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8 Oct 2007 : Column 127W—continued
Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings he has had with companies about (a) the polluter pays principle and (b) the disposal of toxic waste. [154590]
Joan Ruddock: Neither my ministerial colleagues nor I have held any recent meetings with companies specifically on the polluter pays principle or on toxic waste deposits. However, Lord Rooker and my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), then Minister of State at DEFRA, met Environment Agency officials on 22 May 2007 concerning toxic waste disposal.
The “polluter pays” is an underpinning principle of European and domestic environmental legislation under which those responsible for pollution must pay the costs of measures necessary to eliminate that
pollution, or reduce it to comply with the standards laid down by public authorities.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average amount households paid in 2006 to top up a Warm Front grant for an energy efficiency measure; and how many such households paid to top up their Warm Front grant in 2006. [156363]
Mr. Woolas: The average top up or excess paid per household in England in 2006-07 was £437.86. The number of excess payments was 30,666.
It is not possible from the data held to determine exactly who paid the excess in each case. In addition to individual householders, a number of third parties such as charities, local authorities and installers have all contributed to excess payments in 2006-07.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006; how many rural households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006; and what the average value of a Warm Front grant to a rural household in England was in 2006. [156364]
Mr. Woolas: A total of 253,079 households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006-07. Of these, 37,496 were classified as rural households under the criteria set out by the Office for National Statistics. The average grant to those rural households was £1,104.44.
Housing: Energy
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards achieving the target laid down in section 217 of the Housing Act 2004 to ensure that by 2010 the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in England should increase by 20 per cent. compared with 2000; what progress was made in each year since the Act came into force; and if he will make a statement. [154098]
Mr. Woolas: The energy efficiency of the housing stock in England cannot be monitored directly but is modelled, using data from periodic surveys of the housing stock coupled with data on the installation of energy saving measures. Based on the delivery of measures by existing energy efficiency programmes, we expect to be on track towards the 20 per cent. target. DEFRA is currently analysing the effects of energy efficiency policies but cannot yet quantify the improvement precisely.
However, there is one positive indication that efficiency has already started to improve substantially. Against a long-term trend of rising gas consumption, household gas usage fell by over 8 per cent. over the period 2004-06. Of this, up to half could be attributed to higher prices; weather changes had little effect. Improved energy efficiency for heating, particularly higher levels of insulation (installed via the energy Efficiency Commitment) and more efficient boilers
(required by Building Regulations), is likely to have contributed to the remaining reduction of gas, the principal heating fuel. However, more detailed analysis is required to quantify this effect, and to express it in terms of improved energy efficiency.
Housing: Floods
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of developments in the last decade have been on flood plains according to the Environment Agency's records. [153975]
Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency does not hold records on the proportion of developments built on flood plains. However, it does record planning permissions that are granted against its advice on flood risk grounds. These are reported annually in the Agency's High Level Target HLT5 reports.
In the last reporting period (April 2005 to March 2006), 95 per cent. of cases where the Environment Agency objected on flood risk grounds were determined in line with the Agency's advice, compared with 92 per cent. in 2004-05.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when he expects to announce access to the full flood mapping data and flood defence information for existing and planned defences; and on what basis this will be provided to insurance companies; [154107]
(2) if he will differentiate between the types of property in flood mapping data and flood defence information; and if he will publish the address point data as opposed to postcode level to insurance companies. [154108]
Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency's flood maps provide information on flood risk from rivers and the sea. Full flood mapping data and flood defence information is already available in response to requests for access. A standardised set of information is available to insurance companies, among others, for re-use under licence, subject to the Environment Agency's standard licence terms and conditions.
The Environment Agency's Flood Map and National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) data are also available, under licence, subject to the Environment Agency's standard licence terms and conditions. Both data sets show areas of land at risk of flooding.
The Environment Agency does not offer a product that differentiates between types of property because the requirements of different users vary, and because the chance of a property flooding is dependent on many factors including floor levels, construction methods and construction materials. Subject to the intended use of the resulting data, licensees may combine Environment Agency data with their own property type datasets to produce a dataset that meets their specific needs.
The latest National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA 2006) data are available to insurers in a format which contains both address point references and spatial and postcode formats.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of properties flooded during June and July 2007 which were built after 1945. [154392]
Mr. Woolas: No estimate has been made to date on the number of properties flooded during June and July 2007 that were built after 1945. Local authorities have provided information about the number of residential properties and businesses affected by the summer floods, however this does not include an assessment of property age.
The Environment Agency is gathering data and information as part of its review of the summer 2007 floods and this will include the categorisation by age of properties affected by flooding from rivers. This information should be available by the end of November.
As we announced in July, a full review of the flooding, its causes and subsequent management to see if any lessons need to be learned about how to manage and respond to this type of event in the future is in progress. The review is being led by an independent Chair, Sir Michael Pitt.
Joint Nature Conservation Committee: Information Officers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press officers are employed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. [154320]
Jonathan Shaw: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee employs no full-time press officers. Press duties are shared across its communications team and, in total, are estimated to occupy less than 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts.
Landfill: Hazardous Substances
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of landfill sites which have been used for the disposal of toxic waste (a) in Buckingham constituency and (b) in the UK in the last 10 years. [154588]
Joan Ruddock: There were no landfill sites used for the disposal of hazardous waste in Buckinghamshire between 1997 and 2002. From 2002, the following four landfill sites have been used for the disposal of hazardous waste in Buckinghamshire.
i) Gerrards Cross
ii) Newton Longville
iii) Broad Lane
iv) Calvert Pit
Of these sites, only Calvert Pit and Newton Longville currently accept hazardous waste. The acceptance of hazardous wastes is controlled by the terms and conditions of the permits for the sites and within the constraints originating from the Landfill Directive. All other landfill sites accepting hazardous waste in Buckinghamshire were closed before 1997.
Data taken from the Environment Agency’s waste regulatory information system and landfill capacity data show that there have been 333 landfill sites used for the disposal of hazardous waste in England and Wales in the last 10 years. Data for the whole of the UK are not collected centrally.
Lighting: China
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response the Government have made to the EU's extension for one year of duty on imports from China of energy saving light bulbs. [155165]
Mr. Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
The UK is opposed to the European Commission’s proposal to extend anti-dumping duties on imports from China of energy saving light bulbs for a further 12 months.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter to the Under-Secretary of State (Biodiversity) dated 15 June 2007 from the hon. Member for Hyndburn on Mr. and Mrs. Riding. [153755]
Mr. Woolas: I apologise for the delay. A response was sent on Tuesday 21 August.
National Parks: South Downs
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will consider extending the period of public consultation on the boundary change designation of the South Downs National Park to include evidence relating to the Western Weald; [154037]
(2) whether consideration has been given to extending the period of public consultation on the boundary change designation of the South Downs National Park. [154065]
Jonathan Shaw: After careful consideration, I announced on 27 July that, while the formal deadline for responses remained 13 August, the Secretary of State would consider all objections and representations which were received by 24 September 2007.
The purpose of this consultation was to elicit comments on any new relevant matters which we thought were most likely to fall into one of the following categories:
(i) any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of revised National Parks legislation—amendments to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 made by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006, sections 59 and 99;
(ii) any implications for the Designation Order (as varied by the Variation Order) arising directly as a result of the High Court and Court of Appeal Judgments on the challenge by ‘Meyrick Estate Management Ltd.’ relating to the New Forest National Park;
(iii) the possible alternative boundary line from north of Petersfield running east across to Pulborough;
(iv) possible additional areas recommended for inclusion within the proposed South Downs National Park.
Ofwat: Information Officers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press officers are employed by Ofwat. [154425]
Mr. Woolas: Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales.
It employs two full-time press officers.
Radioactive Wastes
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sites in the United Kingdom are authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to dispose of (a) low level and (b) very low level radioactive waste. [156449]
Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency authorises the accumulation and disposal of radioactive wastes under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. According to national data, in England and Wales there are some 535 waste producing sites that are authorised to dispose of low level radioactive waste and some 560 waste producing sites that are authorised to dispose of very low level radioactive wastes. Some waste producing sites will hold authorisations for both low level and very low level radioactive waste disposal.
Recycling: Directories
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of printed telephone directories (a) delivered and (b) recycled in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of printed telephone directories. [154001]
Joan Ruddock: No estimate has been made by my Department on the number of printed telephone directories delivered or recycled or a specific assessment made of their environmental impact.
Telephone directories are recycled every year, most often into card and corrugated board, loft insulation, packaging materials, jiffy bags, egg boxes, animal bedding and newsprint.
Paper has been identified as a material where reduced waste and greater recycling can yield significant environmental benefits. The Government have already finalised voluntary producer responsibility agreements which will encourage, in particular, increased recycling of newspapers, magazines and direct mail with the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Periodical Publishers Association and the Direct Marketing Association respectively.
As they explore the scope for the recycling and recovery of waste paper, the Government will also be looking to other sectors of the paper industry to establish similar agreements or incorporate them into the development of the existing agreements. These
would cover office paper, free newspapers, catalogues and directories and possibly other products as well.
Recycling: Packaging
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase the rate of recycling of packaging. [154117]
Joan Ruddock: Two sets of Regulations in the UK, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 and the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) have already increased the levels of recovery and recycling across all packaging materials and are driving down the sizing and weight of packaged items. Packaging recycling has doubled since 1997 and statutory binding targets will ensure further improvements.
The current UK targets are as shown in the following table, but are subject to change, due to an upcoming consultation.
| EU target (percentage) | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
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