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5 Dec 2007 : Column 1271W—continued
Figures for the periods before 1999-2000 are no longer readily available in the Department’s accounting records.
Aerial surveillance in respect of the waters around Scotland is undertaken by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, on behalf of the Scottish Executive, and is not funded by the Department.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the arrangements with Direct Flight Ltd. to provide aerial surveillance in relation to fisheries protection. [170906]
Jonathan Shaw: Marine and Fisheries Agency staff provide advance operational tasking and are then in daily operational contact with the pilot and ground staff when aircraft are tasked. DirectFlight are contracted to provide this coverage until March 2009. No decisions as to future coverage have yet been made.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles of aerial surveillance were provided in relation to fisheries enforcement in each month since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [170907]
Jonathan Shaw: Aircraft do not provide mileage of either distance flown or actual sea covered as often they have to over-fly targets to confirm identification or ascertain vessel activity. I have arranged for copies of a table, containing information on the number of on-task hours provided each month since 1997, to be placed in the Libraries of the House. It can be assumed that the aircraft fly at approximately 150 knots when on task.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many on-board inspections of (a) UK and (b) foreign fishing vessels were undertaken in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [170932]
Jonathan Shaw: A table which includes all relevant detail recorded by the Marine and Fisheries Agency from 1997, indicating vessel nationalities and inspected at sea, has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Fisheries: Quotas
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Inshore Fisheries Working Group on quota management; and if he will make a statement. [170902]
Jonathan Shaw: I have not had any discussions with the Inshore Fisheries Working Group on quota management. However, I have had several meetings with inshore fishermen, both in London and around the coast, and quota management was a key topic of discussion at these meetings.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when he expects to put forward proposals on reforming quota management that are agreed with the devolved administrations; and if he will make a statement; [170903]
(2) if he will make a statement on the Quota Management Change Programme; [170936]
(3) when he expects the Quota Management Change Programme to present proposals to improve the amount of quota available to the inshore fleet; and if he will make a statement; [170937]
(4) what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations about the Quota Management Change Programme; and if he will make a statement. [170938]
Jonathan Shaw: With regard to the current position on the Quota Management Change Programme (QMCP) and quota management reform, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 865W.
The issue was briefly discussed at a meeting of Fisheries Ministers from DEFRA and the devolved Administrations which was held in Peterhead on 5 October. No decisions were reached on the question of separate quota management arrangements for Scotland, and no formal proposals have yet been put to DEFRA.
In the light of the Scottish Executive’s withdrawal from the QMCP, DEFRA officials are currently developing options to improve the current management arrangements for the under 10 m fleet. I expect to make an announcement on this matter soon.
Fishing Vessels: Decommissioning
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many vessels he expects to be decommissioned under the provisions of the Decommissioning of Fishing Vessels Scheme 2007, S.I., 2007, No. 312; and if he will make a statement; [170941]
(2) how much he expects to be spent on decommissioning vessels with reference to the Decommissioning of Fishing Vessels Scheme 2007, S.I., 2007, No. 312; what will happen to the remaining monies; and if he will make a statement; [170943]
(3) how many vessels were considered for decommissioning with reference to the Decommissioning of Fishing Vessels Scheme 2007, S.I., 2007, No. 312; and if he will make a statement. [170944]
Jonathan Shaw: Bids were received from 26 vessels eligible under the 2007 decommissioning scheme.
Eight vessels have been decommissioned at a cost of £4,737,500. £5 million was allocated to the scheme. Allocating money to a ninth vessel would have exceeded the £5 million. Remaining monies were available for reallocation under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance programme.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what total tonnage is being decommissioned with reference to the Decommissioning of Fishing Vessels Scheme 2007, S.I., 2007, No. 312; what proportion this is of (a) the total tonnage of vessels in the South West and (b) the total tonnage of vessels in the South West that have quota for Western Channel sole; and if he will make a statement. [170942]
Jonathan Shaw: The total tonnage decommissioned under the 2007 decommissioning scheme is 1,578 gross tonnes.
The tonnage from South West vessels (that is, those with their port of administration in Brixham, Newlyn or Plymouth) decommissioned under the scheme is 1,275 gross tonnes. This represents (a) 5 per cent. of the total gross tonnage of all registered vessels in the South West and (b) 18 per cent. of the total gross tonnage of all vessels in the South West that have quota for Western Channel sole.
In addition, the tonnage from two Shoreham vessels decommissioned under the scheme is 303 gross tonnes.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on jobs that the decommissioning scheme will have with reference to the Decommissioning of Fishing Vessels Scheme 2007, S.I., 2007, No. 312; and if he will make a statement. [170945]
Jonathan Shaw: No assessment was made of the effect that the 2007 decommissioning scheme might have on jobs because it is for individual vessel owners to decide how they conduct their business, and how they address their own situation with regard to their employees.
Flood Control: Finance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans he has to assess the appropriateness of the points scoring system which determines what areas have priority for funding for flood defence measures; [170418]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the point scoring system for funding of flood defence measures; [170419]
(3) what safeguards are in place to ensure that rural areas receive sufficient funding for flood defence measures under the point scoring system for funding of flood defence measures. [170420]
Mr. Woolas: Following public consultation, new outcome measures for flood and coastal erosion risk management have been developed to set out more clearly what the overall programme should deliver.
The consultation also included a range of approaches to prioritisation for funding for flood defence measures. We are now working with the Environment Agency to develop an effective prioritisation process for the capital programme to deliver outcome measures in future years. We expect the revised prioritisation system to be introduced during the comprehensive spending review period.
As part of the economic assessment for flood risk management projects, the benefits are compared to cost so the crucial measurement is on benefits per unit cost and not on the absolute benefit of proposals. This ensures smaller (perhaps rural) projects are considered on an equal footing to larger (perhaps urban) ones.
While there is no clear bias against rural projects on the availability of funding, projects are more likely to go ahead in higher populated areas as these will tend to protect larger numbers of people or higher asset values for a given cost.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Department of Agriculture on genetically modified organisms. [170364]
Mr. Woolas: We have not had any discussions with the US Department of Agriculture on genetically modified organisms.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Fees and Charges
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints he has received from recipients of warm front vouchers alleging that contractors have asked them to pay administration fees; and if he will make a statement. [169831]
Mr. Woolas: Since the £300 voucher rebate scheme started in 2006, eaga plc has received three complaints.
Inland Waterways: Repairs and Maintenance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the effect of proposed funding reductions for inland waterways on future maintenance and safety of canals. [170520]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 December 2007, Official Report, column 741W.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on an application for provision of additional funding for inland waterways. [170521]
Jonathan Shaw: I receive correspondence from a wide range of stakeholders regarding funding for the inland waterways. DEFRA sponsors the three largest navigation authorities—British Waterways, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority.
The formal comprehensive spending review settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 for Departments has been announced. This will now be followed by DEFRA’s own financial allocation process which is based on careful prioritisation across the Department and all its sponsored bodies. We are actively engaging delivery partners in this, but most final allocations, including those for the Environment Agency and British Waterways, will not be known until the new year after further discussions within DEFRA.
Lobsters: Conservation
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on lobster conservation. [170919]
Jonathan Shaw: Conservation of lobster stocks is achieved currently through a restrictive national shellfish licensing scheme which limits the number of vessels allowed to participate in the fishery. There are also local Sea Fisheries Committee (SFC) permit schemes, an EU minimum landing size, a national prohibition on the landing of v-notched or mutilated lobsters. A range of measures are also applied through SFCs, such as higher local minimum landing sizes, a prohibition on the landing of egg bearing (berried) female lobsters, the release of hatchery-reared juvenile lobsters into the wild, and escape gaps to allow undersized lobsters a route out of lobster pots.
In response to industry concern about conservation in the major lobster fisheries, DEFRA has consulted on an increase in the minimum landing size, and on the introduction of a maximum landing size. DEFRA is considering a way forward in the light of responses to the consultation which revealed divided views amongst stakeholders.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of lobster stocks in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [170920]
Jonathan Shaw: Lobster fisheries are assessed by Government scientists at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and by some Sea Fisheries Committees. The fisheries are predominantly inshore, and known grounds are fully utilised. Assessments show that, while catch rates are stable or increasing and recruitment has recently been good, the stocks are heavily exploited tending towards overfishing. Expansion of the fishery is not recommended, and further conservation measures may be necessary.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the devolved administrations and (b) the EU on lobster conservation; and if he will make a statement. [170921]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA has regular contact with devolved administrations on shellfish conservation in the course of general exchanges, and formally include them in consultations where conservation of lobsters is concerned. Should strategic developments in lobster conservation measures be considered by any of the administrations there are open channels through which reciprocal impacts on neighbour’s fisheries can be considered. No recent discussions have taken place with the EU on this issue.
Marine Animals
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which marine species in UK waters are in decline; and if he will make a statement. [170888]
Jonathan Shaw: Around 6,000 marine species from UK waters (not including overseas territories) were recently assessed under a scientifically-reviewed process to decide which species should be placed on the Biodiversity Action Plan list for the UK. Criterion 3 of this assessment was for those species with a marked decline; i.e. those which have declined by 50 per cent. or more over the past 25 years. The decline may be in relation to population abundance, range or number of occupied sites. Where insufficient data exist, shorter time series have been extrapolated. 16 species were selected using this criterion:
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