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24 Jan 2008 : Column 2123W—continued
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years. [179843]
Jonathan Shaw: My Department currently has six displays located in its main buildings. DEFRA agencies have no ministerial displays or posters.
Over the last five years the cost of updating the displays has been £11,000. We have recently begun to replace printed posters and displays with electronic alternatives. These are cheaper to update and have less environmental impact than printed material.
Fisheries
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which measures which he has (a) introduced and (b) proposed to the European Commission under (i) Article 8, (ii) Article 9 and (iii) Article 10 of Council Regulation 2371/2002 have been approved; and if he will make a statement. [180754]
Jonathan Shaw: In January 2005, the UK invoked Article 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002. In its proposals, the UK sought a ban on pelagic pair trawling by all member states within 12 nautical miles of the English coast within The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Area VIIE. The European Commission rejected the proposal and the ban on pelagic pair trawling remains applicable to UK vessels only under the South-West Territorial Waters (prohibition of Pair Trawling) Order 2004.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures which EU Member States have (a) introduced and (b) proposed to the European Commission under (i) Article 8, (ii) Article 9 and (iii) Article 10 of Council Regulation 2371/2002 have been approved; and if he will make a statement. [180755]
Jonathan Shaw: To the best of my knowledge, none of our neighbouring member states have invoked, or had approved, measures that have a significant effect on the UK fishing industry under Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002 . A more complete answer to this question can be obtained from the European Commission as the Article 8 and 9 measures are only notified to the Commission, concerned member states, and the relevant regional advisory council.
Article 10 measures are applicable solely to fishing vessels flying the flag of the member state invoking the article and are therefore not notifiable to other member states.
Fisheries: Finance
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to allocate funds to UK fishermen until the UK is able to access the European Fisheries Fund; and if he will make a statement. [180746]
Jonathan Shaw: The previous fisheries grants scheme, the Fisheries Instrument for Financial Guidance (FIFG) is closed to new applications. However, existing projects continue to be funded and I estimate that around £10 million will be paid in 2008.
Fisheries: Public Appointments
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the Government appointed to each sea fisheries committee in each year since 1997; between which dates each held their position; what the reasons were for each appointment; what (a) interests and (b) organisations and groups each appointee represented; and if he will make a statement. [180982]
Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Section 2 of the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 sets out that persons appointed by the Minister to Sea Fisheries Committees (SFCs) shall be:
“persons acquainted with the needs and opinions of the fishing interests of that district or as being persons having knowledge of, or expertise in, marine environmental matters.”
All appointments to SFCs made by the Secretary of State last for a four year period. Once appointed, these members are required to represent, in a balanced way, all local fishing and marine environmental interests in the SFC district. Appointees are reminded that they should not regard themselves as representing any one particular interest.
Flood Control: Greater London
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures have been taken to prevent flooding in London since Summer 2007; and if he will make a statement. [180601]
Mr. Woolas: There have been various measures taken throughout London since the summer to reduce the risk of flooding. The Environment Agency led a series of meetings with local London boroughs. It also conducted a series of meetings with the affected local authorities. In addition, the Government Office for London (GOL) led a post-20 July 2007 lessons learned meeting, the outcomes of which will be incorporated into a fundamental check review of the existing London Strategic Flood Response Plan.
The Environment Agency is also leading an integrated urban drainage pilot in Kingston, funded by DEFRA. This has been developed over the past few months with local authorities and Thames Water and has recommended several ways to address surface water flooding. The Environment Agency and DEFRA will also be feeding into a new Forum ‘Drain London’ to assess the location and causes of surface water flooding across London and identify solutions.
Thames Estuary 2100 is an Environment Agency project developing a tidal flood risk management plan for London and the Thames Estuary until the end of the century. The plan will take into account increasing flood risk due to climate change, rising sea-levels, ageing of the existing flood management infrastructure and new development in the defended tidal floodplain.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Finance
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average
amount was that a household in England paid to top up a Warm Front grant for energy efficiency measures in 2006; and how many households in England paid to top-up their Warm Front grant in 2006. [180758]
Mr. Woolas: The average amount that householders paid to top up Warm Front grants in 2006 was £422.08.
20,143 households in England paid to top up a Warm Front grant during this period.
Productivity: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the difference in productivity was between the least well performing quartile of rural areas and the English median in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [181504]
Jonathan Shaw: The indicator used to support the public service agreement on productivity (PSA4) monitoring shows that productivity in the least well performing quartile of rural areas was 16.07 per cent. lower than the English median in 2004-05.
Sea Fisheries Committees
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1108W, on sea fisheries committees, how many appointees there are on each sea fisheries committee; what the percentage and number appointed to each Sea Fisheries Committee by (a) the Government, (b) local authorities and (c) other organisations is; and if he will make a statement. [181089]
Jonathan Shaw: Orders that establish each Sea Fisheries Committee (SFC) district prescribe the total number and breakdown of members on each Committee.
Members appointed to each SFC by Ministers, local authorities and other organisations, by number and percentage, are as follows:
| Appointed by local authorities | Appointed by DEFRA | Appointed by other organisations | Total | ||||
| SFC | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number |
The Environment Agency appoints one member to each SFC, with the exception of the Isles of Scilly. Ministerial appointees to North Western and North Wales SFC are the joint responsibility of DEFRA and the Welsh Ministers. Appointments to South Wales SFC are solely a matter for the Welsh Ministers.
DEFRA is in the process of appointing new members to fill three vacancies.
Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with officials from (a) the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, (b) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (c) the Department for Transport in relation to the (i) drafting and (ii) implementation of the proposed Marine Bill. [181117]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA Ministers and officials have worked closely with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Transport on the development of the proposed Marine Bill. We will continue to do so during the Bill’s passage through Parliament to ensure that our proposals for new legislation are coherent and compatible.
Water Supply: River Wye
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Severn Trent on the possibility of securing water supply back-up from the River Wye; and if he will make a statement. [180911]
Mr. Woolas: I have not had any such discussions. It is for Severn Trent to consider the need for increasing provision of water in fulfilment of its duties to maintain adequate supplies of water. The company’s plan for meeting demand were set out in its 25-year water resources plans, prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency reported on those plans in ‘Maintaining Water Supply’, which is available from its web site. The plans are to be updated and will be consulted upon later this year.
Additional abstractions to provide a back-up supply of water, whether from the River Wye or another source, would need to be licensed by the Environment Agency in line with the provisions of the Water Resources Act 1991 (as amended).
White Fish: Conservation
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 1112W, on white fish: conservation, what evidence his Department has received contrary to the advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in 2004 on bass stocks; and if he will make a statement. [181199]
Jonathan Shaw:
Some angling groups including the Bass Anglers’ Sportsfishing Society (BASS) have submitted information to counter the advice of the
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on bass stocks. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, have assessed the information submitted by BASS and do not believe that it alters their advice to DEFRA that bass stocks appear to be fished sustainably. This is consistent with the most recent ICES advice.
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