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26 July 2007 : Column 1525W—continued
Mr. Woolas: The Secretary of State for the Environment is not aware of any representations on recruiting voluntary wardens to distribute flood warnings in person. However, the Department is aware of many volunteer schemes that contribute a very important part of flood resilience activity.
While the Environment Agency encourages the recruitment of voluntary flood wardens, it does not use flood wardens to distribute flood warnings.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reliability of automatic flood warning systems via (a) landline, (b) answer phone to a landline and (c) mobile phone. [150825]
Mr. Woolas: Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) remains 100 per cent. operational. FWD sent over 50,000 messages to landlines and mobile phones between 25 June and 2 July. 84 per cent. of calls made to properties via landlines were answered. This includes calls answered by answer phones. 88 per cent. of calls made to mobile phones were answered, including calls answered by the messaging service.
Under FWD, faxes, pagers and emails are also used.
Forestry: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase the funding for new woodland creations and new woodland management under the English Woodland Grant Scheme. [152815]
Joan Ruddock: The Forestry Commission published its 2007 Grant Prospectus in May. This includes the allocation of £4.885 million to new Woodland Creation Grant agreements, for payment in financial year 2008-09.
Future funding for woodland creation will be largely determined by the Rural Development Plan for England 2007-13, which is still subject to EU Commission approval. In addition the outcome of CSR 07 and the delivery plan for the recently published Strategy for England’s Trees, Woods and Forests, which is being prepared by the Forestry Commission and Natural England may affect funding.
Industrial Wastes
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what date he expects the final version of the Quality Protocol for Pulverised Fuel Ash to be published; [151603]
(2) on what date the consultation on the draft Quality Protocol for Pulverised Fuel Ash will end; [151604]
(3) which bodies will be consulted about the draft Quality Protocol for Pulverised Fuel Ash; and if he will make a statement; [151605]
(4) on what date the consultation on the draft Quality Protocol for Pulverised Fuel Ash will begin. [151606]
Joan Ruddock:
It is anticipated that a public consultation on the Quality Protocol for Pulverised
Fuel Ash will be launched by 28 September 2007. The consultation period will last 12 weeks in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance and, if released on schedule, will therefore end around 28 December 2007.
A list of consultees has not yet been drafted. However a Technical Advisory Group, which included industry members, drafted the initial Technical Report upon which the Quality Protocol will be based. The Environment Agency intend the consultation to reach widely across industry by direct invite as well as publication through the trade press.
A date for final publication of the Quality Protocol for Pulverised Fuel Ash has not been set, as it will be dependent upon the level and type of responses received from the consultation. It is anticipated that revision of the Quality Protocol, formatting and publication would take around 12 weeks. This would give a notional publication date of around 28 March 2008.
Nature Conservation: Squirrels
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what liaison there is between the Agriculture Department of the Scottish Executive and his Department’s officers in England to ensure the maximum level of protection for red squirrels. [151753]
Joan Ruddock: The UK Red Squirrel Group (UKRSG), supported by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), is the main liaison mechanism to support delivery of the red squirrel species action plan.
Membership of the UKRSG includes representatives of the country groups (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), the UK Government, the devolved Administrations and their relevant conservation agencies, the Forestry Commission, and representatives of the voluntary sector (The Wildlife Trusts).
The red squirrel conservation officers in Northumberland, Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders meet frequently and seek to co-ordinate grey squirrel control efforts either side of the Scottish border to help protect the red squirrel.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make funding available for the protection of red squirrels in England and, in selected areas, the eradication of grey squirrels. [151754]
Joan Ruddock: The Forestry Commission’s English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) offers support for red squirrel conservation targeted on the 16 designated red squirrel reserves. Over the last 12 months, EWGS has paid out £71,000 in the North-East with another £70,000 available for the 2008-09 period. In addition EWGS can support the control of grey squirrel in areas of ‘critical threat’ as defined in ‘Grey Squirrel and England’s Woodlands: Policy and Action’, which was published on 22 January 2006. The Forestry Commission is also putting £26,000 a year into the Save our Squirrels project in Northern England. Natural England is also contributing £15,000 a year to this project.
We will keep the policy in this area under review, and assess future funding according to priorities.
Office of Climate Change
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the terms of reference are of the Office of Climate Change; what work it has undertaken; and what further work is planned. [151740]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of Climate Change (OCC) was set up to:
programme manage existing climate change commitments;
consolidate analysis and provide co-ordination between Departments;
run policy projects to tackle the most difficult cross-cutting issues; and,
be an advocate for climate change issues across Government.
The OCC is a shared resource for Defra, BERR, DFID, FCO, DfT and CLG. It is jointly funded and governed by these Departments.
So far, the OCC has completed work on the following projects:
an audit of UK action on climate change, and the implications of the Stern Review for the UK;
drafting of the Climate Change Bill, which has now been passed to Defra for its passage through Parliament;
work with Defra and DTI to develop a draft Aviation Offsetting standard, which will help consumers have greater confidence in carbon offsetting programmes; and,
development of a UK position on how the EU emissions trading scheme should work after 2012.
The OCC has ongoing projects in the following areas:
assessment of the “Global Carbon Finance” flows required to support developing countries in moving towards low carbon economies;
developing policy options for reducing emissions from heating and cooling of buildings; and
assessment of UK institutional arrangements and their ability to support our domestic goals.
Office of Climate Change: Finance
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget is of the Office of Climate Change for 2007-08; and what budget is planned for future years. [151739]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of Climate Change has total spending plans of £3.5 million for the year 2007-08. The budget for future years has not yet been agreed but it is likely to remain at roughly the same level.
Pest Control: Squirrels
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research is being undertaken by his Department on the control of grey squirrels. [151755]
Joan Ruddock:
Methods to control grey squirrels are well known and have been published as Best Practice Guidance by the Forestry Commission (FC). The methods advocated are usually effective in reducing populations
if used at sufficient intensity, and where there is a high level of support for control by landowners and the public. This has been demonstrated by the successful 10 year project to control grey squirrels on Anglesey.
Alternative non-lethal methods to control wild populations of animals are being investigated, such as the use of immuno-contraception vaccines. The FC and DEFRA are collaborating on the application of this method for grey squirrel control with partnership funding from DEFRA, FC and Scottish Natural Heritage. However, it is likely that immuno-contraception will not, at least in the short to medium term, be a viable option for grey squirrels. Even if a suitable vaccine is found, there will still be a challenge to establish how to deliver it to grey squirrels without affecting other wildlife, especially the red squirrel.
Radio: Waste Disposal
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential environmental impact of a switch from analogue to digital radio in terms of the (a) disposal of analogue radio receivers, (b) the (i) manufacture and (ii) energy consumption of digital radio receivers and (c) energy consumption of digital radio receivers; and what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on these matters. [150161]
Joan Ruddock: The Government do not currently have any plans to switch off analogue radio transmissions. However, we are aware that there is a growing market for digital radio receivers.
The Government Market Transformation Programme (MTP) works with manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders to seek to bring forward more sustainable products. We are currently working with retailers to seek voluntary commitments from them to improve the energy efficiency of the consumer electronic products they procure and sell.
The MTP has tested a limited number of digital radio receivers. The average energy needed to operate the radios tested was around 8.5 watts. A typical traditional analogue radio requires 2 watts.
The Government has made no assessment of the environmental impact of the disposal of analogue radios nor of the manufacture of digital radios. However, like most other electrical appliances both will need to be disposed of in compliance with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations, which from 1 July require producers (or third parties acting on their behalf) to finance systems to provide for the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE.
No discussions have been held with the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport on these matters.
Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to finalise the appointment of the members of the reconstituted Committee on Radioactive Waste Management. [152286]
Mr. Woolas: It is planned that the reconstituted Committee on Radioactive Waste Management will be in place from autumn 2007.
Sponsor Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the devolved administrations appointed Professor Robert Pickard as Chair Designate of the reconstituted Committee on Wednesday 18 July.
Professor Pickard’s appointment was made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice and he will become full Chair following appointment of up to 14 committee members in the early autumn. As Chair Designate, Professor Pickard will now play a part in the appointment of the members.
Recycling: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the provision of community recycling centres in Coventry. [150786]
Joan Ruddock: [holding answer 19 July 2007]: No specific assessment has been made by my Department on the provision of community recycling centres in Coventry.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 places an obligation on waste disposal authorities to provide places at which residents in the area may deposit their household waste. Provision of such facilities would be a matter for the relevant local authority.
Recycling: Government Departments
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of waste from central Government buildings is recycled. [152450]
Joan Ruddock: The percentage of waste that is recycled from central Government buildings is published in the annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports. The last report, published by the Sustainable Development Commission, was for 2005-06. It reports a recycling rate across the Government estate of 50 per cent. The report is available at:
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase the percentage of waste from central Government buildings that is recycled by 2010. [152451]
Joan Ruddock: Central Government Departments are required to meet cross-Government sustainable operations targets, launched in June 2006, which include commitments to reduce waste arisings and to increase recycling rates. The report is available at:
Recycling: Greater London
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage rate of (a) household recycling and (b) household composting was in each London borough in the most recent period for which figures are available. [152533]
Joan Ruddock: Household recycling and composting rates achieved by each London borough in 2005-06 are provided in the following table.
| Percentage | |||
| Authority | Recycling (BVa) | Composting (BVb) | Total (BVa+b) |
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