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14 Jun 2007 : Column 1205W—continued

Environment Protection: Finance

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional ongoing funding and resources have been given to local authorities to implement the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. [142378]

Mr. Bradshaw: My Department does not provide any additional funding to local authorities to implement the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (CNEA).

A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) published in July 2004 concluded that, taken as a whole, the measures introduced in the CNEA do not involve significant additional costs for local authorities. Indeed, the RIA concluded they could well lead to
14 Jun 2007 : Column 1206W
overall savings in local authority costs through increased efficiency and effective, well publicised enforcement.

Local authorities themselves asked for these new powers to combat the minority who continue to fly-tip, drop litter and behave in an antisocial manner and the Government have now provided them.

In most cases, local authorities also have the flexibility to set their own fixed penalty rates for offences under the Act and, since November 2003, have been able to retain receipts from fixed penalties issued for local environmental crimes. Poor performing local authorities must re-direct this money into their street cleansing service, although those awarded an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ rating are free to use the penalty receipts as they wish.

Comprehensive guidance has been issued to all local authorities to help them implement the CNEA. This includes specific guidance on developing an enforcement strategy and making the most effective use of available enforcement tools. DEFRA has also produced guidance on how local authorities can make efficiency savings in street cleansing and related services. Copies of all guidance can be downloaded from DEFRA’s website.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which quota swaps he has made to support the inshore under-10 metre fleet in each month since January 2005. [142305]

Mr. Bradshaw: Fisheries Administrations regularly undertake quota swaps to support the diverse needs of our inshore fleet. The following table sets out details of the numbers of quota swaps undertaken on their behalf by Fisheries Administrations since January 2005. The monthly breakdown relates to the month the swaps were attributed to the 10 metre and under allocation:

March April May June July August September October November December End year swaps Total

2005

Tonnes gained

137

37

136

338

172

343

135

171

134

47

1,650

Number of swaps

15

3

5

25

7

18

9

11

3

9

105

2006

Tonnes gained

10

741

258

163

64

194

165

85

78

134

144

2,036

Number of swaps

1

13

16

17

4

14

18

7

10

18

23

141

2007

Tonnes gained

700

117

(1)12

829

Number of swaps

19

16

(1)2

37

(1) Completed as of 12 June 2007.

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Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his (a) Scottish, (b) Welsh and (c) Northern Ireland counterparts on the Marine Bill since May 2007; and if he will make a statement. [142307]

Mr. Bradshaw: DEFRA Ministers will meet Ministers from the new administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss a range of issues, including the Marine Bill, in the week commencing 18 June.

As with the previous administrations, there will continue to be regular contact on the Marine Bill between DEFRA and the devolved administrations. I am committed to working with the devolved administrations to bring a joined-up approach, through the Marine Bill proposals, to the delivery of our shared vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he intends to discuss the quota situation for the inshore under 10 metre fleet with his European counterparts at the forthcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting. [142315]

Mr. Bradshaw: No. The arrangements for allocating quota to inshore and other vessels are a matter for individual member states. In the UK the management of the inshore fleet, including these vessels' access to quota, is being considered in the context of the current quota management change programme, with a view to public consultation later this year.

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to instituting a days at sea formula for the inshore under 10 metre fleet fishing inside the 12 mile limit. [142546]

Mr. Bradshaw: The issue of the application of days at sea limits to under 10 metre vessels has already been considered in the context of the cod recovery plan. The conclusion at Community level was that this was not appropriate, since the large number of these vessels in the UK and other fleets made both the administration and enforcement of the controls potentially extremely difficult and resource intensive. We were supportive of this line and remain so.

Fisheries: Carbon Emissions

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the carbon footprint of the inshore under 10 metre fishing fleet. [142548]

Mr. Bradshaw: Shipping from UK based vessels in territorial waters, is included in the UK greenhouse gas inventory, under national navigation. DEFRA does not produce specific figures on emissions from the fishing industry.

Fisheries: Devon

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what
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consideration he has given a Devon-based scheme for the inshore, under 10 metre fleet. [142669]

Mr. Bradshaw: Future management arrangements for the inshore fleet are being considered in the context of the UK’s current quota management change programme. Issues being examined include access to quota and fleet capacity: the case for region-specific measures, for example in terms of localised management, may also be addressed.

Fishing Catches

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the tonnage of fish which was (a) landed and (b) caught and thrown back because of quota allowances by inshore under 10 metre fishing vessels in the latest period for which figures are available. [142547]

Mr. Bradshaw: In 2006, the UK 10 metre and under fleet landed 7,286 tonnes of fish subject to quotas. Estimates of the level of fish discards are made by scientists involved in the assessment of the state of fish stocks. However, these are made at the level of the overall fish stock rather than for individual segments of the fleet. In addition, such estimates are not made for the full range of fish stocks caught by the 10 metre and under fleet. As such, an estimate of the level of discards attributable to this fleet is not available.

Fly Tipping: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many incidents of fly-tipping were reported in each London borough in each of the last four years; and what the estimated cost was of dealing with such incidents; [140080]

(2) how many (a) prosecutions and (b) successful prosecutions there were in each London borough for fly-tipping in each year since 2004; and how much has been recovered through related fines in each London borough. [140083]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 5 June 2007]: 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.

The following tables show the number of incidents and prosecutions recorded by each local authority in Greater London on Flycapture for 2004-2005 and 2005-06. Data recorded in square brackets have been reported by the Environment Agency, who deal only with larger-scale fly-tipping incidents. Data for 2006-2007 are not yet available but will be published in the summer.

Flycapture does not record details of any costs awarded to local authorities by courts following successful prosecutions.


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1209W

14 Jun 2007 : Column 1210W
Greater London Flycapture d ata for 2004-05
London borough Total number of incidents Estimated clearance costs recorded Number of prosecutions taken to court Number of successful prosecutions

Corporation of London

171

9,132

0

0

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

No Data Supplied (11)

No Data Supplied (2,841.83)

No Data Supplied

No Data Supplied

London Borough of Barnet

5,726 (14)

273,780 (4,050)

16

15

London Borough of Bexley Council

175 (5)

263,90 (1,170)

0

0

London Borough of Brent

969 (17)

33,037 (2,625)

0

0

London Borough of Bromley

1,913 (5)

157,848.31 (635)

0

0

London Borough of Camden

24,287 (2)

704,323 (150)

0

0

London Borough of Croydon

6,801 (5)

427,877 (505)

2

2

London Borough of Ealing

1,848 (13)

52,375 (2,102.50)

0

0

London Borough of Enfield

2,509 (91

122,050 (1,920)

9

9

London Borough of Greenwich

156 14)

17,930 (325)

4

4

London Borough of Hackney

63 (8)

1,827 (865)

2

2

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

8,099 (7)

381,327 (1,527.50)

0

0

London Borough of Haringey

52,006 (2)

1,508,358 (210)

1

1

London Borough of Harrow

248 (8)

8,333 (775)

0

0

London Borough of Havering

4,943 (6)

284,200 (580)

0

0

London Borough of Hillingdon

2,128 (11)

Data not Supplied (4,592.31)

4 (2)

2 (2)

London Borough of Hounslow

5,824 (9)

151,929 (1,625)

0 (1)

0 (1)

London Borough of Islington

5,196 (5)

232,872 (557.50)

2

2

London Borough of Lambeth

13,783 (2)

404,591 (150)

24

24

London Borough of Lewisham

20,171 (4)

1 ,441 ,300 (350)

48

47

London Borough of Merton

5,155 (8)

272769 (585)

5

5

London Borough of Newham

9,069 (11)

584,741 (1,532.50)

0

0

London Borough of Redbridge

5,864 (5)

299,575 (640)

2

2

London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames

899 (2)

39,91 1 (355)

0

0

London Borough of Southwark

23,006 (1)

994,263 (360)

40

34

London Borough of Sutton

227 (5)

13,319 (583.56)

0

0

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

3,109 (6)

144,998 (862.50)

0

0

London Borough of Waltham Forest

8,304 (7)

539,174 (647.50)

1

1

London Borough of Wandsworth

No Data Supplied

No Data Supplied

No Data Supplied

No Data Supplied

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

39,677

1,428,542

6

6

Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames

No Data Supplied (1)

No Data Supplied (105)

No Data Supplied

No Data Supplied

Westminster City Council

8295 (2)

338,678 (210)

0

0

Totals

260,621

10,895,449.31

166

156

EA Totals

195

33,707.70

3

3


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