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6 Feb 2008 : Column 1279W—continued
Domestic Animals: Animal Welfare
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with veterinary professionals on the effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in safeguarding household pets from cruelty. [183403]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA holds a range of discussions with veterinary professionals on this and other issues.
Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1133W, on domestic wastes: waste disposal, whether the new national indicator set of performance indicators will include measures of public satisfaction with local authority waste collection services. [182237]
Joan Ruddock: The national indicator set is limited to measures to achieve the Government's priority outcomes. Local authorities' duties and responsibilities remain unchanged. There are many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, which are not directly reflected in the National Indicator Set but which will continue to be important to local areas and the people they serve. It is more appropriate that these are performance managed locally; with local authorities setting priorities, determining performance indicators and monitoring and reviewing performance. This is part of the devolution deal that local government has been seeking.
A Place Survey run by Communities and Local Government (CLG) will be used to collect 20 of the citizen perspective indicators included in the National Indicator Set. This will replace the Best Value User Satisfaction surveys. It is anticipated that the first Place Survey will be undertaken this autumn. It is anticipated that the consultation document will be available in mid-December and will be available under the ‘Consultation’ section of the CLG website.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether in those areas piloting charges for household rubbish collection waste disposal authorities will be liable to make payments to waste collection authorities for costs arising from (a) collection, (b) pilot administration and (c) charge collection; and whether such disposal authorities will be liable to make payments to cover potential savings in disposal costs. [182248]
Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill will allow up to five local authorities to pilot non revenue raising incentives schemes, which are designed to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling. Any revenue the authority collects through charges under a waste reduction scheme would have to be given back to residents through rebates for those producing less waste. Local authorities could not keep any money for their own purposes, nor could they use the revenue to cover any of their costs.
As stated in the Climate Change Bill, where a waste disposal authority is not a waste collection authority, the waste disposal authority may make payments to the waste collection authority. The amount of any such payments would be up to the waste disposal authority and the waste collection authority to determine locally.
As previously stated, the Government will be providing up to £1.5 million per year for three years to support the pilots.
European Fisheries Fund
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to submit the Operational Programme of the European Fisheries Fund to the European Commission; when he expects approval to be granted for the UK Operational Programme by the Commission; and if he will make a statement. [183541]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 778-79W and on 10 December 2007, Official Report, column 30W.
Fisheries: Public Appointments
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008, Official Report, columns 2124-5W, on fisheries: public appointments, if he will provide the information requested in relation to the current members of the sea fisheries committees; and if he will make a statement; [183595]
(2) what the names are of all (a) current and (b) previous members of each sea fisheries committee; and if he will make a statement. [183596]
Jonathan Shaw: 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’.
Once appointed, members are required to represent, in a balanced way, all local fishing and marine environmental interests in the SFC district. Appointees should not regard themselves as representing any one particular interest or organisation.
As of 30 January 2008, the names and known interests (as recorded at the time of their first appointment) of all current DEFRA ministerial appointees to each Sea Fisheries Committee are as follows:
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