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25 Jun 2008 : Column 301W—continued
Lorries: Working Hours
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers of foreign-registered lorries have been prosecuted for exceeding limitations on driving hours in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [213941]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has not prosecuted any drivers of foreign-registered lorries for exceeding limitations on driving hours in the last 12 months.
There were very few prosecutions of drivers of foreign-registered lorries because it is not possible—either for VOSA or the police—to require non-UK residents to return to the UK to attend court on such matters. The introduction of graduated fixed penalties and deposits in spring 2009 will, however, ensure that they do pay the relevant penalty.
Parking: Disabled
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Blue Badge disabled driver badges were issued in (a) Chorley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in 1987; and what percentages occurred in such numbers between 1987 and 2007. [213560]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on Blue Badge (previously Orange Badge) disabled parking permits are only available from 1994/95 onwards. Data are collected at county and unitary authority level only. It is therefore not available for Chorley, only Lancashire as a whole. Data are only available for England and not for the UK.
The latest available figures, as at 31 March for each year, are as follows: in 1995, 58,040 badges were issued in Lancashire and 1,462,798 in England as a whole. In 2007, 69,306 badges were issued in Lancashire and 2,318,367 in England.
This shows a 19 per cent. increase in Lancashire and a 58 per cent. increase for England between 1995 and 2007.
Railways: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of (a) rail and (b) road are planned to be constructed in (i) Leeds West constituency and (ii) Leeds Metropolitan District in the next 10 years; and in what location in each case. [213357]
Mr. Tom Harris: Information in regards to rail is a matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. Network Rail has advised that the information requested is not available.
On roads, there are currently two local major road schemes that are currently under construction within the Leeds Metropolitan district. These schemes are being taken forward by Leeds city council, as local highway authority, with the Department providing funding towards the scheme costs. Both are expected to be completed and opened to traffic later this year. Details are as follows:
East Leeds Link Road—this scheme is 2.4 miles in length and will connect the Inner Ring Road Stages 6 and 7, at South Accommodation Road, with the M1 at Junction 45.
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage 7—this scheme is a 0.8 mile dual-carriageway extension largely on a viaduct from the recently completed Inner Ring Road Stage 6 to the Hunslet Distributor Road.
The Highways Agency is responsible for trunk roads and motorways. There are currently no Highways Agency roads within the Leeds West constituency. However, the Agency is currently examining the options for capacity
and traffic management improvements on the M62 Junction 25-28 and M1 Junction 39-42, of which junctions 27-28 of the M62 and junctions 41-42 falls within the Leeds Metropolitan district area.
The M62 Junction 27-28 is approximately 3.29 miles and the M1 Junction 41-42 is 1.52 miles in length. It is not possible to cite the lengths of additional lane planned to be constructed, because options are still being examined and no specific scheme proposal has yet been approved.
In addition, there could be other schemes that are either underway or planned which will be funded by private developers with the two locations.
We expect to seek updated advice from regions on their transport priorities later in the summer as part of the second round of the regional funding allocations process. This will provide the opportunity for Leeds city council to inform the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board of any future proposals for local major road and public transport schemes.
Trains: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) locomotives, (b) multiple units, (c) freight wagons and (d) carriages of each class were in use by each train operating company on the rail networks through Leeds West constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available. [213333]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biofuels: EU Action
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on EU targets on levels of biofuels use in the EU, with particular reference to their effect on food prices and food security in the EU. [213846]
Mr. Woolas: The Government are concerned about the effect of rising food prices and the contribution that the demand for biofuels can make to that. The Government will consider their position on the EU targets for biofuels in the light of the findings of the Gallagher Review, due to be published shortly.
Climate Change Bill
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the costs and benefits stated in the final impact assessment of the Climate Change Bill with reference to the (a) highest and (b) lowest interest rate used in the Stern review. [213830]
Mr. Woolas: The Stern review does not set out any assumptions regarding interest rates. Therefore it is not possible to provide estimates of the costs and benefits of the Climate Change Bill using these assumptions.
Ozone Layer
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate he has made of the quantity of ozone-depleting substances that will enter the waste stream in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; [213103]
(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of ozone-depleting substances arising from the disposal of plastic foam insulation in building panels which will enter the waste stream in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [213104]
Mr. Woolas: Current estimates suggest that the proportion of ozone-depleting substances arising from the disposal of plastic foam insulation in building panels entering the waste stream between 2008 and 2010 should not be significant as the panels will still be in use in buildings.
The significance of plastic foam insulation as waste is expected to increase in the longer term as more buildings containing these panels are redeveloped. A rough approximation drawing on wider European and global estimates would suggest that around 100,000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances might be in some one million tonnes of buildings foam in existing buildings in the UK.
Estimates are not available of overall quantities of ozone-depleting substances that will enter the waste stream in 2008-10. Ozone-depleting substances are currently being recovered for destruction from refrigeration and cooling equipment, from some insulation panels from cold stores and from walk-in refrigerators and end-of-life vehicles.
Pest Control
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many infestations of (a) rats and (b) other vermin were reported in each region in England in each year since 1997. [213494]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 24 June 2008]: DEFRA does not collect statistics on the number of reported infestations of rats or other “vermin”.
DEFRA will shortly be publishing an interim report on rodent presence in domestic properties as revealed by the English House Condition Survey data for 2002-03 and 2003-04. Key findings are that the occurrences of rats inside and outside properties in these years are not significantly different from those observed in 2001.
Pesticides: EU Action
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice he has received from the Pesticides Safety Directorate on EU proposals to legislate in the area of crop protection. [212255]
Mr. Woolas:
The Pesticides Safety Directorate recently prepared a report assessing the impact on crop protection in the UK of hazard-based approval criteria for active substances and provisions for comparative assessment and substitution of products, which are contained in the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation of the
European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. The report assesses the potential impact of the Commission’s proposals and of amendments adopted in the first reading report of the Parliament. It concludes that the Commission’s proposals could remove up to 15 per cent. of the active substances assessed, while the Parliament’s proposed amendments could ultimately remove up to 85 per cent. of those substances.
I have put a copy of the report in the Libraries of both Houses.
Pesticides: EU Law
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the position of the Government is on proposed changes to EU rules for approval and use of pesticides. [214162]
Mr. Woolas: The Government agree that plant protection products should be properly controlled, and support much of the proposed regulation, particularly where it would improve harmonisation. The Government are, however, concerned that the proposals for hazard cut-off criteria could remove some active substances which are very important for agriculture and horticulture without securing any meaningful benefit in terms of consumer safety. The Government therefore abstained from voting when the presidency's compromise text was put to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council for political agreement in June.
Rivers: Hertfordshire
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will visit rivers Beane and Mimram in Hertfordshire to assess the condition of chalk rivers in Hertfordshire. [210239]
Mr. Woolas: I have asked the Environment Agency for a report into this subject.
Seagulls and Pigeons
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates his Department and its predecessors have made of the size of the (a) seagull and (b) pigeon population in England in each year since 1997. [213496]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 24 June 2008]: The information requested is as follows:
The numbers of gulls breeding in England are only periodically surveyed. The last survey (‘Seabird 2000’) was carried out during the period 1998 to 2002. By comparing with the previous survey, conducted during 1985-88, Natural England is able to estimate changes in the size of English breeding populations. The following table provides estimates of the current (1998 to 2002) breeding abundance and recent (since 1985-88) population trends for the four most widespread species in England.
| Species | Estimated number of breeding pairs (1998 to 2002) | Breeding population trend (1985-88 to 1998 to 2002) (percentage) |
Small numbers of both common and Mediterranean gull also nest in England.
There has been no assessment of the size of the breeding population of woodpigeons in England since 1988-91, when it was estimated at about 1.5 million pairs. Trends in the breeding season abundance of woodpigeons in England have been monitored annually since 1994 by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), co-ordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology. Between 1994 and 2005, the numbers recorded by the BBS in England increased by 29 per cent. (and between 1999 and 2005 by 14 per cent.).
Feral pigeon population size was estimated at over 100,000 pairs in 1968-72 and 100,000-250,000 pairs in 1988-91. Data from the BBS have so far shown neither a significant increase nor decrease in the feral pigeon population since 1994.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the cost to local authorities of clearing up after damage arising from (a) seagull and (b) pigeon populations. [213497]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 24 June 2008]: DEFRA does not hold information on costs incurred by local authorities for clearing up damage arising from gull and pigeon populations.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of all UK military operations in Afghanistan has been since 2007. [213769]
Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 March 2008, Official Report, column 163W to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski).
Aircraft Carriers: Nuclear Power
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2008, Official Report, column 255W, on aircraft carriers: nuclear power, what the price of oil was on the date the assessment was made; and what effect the increase in the price of oil since that date has had on the assumptions behind the aircraft carrier programme. [212464]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The average price of Brent Crude during the period of the assessment was approximately $19 per barrel. The assumptions behind the UK’s aircraft carrier programme remain sound and we are committed to the manufacture of these vessels, to their conventionally powered design, to meet the stated in-service dates.
Armed Forces: Uniforms
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many more bearskin caps it is possible to make from pelts purchased by his Department prior to 2003. [212925]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: MOD has never purchased any bearskin pelts, only completed caps.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what materials have been tested as an alternative to real fur for bearskin caps other than that provided by PETA. [212926]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The materials tested as an alternative to real fur for bearskin caps are:
100 per cent. nylon—single denier and mixed denier monofilaments
Nylon mixed with mohair; Dynelâ"˘ (modacrylic); Rhovylâ"˘ (PVC); single breed wool; two breeds of wool
100 per cent. Orionâ"˘ (acrylic pile)—26 oz and 30 oz
100 per cent. modacrylic—several versions
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