Written Answers to Questions
Monday 26 March 2007
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Coastal Areas: Rights of Way
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government’s proposals for greater public access to the coast; and when he plans to undertake a public consultation on the issue. [128680]
Barry Gardiner: The Government received Natural England’s report on 28 February in which they recommended that the Government should introduce new legislation to enable Natural England to align a “coastal access corridor” around the whole coast that people could enjoy with confidence and certainty. We are considering Natural England’s advice and intend to issue a public consultation document in the spring.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK’s budget for the Common Agricultural Policy was paid to farmers; and if he will make a statement. [129478]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 23 March 2007]: Total ‘Farm-based scheme’ expenditure, as reflected in the Rural Payment Agency’s (RPA) 2005-06 Resource Account, amounted to £2,293,579,000. Total ‘Trader-based’ expenditure amounted to £313,664,000.
The percentage of farm-based expenditure is, therefore, 87.97 per cent.(1).
These figures are accruals-based and cover England only.
(1)Sourced from Notes 5,6 and 7 of RPA’s 2005-06 Resource Account.
Docking of Working Dogs Tails (England) Regulations 2007
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007 were withdrawn. [129281]
Mr. Bradshaw: The draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007 were not withdrawn.
The regulations were debated in Grand Committee of the House of Lords on 7 March ( Hansard ref. GC13-GC20). An objection was raised on the regulations during the debate, which meant that the formal motion to consider the regulations was withdrawn. A new motion referring the regulations for debate on the Floor of the House was subsequently tabled. A debate on the Floor of the House has been arranged for Tuesday 27 March.
My noble Friend Lord Rooker and my officials have had constructive informal dialogue with peers since the debate on 7 March.
The regulations are expected to come into force on 6 April, at the same time as the main provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Energy Protection: Lighting
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely environmental benefits of banning the sale of energy inefficient, incandescent light bulbs. [127198]
Ian Pearson: Our current assessment is that, by removing incandescent light bulbs from the UK market and encouraging sales of the most efficient alternatives, we could avoid up to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year by 2011.
We welcome the European Commission’s intention to work introduce regulatory measures relating to domestic lighting by 2010, with a phase out over the following years, but, as recently announced by the Chancellor, we will take voluntary action in the UK in advance of this. To this end, we will work with retailers and manufacturers to phase out inefficient light bulbs in the UK between 2008 and 2011.
Genetically Modified Organisms: Potatoes
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies his Department has (a) carried out and (b) supported on the health impact on farm animals of feeding them the by-products of the starched-altered GM potato EHG92-527-1. [128151]
Ian Pearson: My Department has not commissioned or supported any studies on the health impacts on farm animals of feeding with by-products of GM potato EH92-527-1. An application for EU marketing consent to cover this proposed use has been made under the GM food and feed regulation 1829/2003. Within the UK this is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency.
Institute for Public Policy Research
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding the Environment Agency provided to (a) the IPPR and (b) IPPR Trading Ltd in each year since May 1997; and for what purpose funding was provided. [124213]
Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency is required to keep finance records only for six years.
The value of payments made by the Environment Agency (EA) to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) or IPPR Trading Limited in each year since 2002 (excluding VAT) was as follows. For all items over £200, the Environment Agency has identified the purpose of the payment.
Seals: Shetland Islands
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent trends in the population of common seals in the Shetland Islands. [129279]
Mr. Bradshaw: This is a devolved issue and is, therefore, a matter for the Scottish Executive.
House of Commons Commission
Air Pollution
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the annual absolute carbon emissions of the parliamentary estate were in each of the last five years. [120553]
Nick Harvey: The annual absolute carbon emissions of the House of Commons estate in each of the last three years from gas and electricity are in the following table.
| Absolute carbon emissions in tonnes | |||
| Gas | Electricity | Total | |
Gas consumption reduced in 2004-05 and then increased in 2005-06; due to fluctuations in heating energy consumption caused by variations in outside temperatures measured in degree days. The following table shows the degree days for the Thames Valley region which includes London. From these figures a higher emission would have been expected in 2005-06. That it was not so is due to the installation of more efficient Palace boilers in 2004.
| Degree Days | |
| Number | |
The steady increase in carbon emissions from electricity was due to an increase in electricity consumption in the Palace and 7 Millbank. This was due mainly to the installation and usage of more air conditioning units.
The figures have been calculated from gas and electricity invoices and not meter readings taken by estate staff, but estimated invoices were amended using actual meter readings where possible. Natural gas invoices list several multiplying factors used to calculate each month's consumption and the existing monitoring and targeting system used on the parliamentary estate, based on staff meter readings, is not as sophisticated and therefore not as accurate.
The figures for the years 2001-02 and 2002-03 have not been calculated since the energy invoices for those two years are not readily available.
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the House authorities have made of the volume of (a) carbon dioxide, (b) methane, (c) perfluorocarbons, (d) nitrous oxide and (e) carbon equivalent released by the incineration of waste from the House of Commons estate when calculating the estate's carbon footprint. [120729]
Nick Harvey [pursuant to the reply, 21 March 2007, Official Report, c. 907 W]: I regret that my previous answer was not published in full. The complete answer is set out as follows:
Only residual waste after recycling has taken place is sent for incineration with energy recovery. In 2006 residual waste collected from the parliamentary estate amounted to 1,299 tonnes. This material was combusted at an energy recovery facility regulated by the Environment Agency, generating 725,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. The recovered energy is classed as renewable energy by the UK Government, in line with directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market.
Recovering energy from waste is acknowledged in the Stern Review as an effective weapon in combating climate change, displacing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power generation sources.
The carbon footprint associated with the combustion of this waste is made up of a number of components:
(1) Direct emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), expressed as carbon equivalents
(2) "Avoided" emissions of GHG (that is, emissions displaced from an equivalent amount of fossil fuel power generating capacity)
(3) GHG emissions (additional or saved) from waste transportation
(4) Net GHG emissions, taking account of direct, avoided and transport-related emissions.
GHG emissions from waste combustion are calculated in two steps. First, an estimate is made of the percentage of fossil and non-fossil carbon in the waste. Second, the emissions from the combustion of the fossil carbon within the waste are calculated. Emissions of non-fossil carbon do not contribute to global warming and are therefore not taken into account.
Methane is not produced in combustion plants. The remaining greenhouse gases are released in trace quantities relative to emissions of carbon dioxide. Because their concentrations in the emission gases vary according to the composition of the waste, the total
GHG effect expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (Teq) is estimated using emission factors developed by Defra, based on measured emissions averaged across UK energy recovery facilities.
Direct GHG emissions following the combustion of residual waste from parliamentary estates amounts to 415 Teq, of which 295 Teq is carbon dioxide.
Combustion of parliamentary estates waste in an energy recovery facility also results in avoided carbon dioxide emissions. The electricity produced by the facility displaces electricity that would otherwise be provided by an electricity utility power plant. Because most utility power plants burn fossil fuels and thus emit carbon dioxide, the electricity produced by waste combustion reduces utility carbon dioxide emissions. These avoided GHG emissions must be subtracted from the GHG emissions associated with combustion of the waste.
The convention is to assume that the electricity displaced arises from so-called “marginal” power generators, which in the UK is assumed to be gas-fired power stations. As with direct GHG emissions, emission factors are used to estimate the tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents avoided when waste is combusted.
GHG emissions avoided following the combustion of residual waste from parliamentary estates amounts to 435 Teq, of which 405 Teq is carbon dioxide.
GHG emissions from waste transportation
A saving in GHG emissions is realized when residual waste from the parliamentary estates is combusted, since the energy recovery facility is just 12 miles from the House. Previously the waste was being transported to landfill further away from the estate.
The GHG emission factor developed by Defra for waste transportation varies between 0.37 and 0.49 kg carbon dioxide equivalents per tonne of waste transported, depending on distance travelled. For transportation of 1,299 tonnes of parliamentary estates waste, this amounts to a GHG emission of between 0.48-0.65 Teq. Since this is less than 1 per cent. of the emissions of direct or avoided emissions, the GHG saving in transporting the waste a shorter distance will be omitted when presenting net emissions.
The carbon footprint associated with the combustion of waste from the parliamentary estates is obtained by subtracting avoided emissions from direct emissions.
This equates to a net GHG saving of 20 Teq. Therefore 20 Teq should be subtracted when determining the total carbon footprint of parliamentary estates.
Leader of the House
Written Statements
Mr. Heald: To ask the Leader of the House if he will take steps to ensure that an electronic version of each written ministerial statement is provided to the Library on the day it is made. [129415]
Mr. Straw: Following a recommendation from the Librarian, Government Departments now supply the Library with an electronic version of each written ministerial statement on the day it is made. I understand the system is working well, but if the hon. Gentleman is aware of any failings in this respect he should please let the Librarian and me know.
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