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1 Feb 2008 : Column 705W—continued
Food Supply: EC Action
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the future development of a common EU food security policy, with particular reference to issues of security of supply. [181711]
Jonathan Shaw: I am not aware of any plans for a future common EU food security policy. Food security has many components, including the stability and resilience of supply; the ability of the food system to withstand disruptions; food safety; nutrition and quality; and affordability. The EU has a role to play in relation to several aspects such as food safety, trade policy and agricultural policy.
What matters to security of supply is effective risk management, security of energy supplies, access to food from a variety of sources, a strong food chain and infrastructure and the capacity and contingency planning to deal with specific risks. Improved trading relationships, based on more open international markets will help facilitate these.
Marine Management Organisation
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the responsibilities of the proposed marine management organisation in relation to integrated marine spatial planning on offshore wind farms. [178589]
Jonathan Shaw: We will delegate responsibility for preparing marine plans to the proposed marine management organisation. These marine plans will reflect our objectives on offshore wind energy generation as set out in the proposed marine policy statement and relevant national policy statements.
Protection of Badgers Act 1992
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have taken place under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each year since its introduction. [178598]
Joan Ruddock: The number of defendants proceeded against for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in England and Wales from 1992 to 2006 is shown in the attached table.
| Proceeded against | |
| Note: These figures are on the principal offence basis. | |
Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Welsh Assembly Government on the devolution of powers consequent on the passage of the proposed Marine Bill; what the date was of the last meeting on the subject; and what matters were discussed; [181118]
(2) what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Scottish Executive on the devolution of powers consequent on the passage of the proposed Marine Bill; what the date was of the last meeting on the subject; and what matters were discussed. [181119]
Jonathan Shaw: In coming to a view on legislation, the Government works closely with the devolved Administrations. My officials are in contact and meet regularly with counterparts in the devolved Administrations to discuss marine issues including the Marine Bill. Discussions cover the full range of policy areas set out in the Marine Bill White Paper.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 1497W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, what action is proposed in relation to householders who do not pay the charges for waste collection. [178691]
Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 21 January 2008, Off icial Report, column 1497W.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs over what period revenue neutrality in relation to charges for the collection of household rubbish will be calculated. [183277]
Joan Ruddock: As stated in the Climate Change Bill, local authorities will have to meet the requirement for revenue neutrality from year to year, and taking one year with another. We plan to work with stakeholders to provide further advice on this in guidance.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a waste collection authority will be able to participate in a household waste charging pilot scheme where the waste disposal authority does not wish to. [183278]
Joan Ruddock: Pilot waste incentive schemes would need to be designated by the Secretary of State. We would expect a waste collection authority coming forward as a pilot to be able to demonstrate a good working relationship with its disposal authority. This relationship will underpin a successful pilot.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely maximum amount to be charged per year under proposals for a household waste charging scheme; what powers he plans to take to cap the charge; and at what level. [183279]
Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2007, Official Report, column 871W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles).
Waste Disposal: Incinerators
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether he plans to consult local authorities on the implications for incineration waste disposal costs of reclassification of bottom ash as hazardous waste; [182127]
(2) what considerations he has given to the merits of reclassifying bottom ash from incinerators as hazardous waste; [182128]
(3) what discussions his Department has held with other EU governments on the classification of bottom ash waste from incinerators. [182129]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 29 January 2008]: Revisions to the approved supply list (ASL) (version 8) introduced an ecotoxic classification for zinc oxide, one of the substances which is likely to be present in incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Zinc substances now need to be considered, in addition to lead and other ecotoxic heavy metals, when classifying and disposing of this kind of waste.
Since there is the potential for potentially ecotoxic metal substances in incinerator bottom ash (IBA) to exist in non-ecotoxic form, I understand that the waste industry is currently developing a protocol for ecotoxicity testing of IBA.
DEFRA and the Environment Agency both consider that the classification of IBA will remain non-hazardous pending the results of direct testing, which is being carried out as part of this work.
DEFRA has not discussed the classification of IBA with other member states.
Waste Management
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) Business Resource Efficiency and Waste and (b) Envirowise programmes in helping industry improve resource efficiency. [178612]
Joan Ruddock: The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme was set up to return £284 million raised from landfill tax back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 to improve their resource efficiency and to minimise the levels of waste that are unnecessarily sent to landfill.
Evaluation results for 2005-06, which are conservative, indicate that BREW saved businesses nearly £88 million and increased their sales by over £14 million. There were also reductions in water use, waste sent to landfill and the amounts of raw materials used by businesses. Many of the benefits will be seen beyond 2005-06. Work is currently under way to assess the impact of programme spending in 2006-07.
The Envirowise Programme is a key component of the overarching BREW programme. Envirowise aims to stimulate business to reduce their costs through reducing the amount of waste they produce.
Impact Evaluation results for the calendar year 2006 indicate that £85 million was saved by business from direct use of Envirowise. This figure is conservative and accounts only for savings that would not have been made without Envirowise. The savings figure is much greater when including companies who consider themselves to have been assisted by Envirowise. There have also been large reductions in water use and use of raw materials from business using the programme.
Waste Management: Finance
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has provided to the (a) Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme and (b) Envirowise programme in each of the last three years; how much funding is proposed to be allocated for each programme over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [178611]
Joan Ruddock: The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme was set up to return £284 million raised from landfill tax back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 through resource efficiency and waste projects. Funds are awarded to a number of regional and national BREW delivery bodies, including Envirowise.
Funding allocated to BREW for each of the last three years is as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1) With £18.318 million transferred to other business resource efficiency activities funded by DEFRA (2) With £25.267 million transferred to other business resource efficiency activities funded by DEFRA | |
These figures are subject to change, since actual spending could vary slightly from the forecast for 2007-08.
Funding allocations to Envirowise for each of the last three years is as follows:
| £ million | |
Subsequent funding of the BREW programme will be subject to future spending decisions, which will be carefully balanced with other departmental priorities in tackling waste and climate change.
Whales: Japan
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to call upon the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to examine the compliance of the Japanese whaling industry with the provisions of the Convention. [178742]
Jonathan Shaw: Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 Humpback whales in the southern ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of the reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ask the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to investigate the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention. [183330]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 31 January 2008]: Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 Humpback whales in the southern ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of the reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April.
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will seek to place the recent report by a panel of independent legal experts on the legality of the Japanese whaling industry on the agenda of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Congress in Santiago in June 2008 for consideration by the parties; [183470]
(2) what representations he has received on the legality of the Japanese whaling industry; what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on this subject; and what plans he has to raise this matter with the (i) Japanese government and (ii) International Whaling Commission. [178811]
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Australian government on potential legal action against Japanese whaling activities in the Southern Ocean; and if he will make a statement. [178894]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA is aware of the recent report commissioned by International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) which questioned the legality of Japan's whaling under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 humpback whales in the Southern Ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK CITES Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of their reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April. Japan subsequently announced it will not target humpbacks, but will still target minke and endangered fin whales.
DEFRA has also received representations from Greenpeace UK and IFAW about the legality of Japanese whaling under CITES. A number of hon. Members have also made representations in support of IFAW’s position.
We will continue our efforts, along with other countries, to urge Japan to reconsider their position on whaling. In the build up to the annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Chile (IWC60) and in discussion with other like-minded anti-whaling countries, we will consider all reports and options, including all legal avenues available.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention on international trade in endangered species; and if he will make a statement. [183483]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 31 January 2008]: DEFRA has received representations from Greenpeace UK and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) about the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES). A number of MPs have also made representations in support of IFAW's position.
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