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1 Oct 2007 : Column 2343W—continued
Health Spending Team
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007, Official Report, column 1183W, on the Health Spending Team, whether this team has its own specific list of objectives that contribute to his Department's overall objectives. [153649]
Andy Burnham: The health team works in close collaboration with the Department of Health in seeking to ensure the best possible use of the resources allocated to health and social services.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Climate Change
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the Sydney Declaration on Climate Change. [155574]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 17 September 2007]: The Secretary of State for the Environment welcomes the Sydney Declaration and is pleased that climate change was on the agenda for the leaders’ summit for the first time.
The UK fully supports the view set out in the Sydney Declaration that a post-2012 framework must be based on UNFCCC principles. A concerted action involving all countries should be equitable, effective and follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities—and be underpinned by a shared vision of a long-term goal. The UK remains committed to negotiations under the UNFCCC process and hopes Bali will begin the process of full and comprehensive negotiations on a post-2012 framework which will take place over the next two years.
Energy: Yorkshire and Humberside
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government spent on energy conservation in (a) York and (b) Yorkshire in each year since 2004-05. [151561]
Joan Ruddock: Energy conservation is a broad term that could refer to many activities implemented by a wide number of Government institutions. As such, it is not possible to accurately estimate total Government spend in these regions.
DEFRA’s main programme for improving the energy efficiency of vulnerable households is the Warm Front Scheme, which provides grants for heating and insulation measures. Warm Front spend on measures in York and Yorkshire is set out in the following table:
| £ | |||
| Financial year | York | Yorkshire (excluding York) | Yorkshire (including York) |
Flood Control: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review (a) flood defences and (b) sea defences in the Bournemouth area following the summer 2007 flooding. [155460]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 17 September 2007]: The recently commenced review of the Shoreline Management Plan, which is being led by Bournemouth borough council in conjunction with the Environment Agency, will consider long term management of flood and coastal erosion risk along this length of coast.
A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for Bournemouth borough council, Christchurch borough council, East Dorset district council, North Dorset district council and Salisbury district council is also underway. This will investigate and identify the extent and severity of flood risk to Bournemouth to enable the council to steer development away from those areas at highest risk; supplement current policy guidelines and provide a clear risk based approach to development control; and, contribute to the evidence base for the Local Development Framework and Sustainability Appraisal work.
Floods
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) properties and (b) businesses were affected by the summer 2007 floods, broken down by county. [155564]
Mr. Woolas
[holding answer 17 September 2007]: Since the initial flooding in June, local authorities have been providing information about the number of residential
properties and businesses affected by the summer floods. The information is held by local authority and region, rather than by county.
The figures, for properties, include only those residential properties where the habitable accommodation has been affected (that is, it excludes those where, for example, only garages and/or outbuildings were flooded).
The tables have been placed in the Library of the House.
Fluoridation
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of the fluoridation of public water supplies. [155451]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 17 September 2007]: In 2000 the Environment Agency published a non-statutory environmental quality standard (EQS) for fluoride in water. The standard was informed by a review, carried out for the Agency, on the effect of fluoride on a range of aquatic life. This review drew on available research from recognised scientific laboratories and indicated that fluoride affects aquatic life at concentrations at 9.0-350.Omg/l depending on the hardness of the water and the sensitivity of the species tested.
Where public water supplies are fluoridated the concentration of fluoride is maintained at 1.0mg/l, and any discharges of these supplies into the aquatic environment would be further diluted through the process of collection and treatment of waste water. Therefore the environmental impact would not be expected to be significant.
Housing: Energy
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which organisations and projects the £20 million announced in the Budget 2006 to help local authorities and other to promote energy efficiency and incentivise energy efficiency measures in households has been allocated; and how much has been allocated to each. [155237]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 12 September 2007]: Of the £20 million announced in Budget 2006, £4.75 million was allocated to the energy demand research project, bringing total funding to £9.75 million for trials of household smart meters and displays and a broader range of behavioural measures. Around 40,000 households will be taking part in the trials, together with energy suppliers, metering/feedback device companies, specialist companies, charities and universities.
A further £10 million (£5 million in 2007-08 and £5 million in 2008-09) has been awarded to the Carbon Trust's Partnership for Renewables to create private-public partnerships to develop renewable projects on public sector land. It aims to develop 500 megawatts of capacity, and the programme is currently working with over 200 public sector bodies, including local authorities, the national health service and higher education authorities.
As part of a broader reprioritisation related to wider budget pressures, the remaining funds have been cut to £0.5 million. We are considering options for their best use.
Institute for Animal Health: Waste Disposal
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration was given to prioritising the repair and maintenance of the effluent pipes at Pirbright in the context of the current refurbishment of the site; what the estimated cost is of replacing the effluent pipes; and when his Department first obtained an estimate for such costs. [155573]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 17 September 2007]: I have been asked to reply.
The Pirbright Site Redevelopment Programme (PSRP) Board, comprising senior officials from BBSRC, DEFRA, DIUS, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and the Institute for Animal Health (IAH), is responsible for overseeing the redevelopment of the site including the drainage.
Tenders for the drainage system of around £220,000 were received in October 2006. DEFRA provided regulatory approval in early 2007. This scheme was approved by the PSRP Board in May 2007 and work began as planned in July 2007.
Institute for Animal Health
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what central Government funding to the Institute of Animal Health estate was in each year since 1997. [155476]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 17 September 2007]: I have been asked to reply.
Central Government funding for the Institute for Animal Health since 1997 was as follows:
| IAH funding | ||||
| £ million | ||||
| BBSRC( 1) | DEFRA | Other Government Departments | Total | |
| (1 )BBSRC total includes core strategic grant, competitive grants and capital investment environment | ||||
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to answer the letters to him dated 17 July from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S. Chislett. [154979]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 10 September 2007]: A reply has been sent to my right hon. Friend today. I apologise for the delay in replying which is due to recent high volumes of correspondence.
Recycling
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reports and publications the Department published in 2006-07; and how many of these were printed on 100 per cent. recycled paper. [155481]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 17 September 2007]: The Government have a duty to explain its policies, decisions and actions; to inform the public about their rights and liabilities; and to provide the public with advice and warnings. DEFRA publishes regularly reports and consultations in accordance with these principles, but to establish the combinations of such publications could be collated only at disproportionate cost. Print procurement policy is to produce the lowest quantity of publications to meet the specific needs of each case, thereby minimising waste. In the case of consultations most are handled on-line and stakeholders may download a copy for local printing. Copies will be supplied to order—printed digitally—on a limited basis, if requested, as will large print and Braille versions.
All the paper used to print reports and publications is based on a material that contains a minimum of 100 per cent. recycled fibre for uncoated papers, and 75 per cent. recycled fibre for coated papers. Print procurement policy is to use uncoated stock except where design, marketing and production requirements require coated stock.
Defence
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many compensation claims were made under the (a) War Pensions Scheme in each year from 1997 to 2006 and (b) the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each year since 2006; [155145]
(2) how many outstanding claims there were from the (a) War Pensions Scheme in each year from 1997 to 2006 and (b) the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each year since 2006. [155146]
Des Browne [holding answer 12 September 2007]: Figures on the number of compensation claims made under the War Pensions Scheme and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in each financial year and the total number of claims outstanding as at 31 March each year, including those that may have been registered in previous years, are set out in the following table. Information is not available for the number of claims made prior to 1 April 2000 or on the total number of claims outstanding before 31 March 2001.
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