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14 July 2008 : Column 30W—continued
These figures do not include local authority prosecutions, because it is not possible to distinguish between prosecutions for hazardous and non-hazardous fly-tipping incidents.
Incinerators: Waste Disposal
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the results of the sampling studies which informed the recently revised Environment Agency WM2 guidance on incinerator bottom ash. [217656]
Joan Ruddock: The recent revision to WM2 (technical guidance on the interpretation of the definition and classification of hazardous wastes) was required due to changes to European chemical legislation (approved supply list) and was not the result of any sampling studies on incinerator bottom ash.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether further changes are proposed to Environment Agency WM2 guidance on incinerator bottom ash; and if he will undertake public consultation on any further changes. [217657]
Joan Ruddock:
The Environment Agency does not propose any further changes to WM2 (technical guidance
on the interpretation of the definition and classification of hazardous wastes) at this time.
The recent review to the chapter on the assessment of ecotoxicity was published on 16 May 2008. The assessment of ecotoxicity is applicable to all wastes and not just incinerator bottom ash. This review underwent external consultation in October 2007, as would any change to WM2.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to incorporate small waste oil burners within the remit of the European Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC). [218675]
Joan Ruddock: Regulators may determine that some devices—such as small waste oil burners—in which waste is burnt lack the technical sophistication which would place them within the definition of plants which are subject to the waste incineration directive. The use of such devices may nevertheless be subject to other controls such as those under the waste framework directive (2006/12/EC) or national environmental legislation.
Recycling: Catering
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requirements and regulations are in place on recycling of glass, plastic and metal waste products by businesses in the catering and hospitality industries. [217572]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 10 July 2008]: There are no sector specific requirements or regulations in place for recycling by businesses in the catering and hospitality industries. However, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations oblige businesses in the packaging chain which have an annual turnover of more than £2 million, and which handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year, to recover and recycle a specified amount of packaging waste. This amount is determined, in part, by the amount of packaging handled. The packaging recovery note (PRN) system was established as the mechanism for businesses to provide evidence of compliance with these Regulations.
Businesses with a lower annual turnover, or handling a lower tonnage of packaging, were excluded from the obligation in order to lessen the regulatory burden on small businesses.
Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned into the (a) feasibility and (b) environmental consequences of ocean fertilisation. [217333]
Mr. Woolas: DEFRA is not undertaking or commissioning research in this area.
The issue of ocean fertilisation has been considered under the convention on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter (London convention 1972) and its protocol, global legal instruments to which the UK is a contracting party. In 2007 the convention's scientific group released a statement of concern that
‘knowledge about the effectiveness and potential environmental impacts of ocean fertilisation currently was insufficient to justify large-scale operations'.
This statement was endorsed at the meeting of the convention and protocol in November 2007. A legal intercessional correspondence group has been set up, coordinated by DEFRA, which is working with our international colleagues to review how the framework of the convention and its protocol would apply to fertilisation. Its findings will be considered at the next meeting of the London convention and protocol in October.
Warm Front Scheme
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applicants were offered a grant from the Warm Front scheme but declined it in (a) St. Ives constituency, (b) Cornwall and (c) England in each year since 2000; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for those declined grants. [215335]
Mr. Woolas: The following table illustrates the number of Warm Front applications cancelled at the client’s request and the associated number of households assisted.
No patterns in reason for cancellation have been identified, however the most common reasons include:
client moving accommodation/applicant deceased;
wishing to retain funds for heating repairs in the future; and
not interested.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people resident in Stroud constituency applied for Warm Front grants in each year since 2000; how many of these were successful; how many were unable to proceed with the works in each year; and how many received a grant to cover partial costs only in each year. [217777]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 10 July 2008]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and arrange for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Waste Management: Prisons
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008, Official Report, column 1244W, on waste management: prisons, whether Schedule 2 producers may be charged for waste (a) collection and (b) disposal. [217964]
Joan Ruddock: Local authorities are entitled to charge all schedule 2 producers for waste collection, but not disposal.
Whales: Japan
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Japan on the illicit trade in whale-meat from Japan’s scientific whaling programme. [218425]
Jonathan Shaw: I have not discussed this issue specifically with the Japanese Government.
I have taken note of the allegations made by Greenpeace. The UK Government continue to oppose all forms of whaling apart from some limited subsistence whaling when there is a substantiated need. The UK has also protested against Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling operations, which we argue are unjustified, cruel and unnecessary, at every appropriate opportunity.
Most recently, the UK maintained its strong anti-whaling position at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting which was held in Santiago, Chile in June 2008.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason he has asked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to respond to the question 216797 tabled to him by the hon. Member for Vale of York, on 3 July 2008, on development in flood risk areas, pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2008, Official Report, column 776W, on flood control: planning; and if he will make a statement. [217246]
Mr. Woolas: I referred the hon. Member's question to Communities and Local Government as it is the Department which has responsibility for planning issues.
Communities and Local Government
Construction: Waste Disposal
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on progress made towards the zero waste construction target in the Thames Gateway area. [216799]
Caroline Flint: We are continuing to investigate how we might make the Gateway a ‘zero construction waste zone’ including through work with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the private and public sector stakeholders to determine the costs and deliverability of doing so.
Co-operative Party
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with representatives of (i) the Co-operative Party and (ii) the Co-operative Group on eco-towns. [215066]
Caroline Flint: There have been no meetings between Ministers in Communities and Local Government and either the Co-operative Party or the Co-operative Group on eco-towns. In my role as Housing Minister I was invited by my hon. Friend for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) to speak about eco-towns at the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum's annual summer dinner, which was attended by their members, including representatives from the Co-operative Group. I was pleased to attend and speak at this event on 25 June 2008.
Council Tax: Second Homes
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties are entitled to a second home council tax discount; and what proportion of these are charged at (a) 50 per cent., (b) 90 per cent. and (c) another proportion of the full charge. [217251]
John Healey: As at September 2007, local billing authorities reported there were 239,000 properties recorded as second homes for council tax purposes in England. Of these 16 per cent. of the properties were charged at 50 per cent. of the full council tax charge, 82 per cent. were charged at 90 per cent. of the full council tax charge and the remaining 2 per cent. were charged at another proportion of the full charge.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which council tax billing authorities have exercised the power to charge (a) 90 per cent. and (b) between 50 per cent. and 90 per cent. of the council tax charge on second homes. [217265]
John Healey: I have today placed in the Library, a table containing details of the authorities in England that have exercised the power to charge (a) 90 per cent. and (b) between 50 per cent. and 90 per cent. of the council tax charge on second homes.
Departmental Buildings
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on which buildings occupied by her Department’s agencies and non-departmental public bodies the lease will be due for renewal in the next four years. [214672]
Mr. Dhanda: The following buildings, which are leased and occupied by the Communities and Local Government agencies and non-departmental public bodies, have leases due for renewal in the next four years.
2nd Floor, Witham House, The Pelham Centre, Canwick Road, Lincoln, LN5 8HE
Part 4th Floor, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2UG
Suite 1, Observer House, Horsefair, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 5DE
Part Grd Floor, Opus House, Priestly Court, Staffordshire Technology Park, Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0LQ
2nd Floor, Sheffield House, Lytton Way, off Gates Way, Stevenage, SG1 3HB
Rooms 201-205, Crosskill House, Mill Lane, Beverley, HU17 9JB
1st Floor Rear, 16 South Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AN
Community Development Foundation
Baltic Chambers, Units 301-309, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6HJ
The Geoffrey Hubbard Building, The Michael Young Centre, Purbeck Road, Cambridge, CB2 2HM
Josephs Well, Suites 6D and 4D Josephs Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds, LS3 1AB
Fairburn Hse, Park Lane, Allerton Bywater, West Yorks WF10 2AT
81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent
110 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SA
St. David’s House 70 Wray Park Road Reigate Surrey RH2 0EJ
Beaufort House, 51 New North Road, Exeter EX4 4EP
Attenborough House, 109-119 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FQ
London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
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