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21 Mar 2007 : Column 952W—continued
| Average net farm income per farm (£/farm) in real terms at 2005-06 prices | ||||||
| Farm type | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | Annual percentage change 2006-07/2005-06 |
| Source: Farm Business Survey | ||||||
Fly Tipping
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the total cost of fly-tipping to landowners in each region; and if he will make a statement. [128177]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 19 March 2007]: DEFRA does not hold data on the clear-up costs of fly-tipping to private landowners by region, and no estimate has been made.
Currently, Flycapture, the national fly-tipping database, set up by DEFRA, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association, collects data on the incidents dealt with and investigated by local authorities and the Environment Agency.
The cost of clearing illegally dumped waste reported by local authorities between April 2004 and March 2005 was over £44 million. For the period between April 2005 and March 2006, the cost was almost £50 million.
However, it is estimated that the costs of clearing fly-tipping on private land could increase the 2005-2006 clearance costs to over £100 million.
Andrew Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring
forward proposals to compensate landowners for costs they incur in disposing of fly-tipped material; and if he will make a statement. [128178]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 19 March 2007]: The Government have been working closely with the Environment Agency (EA) and local authorities (LAs) to bring forward a number of policies and measures that are aimed at preventing fly-tipping in the first place, and to ensure more effective enforcement. For example, the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 contains several measures that are designed to enhance the powers and capability of LAs and the EA to tackle fly-tipping.
One of these measures involved giving courts the power to make an order against anyone convicted of the main offence of illegal waste disposal to pay for costs incurred by a landowner in removing waste that has been illegally deposited.
In many cases, LAs will often work with landowners to deal with repeated incidents of fly-tipping and to tackle specific problems or issues. I am also aware of the good work being done by the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, which has been working closely with organisations like the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association, Network Rail and the National Trust. The Group has recently produced guidance to landowners on how to deal with fly-tipping and gives tips and ideas for ways in which joint working can help tackle hot-spot areas.
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the cost of fly- tipping to landowners; and if he will make a statement. [128179]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 19 March 2007]: Some representations have been received by the Department on this issue.
At a national level, the Environment Agency (EA) and DEFRA meet quarterly with major interested organisations including the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association, Network Rail and the National Trust through the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group. The Group’s objective is to generally explore ways of improving the system of controls on fly-tipping and to identify better ways of preventing and tackling the problem.
The Group has issued guidance to landowners on how to deal with fly-tipping and also discusses ways in which joint working can help tackle the hot-spot areas where repeated fly-tipping is taking place. This can often be tackled by co-ordinated action from the landowner and the local authority or EA.
Horses: Transport
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government’s policy is on the live export of horses for slaughter; and what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on this issue. [127584]
Mr. Bradshaw:
The Government share the British public’s concern over any trade in the export of horses
for slaughter. The export of horses is legal under free trade rules and could not be unilaterally banned. However, there is no evidence of such a trade from this country; no horses have been exported for slaughter for many years and there is no evidence of any demand for a trade in live horse exports for slaughter from this country.
This issue has not arisen in any recent discussions with my EU counterparts. However, EC Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of animals during transport came into effect on 5 January 2007. This includes new rules which should restrict such a trade by requiring, among other things, that unbroken horses may only travel for up to eight hours.
Landfill
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the household waste material collected as part of doorstep recycling collections by local authorities that is subsequently disposed of by the local authority or commercial contractors in landfill counts as landfill for the purposes of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. [128661]
Mr. Bradshaw: Household waste material collected by local authorities as part of doorstep recycling, but subsequently disposed of by a waste disposal authority (WDA) or a commercial contractor to landfill, counts towards a WDA’s allowances under the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme (LATS).
Plastics: Recycling
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of plastic waste from (a) industrial, (b) residential and (c) agricultural sources was recycled for (i) new plastics and (ii) fuel in the last period for which figures are available. [127543]
Mr. Bradshaw: Recycled plastic waste, usually derived from a number of sector sources, can displace virgin material in the production of a variety of different products. My Department does not therefore hold precise figures for the percentage of plastic from individual sectors recycled and used in the production of new plastics or for fuel.
Latest estimates from WasteDataFlow show that 38,000 tonnes of plastic waste from household sources were sent for recycling in 2005-06. Compositional analyses of household waste suggest that around 4 per cent. is dense plastic (e.g. bottles, packaging), equating to around 1 million tonnes in 2005-06. This suggests that around 4 per cent. of plastic in the household waste stream was sent for recycling.
A report published by the Environment Agency, ‘Recycling Agricultural Waste Plastic’, estimated that around 87 thousand tonnes of plastic waste arises from the agricultural sector in England, with approximately 1 per cent. of this being recycled.
Detailed information for industrial plastic waste is not available.
Regeneration
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of his Department’s spending was devoted to (a) urban and (b) rural regeneration and redevelopment in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06. [125892]
Barry Gardiner: The Government are committed to building a strong economy and fair society where there is opportunity and security for all. This commitment applies equally in rural and urban areas. The majority of the Department’s programmes benefit both rural and urban areas. However, the cost of these programmes attributable to regeneration and redevelopment could not be identified without disproportionate cost.
Sustainable rural communities are one of DEFRA’s five strategic priorities which underpin its overarching aim of promoting sustainable development. This will be achieved in part by encouraging sustainable regeneration in disadvantaged rural areas. Details of delivery against all of DEFRA’s strategic priorities can be found in the departmental report.
Single Farm Payments
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many (a) extra payments and (b) refunds have been made as a result of adjustments to 2005 Single Payment Scheme claims; and what the total value of each category was; [125689]
(2) what proportion of 2005 single payment scheme claims have been adjusted; and what proportion are under review. [125704]
Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 February 2007, Official Report, column 59WS. The priority has been to correct claims where it has been determined an extra payment is required. So far approximately 3,100 extra payments with a value of over £2,865,000 have been processed and approximately 700 overpayments with a value of £1,185,000 have been identified for recovery.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what change there has been in the number of (a) cattle, (b) pigs and (c) sheep reared on farms in England since the introduction of the single farm payment. [127862]
Barry Gardiner: The number of cattle, pigs and sheep in England at June each year is shown in the following table. This information can be found on the DEFRA website at:
| Number of animals | |||
| Thousand | |||
| 2004( 1) | 2005 | 2006 | |
| (1) Pre single payment scheme Source: June Agricultural Survey | |||
Tyres: Recycling
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken into the feasibility of tyre pyrolysis for diesel production as a way of recycling tyres; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which this technology is being used in the UK. [127542]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has not undertaken any research into the feasibility of tyre pyrolysis for diesel production as a way of recycling tyres or carried out any assessment on the extent to which this type of technology is used in this country. However, the Environment Agency has carried out some research to gather data on the general pyrolysis process, but this has not looked specifically at the feasibility of tyre pyrolysis for diesel production.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average charge each local authority made for bulk waste doorstep collection in the last year for which figures are available. [127680]
Mr. Bradshaw: The data requested are not held centrally.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), waste collection authorities (WCA) are able to charge households for the collection of some wastes prescribed by the Secretary of State as listed in the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992. This includes any article which exceeds 25 kilograms in weight or any article that does not fit, or cannot be fitted, into the receptacle provided. However, section 45 (3) of the EPA restricts the amount that can be charged by the WCA for the service.
In practice, many local authorities provide a free household collection service for bulky waste, or make provision for those on low incomes.
Waste Management
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government plan to publish their waste strategy. [128451]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government are planning to publish their waste strategy for England in May.
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