| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 May 2007 : Column 883W—continued
It links to guidance from governmental and non-governmental bodies, such as WaterWise, Envirowise, Market Transformation Programme and the “Quick Wins”, giving details of water saving appliances and technologies.
DEFRA have also issued sustainability guidance to public sector food procurers:
DEFRA would expect Government Departments and agencies to reflect planning policy in developing their estate.
DEFRA have set up a Civil Service Travel Group to identify Government travel practices, and to assist Departments to travel in a more sustainable way when doing business. It also aims to place sustainability at the heart of all Government travel procurement and contract management.
Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the frequency of refuse collections; and if he will make a statement; [135797]
(2) what recent guidance he has provided to local councils on the frequency of waste collection services; and if he will make a statement. [137000]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answers 8 and 14 May 2007]: Decisions on the best way to collect waste are rightly a matter for local authorities, not central Government. However, my Department has funded research and guidance through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to assist local authorities in carrying out their operations in their chosen manner efficiently and effectively.
Environment Protection: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated administrative cost is of (a) the Rural Development Plan for England, (b) the entry level scheme, (c) the higher level scheme and (d) the England Woodland Grant Scheme (i) for 2006-07 and (ii) for each successive year of the plan period. [136892]
Barry Gardiner: Separating out the administrative costs for the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and its constituent schemes would incur disproportionate cost. They are included within the wider running cost budgets for DEFRA, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the eight Regional Development Agencies and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). In some cases, people, systems and resources used for administering the 2007-13 RDPE are also engaged in other areas of work. For example, on other Common Agricultural Policy schemes in the case of RPA.
Floods: Disclosure of Information
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance he has given to the Environment Agency on the terms under which its flood risk data may be supplied to third party resellers. [137206]
Ian Pearson: DEFRA has not provided the Environment Agency (EA) with any specific guidance on the supply of flood risk data to third party resellers.
The EA is an accredited organisation under the Information Fair Trader Scheme and applies a transparent and consistent charging policy to all of their customers. The recently agreed Public Sector Information Directive has created a new charging policy which enables EA to adhere to the correct charging terms.
Flood risk data are priced according to this charging policy which includes royalties derived from third party resellers.
Floods: Housing
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he last discussed with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the allowing of house building on land prone to flooding. [133661]
Ian Pearson: My Department meets regularly with the Department for Communities and Local Government, at both ministerial and official level, to discuss a broad range of issues related to delivering sustainable communities and new housing growth. Most recently, the Government have published revised planning policy guidance on development and flood risk, Planning Policy Statement 25, which sets out clear guidelines for planning authorities to avoid inappropriate development in flood risk areas.
Fly Tipping: Sheffield
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many incidents of fly-tipping were reported in Sheffield in each of the last four years; and what the estimated cost was of dealing with such incidents; [136563]
(2) how many (a) prosecutions and (b) successful prosecutions there were in Sheffield for fly-tipping in each year since 2004; and how much has been recovered through related fines. [136564]
Mr. Bradshaw: Flycapture, the national fly-tipping database, was set up in 2004 by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association to record the number of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Data are, therefore, only available from April 2004 onwards and are as follows:
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
Data for 2006-07 are not yet available, but will be published in the summer.
Fly Tipping: West Sussex
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many incidents of fly-tipping were reported in West Sussex in (a) 1997 and (b) each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what the estimated cost was of dealing with such incidents; [136755]
(2) how many (a) prosecutions and (b) successful prosecutions there were in West Sussex for fly-tipping in (i) 1997 and (ii) each of the last four years for which figures are available. [136821]
Mr. Bradshaw: Flycapture, the national fly-tipping database, was set up in 2004 by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association to record the number of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Data are, therefore, only available from April 2004 onwards and are as follows:
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
Data for 2006-07 are not yet available but will be published in the summer.
Food: Packaging
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to encourage food suppliers to use less packaging; and what discussions he has had over the last six months. [136771]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, East (Mrs. James) on 1 May 2007, Official Report, column 1525W.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate the Government have made of the amount of food packaging used in each year since 1997. [136772]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown) on 10 May 2007, Official Report, column 382W.
Hares
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received, and from whom, on the introduction of a closed season for the shooting of hares; and if he will make a statement. [137136]
Barry Gardiner
[holding answer 15 May 2007]: My Department has received representations in support of this matter from several hon. Members on behalf of
constituents, (including Mr. Rodney Hale, chairman of the British Brown Hare Preservation Society), a petition signed by 505 members of the public, and letters from four further individuals.
Brown hares are not protected by a close season in the UK. In part, this is because it is recognised that hares can cause serious agricultural damage, and farmers need the flexibility to address problems when they occur. But mainly it is because there is currently no evidence that the introduction of a close season would significantly enhance hare numbers. Hare numbers have declined throughout Europe despite protection with close seasons.
The Hare Preservation Act 1892 forbids the sale of hares during the notional main breeding season of 1 March to 31 July inclusive. This discourages farmers from shooting hares for commercial gain at this time, and aims to limit control during the breeding season to that necessary for crop protection.
The current view of the Brown Hare Species Action Plan Steering Group is that habitat changes due to modern farming practices, rather than hunting or shooting, are the main cause of population decline in the brown hare. The steering group, which advises DEFRA on this species, has therefore not recommended the establishment of a close season. If there is any change to this advice then a case for new legislation to protect the brown hare would be considered.
National Fruit Collection
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to announce a decision on the tendering of the contract to manage the National Fruit Collection; and if he will make a statement. [137425]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 16 May 2007]: Our intention is to announce the decision in late summer or early autumn. A written statement will be made once the outcome of the tendering exercise is known.
Nature Conservation: EC Action
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many habitat compensation schemes under Article 6(4) of the EU Habitats Directive there have been in the UK: [137338]
(2) what the name was of each project in respect of which a consent was granted requiring compensatory measures under Regulation 53 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.,) Regulations 1994 since those Regulations were introduced; in what year each consent was granted; what type of consent each was; and which European site was affected in each case. [137339]
Barry Gardiner:
A small number of consents requiring the provision of compensatory measures have been granted since the Regulations were introduced. However, the information requested is not collected centrally. Therefore I have asked my officials to gather the information and I will write to the hon. Member as
soon as it is available. Copies of the letter will be made available to all hon. Members in the Library of the House.
Non-Food Environmental Grazing Animals
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what welfare and veterinary provision is made for non-food environmental grazing animals; and if he will make a statement. [137317]
Mr. Bradshaw: Non-food grazing animals are protected by the Animal Welfare Act, which came into force on 6 April 2007. The Act extends the law, formerly only applicable to farmed animals, so that all owners and keepers will have to provide for the needs of their animals. Anyone failing to provide for the needs of their animals may be guilty of the welfare offence. This additional offence will mean that action may be taken before an animal starts to suffer.
Organic Food: Milk
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much organic milk was imported into the UK in each year between 2002 and 2006. [136976]
Barry Gardiner: The official overseas trade statistics do not separately identify organic milk.
The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative (OMSCO) estimate 7 million litres of organic milk were imported into the UK in 2006-07 (published in the March 2007 Organic Milk Market Report). Earlier years are not available.
It should be noted that OMSCOs estimate of organic milk imports may not be fully comparable, in terms of data capture and estimation methods, with the official overseas trade statistics on total liquid milk.
Pests
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what criteria were used to draw up the Environment Agency’s list of the top 10 worst invasive pests; [136872]
(2) what assessment was made of the grey squirrel against the criteria used to draw up the Environment Agency’s list of the top 10 worst invasive pests. [137448]
Barry Gardiner: The main criterion in drawing up the Environment Agency’s (EA) list of the top 10 worst invasive pests was the impact that a particular non-native invasive species has on the EA’s activities and responsibilities. In November 2005, a questionnaire survey asked all 26 of the EA’s area teams to identify species that were having an impact and to rank the top 10 using a simple scoring system (one to 10). The overall top 10 list was derived from the aggregate scores across the EA as a whole.
The grey squirrel does not impact on EA activities and responsibilities. Therefore, it did not feature in the list.
Poultry: Animal Welfare
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legislation governs the welfare of battery hens; whether any proposed changes to this legislation are being considered; and if he will make a statement. [137001]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 14 May 2007]: Council Directive 99/74/EC lays down minimum standards for the welfare of laying hens. The directive bans the practice of keeping laying hens in conventional cages throughout the EU from 1 January 2012. This has been implemented in England through the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No. 1646).
The directive specifically requires the EU Commission to prepare a report on the various systems that exist for keeping laying hens, including their health and environmental impact. The report will also take into account the socio-economic implications of the various systems and their effects on the Community's economic partners.
We will consider the report and the evidence it contains once it is published. In the meantime, our policy remains that there should be no conventional cages from 2012. Reviewing the future of conventional cages on an EU basis will ensure that any legislative changes apply to all EU producers, thus avoiding the risk of simply displacing egg production to other countries.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |