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25 Oct 2007 : Column 521Wcontinued
13. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many lorries were used to transport foot and mouth disease infected carcases to the incinerator during the most recent outbreak. [160582]
Hilary Benn: Since 3 August a total of 20 lorries were tasked to transport foot and mouth disease infected carcases to the Wessex incinerator in Somerset. A total of 40 journeys were made.
14. Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage countries which support conservation to join the International Whaling Commission; and if he will make a statement. [160583]
Jonathan Shaw: Embassies and missions abroad will shortly receive an updated version of the publication Protecting WhaleA Global Responsibility.
It will come with instructions to lobby their host governments to encourage more anti-whaling countries to join the International Whaling Commission and support the maintenance of the moratorium on commercial whaling.
15. Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to phase out the use and availability of high energy light bulbs. [160584]
Hilary Benn: We are working with retailers, manufacturers, energy suppliers and the Energy Saving Trust, to voluntarily phase out inefficient light bulbs by 2011 in the UK, ahead of our European partners.
Replacing bulbs with energy efficient alternatives will save up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 from electricity generation per year by 2012 and will also help reduce householders' energy bills.
16. Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the insurance industry on flood risk. [160585]
Hilary Benn: Ministerial colleagues, officials and I are in regular contact with the insurance industry and the Association of British Insurers. We are working together with the mutual aim of ensuring continued widespread availability of flood insurance cover through the association's Statement of Principles.
17. Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of terminating the EU scheme for set aside. [160586]
Hilary Benn: We have already announced the actions we are taking, with the stakeholders concerned, in response to the EU decision to introduce a 0 per cent. set-aside rate for 2008, including careful monitoring to see what the environmental impact is. These will also help inform the options for retaining environmental benefits if set-aside is abolished as part of the CAP Healthcheck.
18. Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Climate Change Bill. [160587]
Joan Ruddock: The Government's response to pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation will be laid in Parliament very shortly ahead of the Bill's introduction in the forthcoming parliamentary session.
19. Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the protection of key civil installations from flooding. [160588]
Hilary Benn: The operators of critical infrastructure are responsible for contingency planning to ensure continuity of service. This is also being considered by the independent review of the summer flooding, being led by Sir Michael Pitt.
Bill Wiggin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will
make a statement on discussions he has had with (a) IT consultants, (b) stakeholders and (c) the Rural Payments Agency on the delivery of partial single farm payments; [159544]
(2) whether he has had discussions on making part of the 2007 single farm payment before the 2007 payment window opens in December; and if he will make a statement; [159545]
(3) when he expects to be able to begin making 2007 single farm scheme payments; and if he will make a statement; [159547]
(4) what consideration he has given to the merits of making partial single farm scheme payments in December 2007; and if he will make a statement; [159548]
(5) what targets he has set for delivering 2007 single farm scheme payments; and if he will make a statement. [159549]
Jonathan Shaw: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has a formal target to pay 75 per cent. by value of valid 2007 single payment scheme claims by 31 March 2008 and 90 per cent. by 31 May 2008.
In the light of the difficulties experienced by farmers as a result of flooding, FMD and bluetongue, RPA was asked to investigate the possibility of making payments in advance of the payment window on 1 December and/or or making partial payments. The agency has also been asked to ensure it has the capacity to make partial payments should this be necessary.
However, having reviewed the options, my noble Friend, Lord Rooker, has confirmed to the RPA chief executive and industry stakeholders that the primary concern remains that the SPS system should be stabilised as soon as possible, so that the agency can deliver an improved, reliable service to the farming industry in future years. It is clear from RPA's advice that trying to make early payments now would undermine efforts to that end and introduce unacceptable disallowance risks, particularly as there is no EU legal basis for SPS 2007 partial payments. With this in mind, Ministers have agreed that RPA should instead work towards making more full payments to farmers earlier than last year but not set any arbitrary deadlines for the start of payments.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what his most recent estimate is of the amount of financial disallowance the European Commission will impose on the United Kingdom arising from the implementation of (a) the common agriculture policy and (b) the single farm payment scheme in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007; and if he will make a statement; [159550]
(2) when he expects the European Commission to implement the disallowance relating to the implementation of common agricultural policy schemes and the single farm payment scheme; and if he will make a statement. [159546]
Jonathan Shaw:
DEFRA has included provisions totalling £348 million in its resource accounts for 2006-07 in respect of potential financial corrections (disallowance) imposed by the European Commission for breaches of EC regulations in making payments for
SPS 2005, SPS 2006 and other precursor common agricultural policy schemes. DEFRA also made an accrual for £63 million in respect of late payment penalties imposed in respect of SPS 2005. A further £7 million has been noted as a contingent liability. It is too early to make any formal assessment of the potential levels of disallowance in respect of SPS 2007.
Detailed discussions will take place with the Commission over an extended period, possibly two or three years, before a final figure is reached on any disallowances. The outcome will be disclosed in the Department's resource accounts in the year in which any financial corrections are imposed.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is funding into personal carbon allowances. [158501]
Mr. Woolas: The Government are considering the potential value of personal carbon trading (PCT). This is one of a number of possible long-term options being explored to help individuals be better informed about, and involved in, tackling climate change.
Following an initial scoping study produced for DEFRA by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the Government are now carrying out a pre-feasibility study to assess whether PCT is a practical and viable policy option. We are working closely with other organisations conducting research in this area, and have designed the work programme to complement that being undertaken by researchers and academics such as the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and the Royal Society for Arts (RSA).
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government have taken to enforce the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. [159873]
Jonathan Shaw: Enforcement of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is the responsibility of the police and local authorities.
Following the tragic events in Merseyside earlier this year, my officials have been in close contact with the police service. The police are taking forward initiatives to ensure that the law is enforced more effectively. I welcome this and my officials will work closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to facilitate better enforcement of the law.
DEFRA has already issued a guidance leaflet, Types of dog prohibited in Great Britain, to assist enforcement agencies in identifying prohibited types of dog.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether assessments of dredging applications take into account possible risks to neighbouring sites, such as estuaries; [160811]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on the Dee Estuary of dredging neighbouring sites. [160812]
Jonathan Shaw: The control of dredging operations depends upon the type of dredging involved.
Port and harbour authorities generally have provisions under their local powers (granted by means of Harbour Orders) within their jurisdiction to carry out or to license others to conduct dredging activitiesprimarily for the purpose of securing or maintaining a safe navigation depth. Other dredging operations which may cause or be likely to result in obstruction or danger to navigation require consent under the Coast Protection Act 1949 (part II). Any disposal or beneficial placement of dredged arisings at sea is subject to licence control under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (part II). In certain cases, dredging activity may also require consent under the Land Drainage Act 1991.
Regulatory authorities, in dealing with such applications to dredge, have a duty to consider if the proposed project, because of its nature, size and location will have a significant environmental effect. If so, the application must be accompanied by an Environmental Statement and its determination will be subject to an environmental impact assessmentnormally in accordance with the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007. Environmental Statements are scoped to address all the aspects of the project which may be affected by the project, including, typically in the case of dredging:
i. impacts on the physical environment, including coastal and estuary morphology, hydrodynamics, sediment transport, water quality and the fate of disposed materials
ii. ecological effects, on fish and other flora and fauna arising, for example, from removal of sea bed species/habitat, the mobilisation of any contaminants, noise and changes to the physical environment
iii. risk to protected conservation sites and other sensitive sites
iv. impacts on birdsespecially to those dependant on inter-tidal areas and disturbance to marine mammals
v. interference to the interests of others using the sea and their assets, including other commercial uses, leisure activities, fishing, subsea cables and marine archaeology
vi. the in-combination and cumulative effects of other works.
Many potential dredging areas also lie within or adjacent to the boundaries of designated European conservation sites. If the regulating authority consider that the dredging project is likely to have a significant impact on such a site, an appropriate assessment of the possible risk to the integrity of that site must be carried out in compliance with the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994.
The commercial exploitation of sand and gravel (aggregate dredging) is regulated under the Environmental Impact Assessment and Natural Habitats (Extraction of Minerals by Marine Dredging) Regulations 2007.
In 2001, applications were made by the port of Mostyn to conduct dredging operations within the inner and outer approach channels to the port. A consultation paper was issued under a public notice summarising the assessments conducted by the regulating authorities.
Authorisations were granted by the regulators in the summer of 2005 for a limited dredge over a period of two years. Each of the approvals granted were subject to conditions that included a rigorous programme of monitoring, the results of which are currently being assessed.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value was of each fisheries quota swap to each party involved in each year since 1997. [160166]
Jonathan Shaw: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2006, over 1,600 quota swaps occurred during the year, either internationally between the UK and other member states or internally between industry groups in the UK.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the value of the fish swapped in the cross year quota swap of 40 tonnes Area VII angler fish in 2007 to the South West Producer Organisation in exchange for 40 tonnes of Channel Plaice in 2006; and if he will make a statement. [160167]
Jonathan Shaw: No such estimate has been made. The cross-year swap was undertaken to ensure that the Channel plaice fishery would be kept open to 10 metre and under vessels throughout 2006. Some 90 tonnes of plaice in total was acquired for this purpose including the 40 tonnes gained via this cross-year swap. Given the pressure on a number of inshore fisheries in the south and west last year, the value of the transfer was in ensuring that local fishing communities across the south coast were able to continue to land quota species until the end of the year.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cross-year fisheries quota swaps have taken place in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [160179]
Jonathan Shaw: Most cross-year swaps between the UK and other member states are not agreed until the end of the current year or the start of the following one. They are usually completed to settle small overfishes by the UK or other member states. These swaps can allow extra fishing opportunities to be found for UK fishermen including the inshore sector. Additional quota for several valuable species was obtained by this means for 2007, and we will look to do the same in 2007-08. At the moment, only one cross-year swap has been finalised which has gained Channel cod in 2007 for the inshore sector by which, as part of a package, eight tonnes of VII anglerfish in 2008 has been given up.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the statement of 8 October, Official Report, column 40, on foot and mouth/bluetongue, from what budget the £12.5 million assistance package will be drawn; and what proportion of this funding had been committed elsewhere previously. [158806]
Jonathan Shaw: All expenditure relating to the foot and mouth disease and bluetongue outbreaks in 2007, including the £12.5 million assistance package, is being funded from within DEFRA's budget. DEFRA will manage these costs, as for all other in-year pressures, within the overall budget allocated to it and will be reviewing priorities accordingly.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) from which of his Departments budget headings the funding for the package of support measures for English farmers announced on 8 October will be provided; [159687]
(2) what proportion of the package of support measures for English farmers announced on 8 October will be provided from budgets used to provide services or programmes in England and Wales. [159688]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA will cover the cost of the package of support measures, as for all other in-year pressures, within the overall budget allocated to it and will be reviewing priorities accordingly.
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