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16 Jan 2007 : Column 969W—continued


Bovine TB

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tests for TB have been carried out on badgers in the last 12 months. [114472]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Randomised Badger Culling Trial and the Seven Counties Road Traffic Accident Survey both finished in 2005. This meant there were no post-mortem examinations of badgers from these sources in 2006. However, a number of research projects were undertaken in 2006, which mainly involved sampling under anaesthesia and the culturing of samples taken for bovine TB from badgers that were released back to their setts. In addition, badgers found dead in an area surrounding a new diagnosis of TB in cattle (a “Potential Hotspot”) in England were post-mortemed in 2006.

In total, 973 tests were carried out on 589 badgers in England in 2006.

Carbon Emissions

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total carbon emissions of the UK were for (a) domestic and (b) international aviation in the most recent year for which information is available. [115437]

Ian Pearson: In 2004, UK domestic aviation reported in the UK inventory was about 0.64 million tonnes of carbon equivalent (MtCe) and international aviation reported as an information item was about 9.1 MtCe, representing a 77 per cent. and a 111 per cent. increase from 1990 levels, respectively.

The impact of aviation on climate change is not limited to CO2 emissions. Although there is need for further research, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that the total climate change impact of aviation is between two and four times greater than that of its CO2 emissions alone. This is due to some of the other emissions released, including nitrous oxides, particulates and water vapour, and their specific effects at altitude.

Correspondence

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many letters to his Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) over six months old. [114608]

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA has no unanswered letters received from hon. Members in 2005.

For 2006, the information requested is set out in the table as follows:


16 Jan 2007 : Column 970W
Number of months old Number of unanswered letters Percentage unanswered of the total received

1

117

8.1

2

39

2.9

3

13

1.7

4

8

0.4

>6

10

0.1


During 2006, DEFRA received 13,777 letters from hon. Members. On 12 January 2007, 187 of these were unanswered and over a month old.

Dangerous Dogs

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to review the legislation on the control of dangerous dogs. [114880]

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to prohibit the ownership of a dog which is out of control in private. [114804]

Mr. Bradshaw: We constantly review our legislation and will always consider suggestions for amending our laws. We work closely with the police, who are responsible for the enforcement of laws aimed at protecting the public from dogs that present a risk.

Devolved Administration Funding

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of his Department’s budget re-allocations in 2006-07 will impact on funding streams which cover the devolved Administrations; and if he will make a statement. [107985]

Barry Gardiner: The Department’s budget re-allocations in 2006-07 did not impact on funding streams between DEFRA and the devolved Administrations.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of households that use energy saving light bulbs; and what plans he has to increase this proportion. [114257]

Ian Pearson: No reliable information is available about the percentage of UK households that use energy saving (compact fluorescent) light bulbs. However, the Government’s Market Transformation Programme (MTP) estimates that the number of compact fluorescent light bulbs in use in UK homes rose from around 27 million in 2000 (5 per cent. of the total number of bulbs) to around 98 million (nearly 18 per cent. of the total) in 2005. This is equivalent to three energy saving bulbs per household.


16 Jan 2007 : Column 971W

The Government recognises the need to further accelerate take-up of energy saving light bulbs and have a range of policies which aim to achieve this. These include:

Energy saving bulbs are also provided to eligible households through the Government’s Warm Front Scheme.

Further information on this Scheme can be found at:

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to introduce the fisheries quota management rules for 2007. [114318]

Mr. Bradshaw: I am considering, with colleagues in the devolved Administrations, whether additional provisions are required in the quota management rules to deal with the recovery of quota following overfishing of pelagic stocks between 2001 and 2005. We will issue the quota management rules for 2007 as soon as this issue is resolved. In the meantime, we have informed the industry that the rules for 2006 will continue to apply until further notice.

Freshwater Fish Directive

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the net change in the use of energy likely to result from the Freshwater Fish Directive; and what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the change in energy usage as a result of the implementation of the directive. [114223]

Ian Pearson: No estimate has been made of the net change in the amount of energy likely to result from the Freshwater Fish Directive. Therefore no assessment has been made of the environmental impact of the change in energy usage as a result of the implementation of the directive.

Fuel Poverty

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in tackling fuel poverty in households in the UK. [114887]

Ian Pearson: The Government’s Fourth Annual Progress Report, published in June 2006, shows the latest available figures. This report indicated that, in 2004, around 2 million households were in fuel poverty in the UK with 1.5 million being classified as vulnerable, compared with around 6.5 and 5 million respectively in 1996. The report is available on the Defra website at:


16 Jan 2007 : Column 972W

We are aware of the challenges presented by rising energy prices and the fact that the impact of price rises over the last two years on the number of households in fuel poverty has yet to be reflected in the official statistics. The Government remain committed to work in this area to deliver our targets to eradicate fuel poverty.

Greenhouse Gases

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006, Official Report, column 212W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the findings of the recent consultancy work referred to. [113355]

Mr. Bradshaw: The report requested is available via the DEFRA website at:

As the document is of substantial length, in the interests of waste minimisation, I have not arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Greyhounds

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department’s policy is on the British Greyhound Racing Board guidance on transport cage sizes for greyhounds; and if he will make a statement. [114909]

Mr. Bradshaw: The British Greyhound Racing Board guidance, on which Defra was consulted, provides a level of detail above that contained in the European Union Welfare in transport Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005. It is therefore welcomed as a practical guide to the provision of good welfare. However, it is not a substitute for the rules set in the regulation, but a supplementary tool to aid compliance. Ultimately, the welfare in transport regulation must take precedence. This requires that the cage must be of an appropriate size to match the size of the dog.

Illegal Timber Imports

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take in 2007 to reduce the import of illegal timber into the UK. [114738]

Barry Gardiner: During 2007, the Government will continue to work, through bilateral and multi-lateral processes, to develop restrictions on the import of illegally harvested timber.

The Government are working to implement the EU Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation which was adopted in 2005. This allows the EU to enter into Voluntary Partnership Agreements with timber producing countries, and will include a licensing system to identify legal products for export to the EU.


16 Jan 2007 : Column 973W

A number of countries will be negotiating partnership agreements during 2007. Malaysia, Ghana and Indonesia have announced their intentions to proceed with formal negotiations, and several more countries are expected to confirm their intention to negotiate by the summer. The Department for International Development (DFID) is engaged in the negotiations together with the European Commission and other member states. DFID is also providing financial support to put in place reforms. The length of negotiations will vary, but we expect the first partnership agreement to be signed by the end of 2007.

The EU FLEGT Action Plan required the assessment of potential additional legislative options to tackle imports of illegal timber into the EU. On 20 December 2006, the Commission launched a public consultation on this. The Government will review the applicability of the options presented, including their compatibility with World Trade Organisation rules, before deciding what, if any, additional measures to pursue at a national or EU level.

Collaboration continues with other major consumer countries in the G8, China and the private sector. In particular, the UK Government’s timber procurement policy, which requires all timber supplied to have derived from legally harvested trees, has become a beacon for other governments to tackle illegal logging through voluntary consumer action.

Livestock Identification

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on electronic identification of sheep. [116068]

Mr. Bradshaw: European Council Regulation 21/2004 requires the introduction of electronic identification (EID) of sheep and goats from 1 January 2008. The European Commission is required to publish a report on the implementation of EID and proposals to confirm or amend the 2008 mandatory date. Their report has been delayed but is expected shortly.

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of implementing EU Regulation 21/2004, on electronic identification, for an average-sized (a) market and (b) slaughterhouse. [116069]

Mr. Bradshaw: In England, we have produced a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the introduction of electronic identification (EID) for sheep and goats. This document is a work in progress. However, current estimates are set out in the following table:

£ million
Annual cost of EID:
Breeding sheep only All sheep

Markets

0.51

1.22

Slaughterhouses(1)

0.63

0.62

(1) Excludes recovery costs of transponders.

16 Jan 2007 : Column 974W

These costs are based on current prices and it is expected that they will reduce considerably as technology improves and economies of scale are exploited.

We do not hold information on the costs to average-sized markets and slaughterhouses.

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to apply for a derogation from EU Regulation 21/2004 on electronic identification. [116070]

Mr. Bradshaw: Council Regulation 21/2004 provides a derogation from the need to electronically identify animals, where the total numbers of sheep and goats is less than 600,000 or where the total number of goats is less than 160,000. In the UK, as the number of sheep is above the threshold, we cannot take advantage of this derogation. We can, however, take advantage of the derogation for goats and will be consulting the industry on this.

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of implementing EU Regulation 21/2004 on electronic identification on an average-sized flock of sheep. [116071]

Mr. Bradshaw: England has produced a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the introduction of electronic identification (EID) for sheep and goats. This document is a work in progress. However, current estimates of the cost of implementing the regulation are set out in the following table:

£
Severely disadvantaged area (SDA) farm (1,000 ewes) Lowland farm (500 ewes) Small lowland farm (200 ewes)

EID—all sheep

1,909

1,277

1,002

EID—breeding sheep only

1,313

736

619


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