You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Daily Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

28 Jan 2008 : Column 83W—continued

Housing: South West

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will set up the Rural Housing Challenge Fund through the Housing Corporation to build public housing in rural areas of South West England; and if he will make a statement. [182077]

Jonathan Shaw: The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £8.4 billion over the three-year period 2008-11 for affordable housing. This underlines the Government’s commitment to tackling difficulties faced by those unable to afford a home. Regional allocations reflect the advice of the regional assemblies (and the Mayor of London) on priorities for their areas.

In the South West, a budget of £241 million has been allocated for 2008-09, an increase of 25 per cent. on the 2007-08 budget. This includes funding for local authority Decent Homes and private sector renewal in urban and rural areas. How much of this is spent on housing in rural communities is determined by the regional assembly, in consultation with local authorities, with ministerial agreement.

As part of its preparations for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) during the summer of 2007, DEFRA asked the Housing Corporation to provide advice on the feasibility of a potential revenue funding programme to support improvements in local capacity and delivery of affordable housing across rural England. That advice will be carefully considered in decisions about departmental spending priorities over the CSR period. No decisions about the fund have yet been made. We are currently finalising the Department’s overall funding package and an announcement will be made shortly.

Marine Management Organisation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what role the Marine Management Organisation will have in delivering Government commitments on (a) the ecosystem approach, (b) sustainable development and (c) the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment; [181508]

(2) if he will set out his objectives for the Marine Management Organisation in advance of the publication of the draft Marine Bill; [181573]

(3) if he will establish the Marine Management Organisation prior to the development of a marine policy statement. [181574]


28 Jan 2008 : Column 84W

Jonathan Shaw: The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be operating under the marine policy statement which will set out our commitment on a range of marine policies. The importance of the ecosystem approach and ensuring sustainable development will be an integral part of this policy statement.

With regard to the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment, the MMO will be subject to the duty contained in section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, to have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of its functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity. In addition, we are proposing that the MMO be responsible for making byelaws to protect marine conservation zones from potentially damaging activities.

The Marine Management Organisation will act as a champion for the integrated management of our seas, contributing to sustainable development by bringing together the delivery of many of the marine functions of the UK Government. The draft Marine Bill will reflect this, and objectives will be set in advance of the new organisation being formed, but we will not be setting out our objectives for the Marine Management Organisation in advance of the publication.

The exact timing of the development of the policy statement will depend on the passage of the Marine Bill. However, we are aiming to put the statement in place as soon as possible so that we can provide a clear policy direction to the MMO.

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers will be included in the draft Marine Bill for the Marine Management Organisation to reject plans for offshore wind farms producing over 100MW on the grounds of a negative environmental impact. [181605]

Jonathan Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) on 8 January 2008, Official Report, column 395W.

Noise

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish a national noise strategy. [181657]

Jonathan Shaw: The Government plan to publish a combined national noise strategy for England, covering ambient and neighbourhood noise, later this year.

Pig Meat: Import Controls

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls are in place on the import of pork and pork products into the UK. [182048]

Jonathan Shaw: All consignments of meat from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised Community rules laid down in European Community legislation. Among other things, this legislation sets out the licensing,
28 Jan 2008 : Column 85W
structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in production plants. The meat has to come from animals that have been subjected to anti- and post-mortem inspection to ensure they are healthy.

Meat from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the EU. Meat imported from outside the EU must:

Meat imported from third countries must enter the EU at designated border inspection posts where veterinary checks are carried out to ensure that import conditions have been met.

Pigs

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many breeding pigs there were in England in each of the last 10 years. [182180]

Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 25 January 2008]: The total number of pigs in the breeding herd are shown in the following table.

(Thousand)
Pigs in breeding herd

1998

629.9

1999

573.0

2000

502.7

2001

489.0

2002

457.9

2003

418.1

2004

424.5

2005

386.2

2006

386.1

2007

374.9

Note:
Pig breeding herd is sows and gilts in pig and suckled or dry sows for further breeding. Source:
June Agricultural Survey

Rural Payments Agency: Information Officers

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the number of communication and press staff listed as working for the Rural Payments Agency in the Central Office of Information's White Book differs from the answer of 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 280W, on the Rural Payments Agency. [181315]

Jonathan Shaw: Hansard correctly reports that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) employs one press officer who spends half their time on press activities.

The RPA communications team, of which the press office forms part, is also responsible for a wide range of other communications functions. These include publications, advertising, internal communication and web management. All these staff are listed in the RPA's entry in the White Book.


28 Jan 2008 : Column 86W

Swine Fever: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any updates have been made to the classical swine fever contingency plan since 2003. [182179]

Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 25 January 2008]: DEFRA's latest revised generic Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases, including classical swine fever, was laid before Parliament on 10 December 2007. The plan is amended annually (as required under the Animal Health Act 2002) and covers arrangements for dealing with a range of exotic animal diseases.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which local authorities have now ceased weekly collections of residual household rubbish according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) Waste and Resources Action Programme across the United Kingdom; [176549]

(2) which local authorities in the United Kingdom have alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme; and on what date the alternate weekly collection was introduced in each case; [176768]

(3) which local authorities are undertaking pilot schemes in relation to introducing alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme records. [176173]

Joan Ruddock: The Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) most recent list of local authorities providing an alternate weekly collection (AWC) service is shown in the following list. Most local authorities have weekly collections, alternating collection services—one week for recyclables, one week for residual waste—but a number of scheme types exist and this includes cases where recyclables are collected every week. This list represents WRAP's best understanding at present of local authorities operating or implementing such schemes.

Any funding allocated to local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Neither DEFRA nor WRAP record the date on which individual local authorities change the frequency of waste collections.

Local authorities operating less than weekly residual waste collections( 1)


28 Jan 2008 : Column 87W

28 Jan 2008 : Column 88W
Next Section Index Home Page