in holding a joint seminar this September with the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land and Business Association.
At a more strategic level, the Government have set up the Rural Climate Change Forum as a high-level forum for discussion, input into policy development, and communication with land managers on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Forum has discussed practical actions for adaptation, how best to communicate key messages on climate change to this sector, and has advised the Government on the development of climate change policy.
To support this activity the Government will continue to fund research on impacts and adaptation responses for land managers. Understanding of these issues is supported within DEFRA by an on-going research programme of £4 million into both the impacts of climate change on agriculture, and the means through which agriculture can contribute to reducing emissions. This work is complemented by knowledge transfer programmes to ensure this information reaches farmers and their advisers.
Climate Change Bill
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what ways the Government's Waste Strategy 2000 and its pending review will inform the provisions of the Climate Change Bill which was announced in the Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement. [103811]
Ian Pearson:
The impact of waste management on climate change is one of the key considerations of the Review of the Waste Strategy. Waste accounts for
3.4 per cent. of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions and the integrated approach that will be set out in the revised waste strategy will reduce these emissions.
The Climate Change Bill will put into place a long-term framework for emissions reductions including putting in statute the Government's goal of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. It will also establish an independent body—the Carbon Committee—to work with the Government to reduce emissions across the economy, create enabling powers to put in place measures to achieve our goals and improve monitoring and reporting arrangements.
We are determined to promote the widest possible debate in the Houses of Parliament and across the country about the contents of the Bill. The outcome of the Review of the Waste Strategy will help inform this process.
Consultants
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which external consultants were used by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in relation to (i) private finance initiatives and (ii) public-private partnerships in 2005-06; and what the (A) nature and (B) cost of the work was in each case. [103630]
Barry Gardiner: Information about the external consultants used by the Department and its agencies in 2005-06 to advise on Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) is set out in the following table. Details of the companies with whom PFI and PPP deals themselves have been agreed are available on Partnerships UK’s (PUK) website.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 11 October 2006, reference 273451, from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent. [103260]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 27 November 2006]: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member’s letter. A response has now been issued.
Council Tax Rebate Programme
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his Department’s press release of 13 March 2006, how much funding (a) his Department and (b) its agencies is providing to the British council tax rebate programme. [103919]
Ian Pearson: The council tax rebate scheme is an independent activity undertaken by British Gas to help them meet their obligations, set by Government under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, to improve the energy efficiency of householders. It therefore involves no funding by DEFRA or its agencies.
Countryside Stewardship
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in making Countryside Stewardship payments; and if he will make a statement. [106216]
Barry Gardiner: Substantial progress has been made in processing this year's Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) payments. As at 24 November, some 62.5 per cent. of claims received by Natural England had been processed for payment.
Notwithstanding the progress made to date, the payment of claims remains a top priority for Natural England; efforts are on-going to ensure that all CSS claims received by the closing date will be processed for payment by the regulatory deadline of 31 January 2007.
Dairy Farming
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with EU partners on steps to ensure that British dairy farmers receive at least the cost of milk production in return for their product. [103393]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 27 November 2006]: The costs of production of individual farmers varies considerably within the UK and across the EU. It is up to farmers to calculate, then minimise, their costs of production while maximising their margins through negotiations with their milk purchasers. The Government cannot and should not get involved in price negotiations either in the UK or at EU level. The market must determine prices.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to promote exports of UK dairy products. [104248]
Barry Gardiner: The promotion of dairy products is a matter for the dairy industry.
However, DEFRA currently provides approximately £6 million a year to Food from Britain (FFB) to promote exports of all food and drink produced or processed in the United Kingdom. FFB also promotes the production and consumption of quality regional food and drink both in the UK and abroad. This support is available to producers of dairy products.
Draft Legislation
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legislation his Department has drafted in the last 12 months which was not contained in this year’s Queen’s Speech. [103197]
Barry Gardiner: Primary legislation drafted by the Department over the last 12 months which is not specifically mentioned in the Queen’s Speech is that contained in the Animal Welfare, Commons, and Natural Environment and Rural Communities Acts 2006.
The Department has also drafted a significant quantity of secondary legislation, which in common with normal practice is not referred to in the Queen’s Speech.
The Queen’s Speech does refer to “other measures” which covers legislation not specifically referred.
Emissions Trading
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on allocating allowances in phase two of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. [103753]
Ian Pearson: The UK’s National Allocation Plan for phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), submitted on 21 August, sets out our methodology for allocating allowances. Phase II of the EU ETS allows for a maximum level of auctioning of allowances of 10 per cent., and we propose to set the level of auctioning in the UK at 7 per cent. The remainder of the allowances will be allocated in a two stage process that allocates allowances at sector level in the first instance and subsequently allocates to installations within each sector. Allocations at sector level, other than to the Large Electricity Producers (LEP), will be made on the basis of the sector’s projected need between 2008 and 2012. Allocations at installation level will be based on historic emissions, with the exception of the LEP sector, whose allocations will be benchmarked.
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. [103754]
Ian Pearson: The approved UK National Allocation Plan for Phase I (2005-2007) of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is set to deliver savings in carbon dioxide emissions of around 65 million tonnes (roughly 8 per cent.) below the projected emissions of the traded sector.
The UK's proposal for Phase II of the scheme provides business with additional certainty on the contribution it needs to make to help tackle climate change and is expected to deliver additional savings of 29.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Over 1,000 UK installations are covered by the scheme in the first phase, covering around 45 per cent. of the UK's CO2 emissions in 2002. Almost 12,000 installations are involved across the 25 member states of the EU, accounting for approximately 50 per cent. of EU CO2 emissions.
The results of the first year of the scheme were published in May 2006. These showed that the infrastructure is working as expected, and that it provides a sound base to build on for the future. It is too early to determine the overall impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme with just one year's data. However DEFRA carried out an analysis of these data and will publish its findings shortly.
Lynne Featherstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of (a) carbon dioxide emission and (b) Kyoto basket
emissions are estimated to have come from air transport flights taking off and landing in UK airports in 2005. [103759]
Ian Pearson: In 2004, the latest year for which figures are available, domestic aviation accounted for an estimated 0.42 per cent. of UK carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and an estimated 0.36 per cent. of UK greenhouse gas emissions in the Kyoto basket. These figures do not include international aviation which is reported as an information item in the UK greenhouse gas inventory but does not, by international agreement, count towards national totals.
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