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12 Jun 2007 : Column 911W—continued
Tankers
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Marine Coastguard Agency involvement was with the tanker West Sailor in the Pentland Firth on 2 June; and if he will make a statement. [141511]
Dr. Ladyman: On 2 June, at 0846, the Aberdeen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) received a call from the chemical tanker West Sailor, on passage through the Pentland Firth, stating she had engine room difficulties and needed to anchor to carry out repairs to the engine water cooling system.
Aberdeen MRCC coordinated the attendance of the RNLI Longhope lifeboat. In addition the MCA Emergency Towing Vessel was brought to immediate readiness and sent to the scene.
By 1133, the ship had successfully repaired the engines and was under way and resuming passage. The RNLI lifeboat escorted the ship through the Pentland Firth.
The Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) was kept fully apprised of the situation.
Tolls
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce road user charging schemes in (a) Gravesham, (b) the Thames Gateway and (c) Kent. [141618]
Dr. Ladyman: None. Decisions on whether to introduce road user charging schemes in those areas would be for the relevant local authorities.
Vehicle Number Plates: Fire Services
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to integrate on-board cameras on fire engines into the Automated Number Plate Recognition database. [141825]
Dr. Ladyman: There are no plans to integrate on-board cameras on fire engines with the DVLA’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition [ANPR] database of unlicensed vehicles. DVLA’s ANPR system is subject to stringent type approval testing by the Home Office to enable detected offenders to be taken to court for prosecution direct from the digital image captured by the cameras. Other cameras are not type approved and therefore offenders detected by other cameras would not be subject to prosecution.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will re-examine the position of commoners associations as the vehicle for making single farm payments to those who graze on commons; and which cases of such payments have been suspended. [133133]
Barry Gardiner: A number of claims have been submitted under the single payment scheme by commoners associations and those that the Rural Payments Agency have confirmed meet the scheme eligibility criteria have been allocated entitlements and received associated payments. The eligibility status of remaining claims is being considered on a case-by-case basis with the commoners associations concerned.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which farm payment deadlines missed by the UK in 2003-04 led to the European Commission’s recovery of 53.7 million euros; and from which budget he expects funds recovered to be paid. [134683]
Barry Gardiner: This sum represents the deductions made to UK re-imbursements in the 2004 EU financial year in respect of mainly bovine direct aid payments relating to earlier scheme years. While the relevant Commission decision has only recently been published, the deductions were applied at the time and there will be no further impact on the UK Exchequer in relation to them.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member state was subject to the greatest financial correction as a result of non-respect of payment deadlines in 2003-04. [134684]
Barry Gardiner: On the basis of decisions published to date, the UK.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of claimants in (a) Torridge and West Devon and (b) the south-west for the single farm payment scheme in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006 have been paid their payments (A) in full and (B) in part. [140797]
Barry Gardiner: As of 6 June 2007, a total of 104,618 farmers in England have received either a full or partial payment under the 2006 single payment scheme year. This total includes 98,750 full and 5,868 partial payments. This represents 96 per cent. of the estimated total claimant population of 109,000.
RPA’s target is to pay 96.14 per cent. of the total value of the fund by 30 June 2007.
Detailed analysis of all the payments made under the single payment scheme is not yet available. Once the remaining scheme payments have been completed, a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published.
Carbon Emissions
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what rate of change in carbon dioxide emissions was recorded in (a) the EU and (b) the US in 2006. [140976]
Ian Pearson:
In 2005, the latest year for which information is available, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the EU-15 were 0.9 per cent higher than 1990 levels, although total emissions of all greenhouse gases decreased by 4.0 per cent. Emissions data to 2005
for the EU-27 are not yet available, although statistics for the EU-25 show that net CO2 emissions decreased by 2.4 per cent. between 1990 and 2004.
CO2 emissions in the US in 2005 were 20 per cent. above 1990 levels and total emissions of all greenhouse gases were 16 per cent. above 1990 emissions.
Between 2004 and 2005 CO2 emissions in the EU-15 decreased by 1.2 per cent., while CO2 emissions in the US increased by 0.4 per cent.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage change in carbon dioxide emissions by the Government was over the course of 2006. [140988]
Ian Pearson: Energy data compiled for the Sustainable Development Commission's Sustainable Development in Government Annual Report 2006 show that there was a 2.3 per cent. reduction (after correcting for weather variations) in annual carbon emissions from Government buildings during the period April 2005 and March 2006.
Figures for the financial year to March 2007 are currently being compiled and will be published by the Sustainable Development Commission later this year.
Crops: EC Law
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of his Department's proposals on the coexistence of GM, conventional and organic crops with European law. [140798]
Ian Pearson: We are confident that our coexistence proposals are consistent with EU law.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library the (a) name of the consent holder, (b) crop trailed, (c) location of the test sites based on six figure map references, (d) conditions placed on the consent and (e) post release assessments reports for each of the part B experimental consents 94/R20/1, 98/R28/2, 00/R20/4 and 00/R20/5 issued under EC Directive 90/220. [140875]
Ian Pearson: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the House Library.
EC Environmental Policy
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the inclusion of Ministers from the devolved Administrations in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in the United Kingdom delegation at future EU ministerial negotiations on (i) fisheries, (ii) agriculture and (iii) environmental policy. [139883]
Barry Gardiner
[holding answer 4 June 2007]: As specified in the memorandum of understanding between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations, decisions on ministerial attendance at EU Council meetings will be taken on a case-by-case basis by the lead UK Minister. In reaching decisions on
the composition of the UK team, the lead Minister will take into account the extent to which substantive discussion is expected of matters likely to have a significant impact on devolved responsibilities.
Environmental Stewardship Scheme
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for the higher level stewardship scheme were (a) made and (b) granted in each Government region in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07. [140799]
Barry Gardiner: The following table shows the number of higher level stewardship applications received and granted in each of Natural England's regions in 2005-06.
| Region | Received | Granted |
In 2006-07, the number of higher level stewardship applications received and granted in each of Natural England's regions were as follows:
| Region | Received | Granted |
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average value of award made under the higher level stewardship scheme was in each government region in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07. [140800]
Barry Gardiner: For 2005-06, the highest, lowest and average value of annual payments made under higher level stewardship in each of Natural England's regions are set out in the following table:
| £ | |||
| Region | Highest | Lowest | Average |
For 2006-07, the highest, lowest and average value of annual payments made under higher level stewardship in each of Natural England's regions were as follows:
| £ | |||
| Region | Highest | Lowest | Average |
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