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17 Sep 2008 : Column 2232W—continued
Departmental Public Participation
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead of 12 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1327-28W, on departmental public participation, if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) Navigator research study on Waste Infrastructure, (b) Scott Wilson research study on Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport and (c) Social Research and Consultancy study on Consumer attitudes to waste efficiency. [219039]
Joan Ruddock: I am arranging for copies of the Scott Wilson research study on Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport and the Social Research and Consultancy study on Consumer attitudes to water efficiency to be placed in the Library of the House. The Navigator Waste Infrastructure Research study has not yet been completed.
Departmental Sick Pay
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility have received sick pay for sick leave due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what the average length of time was for which sick pay was paid in these cases; and if he will make a statement. [216156]
Jonathan Shaw: Tables showing the total number of staff who have received sick pay for sickness absence due to (i) stress and (ii) mental and behavioural disorders and the average length of time for which sick pay was paid in these cases, for the last four financial years is given as follows. Data prior to April 2004 is available only at disproportionate cost.
| Stress | ||
| Financial year | Total number of staff | Average length of time sick pay paid (days) |
| Mental health and behavioural disorders | ||
| Financial year | Total number of staff | Average length of time sick pay paid |
The data cover all staff in core-DEFRA and executive agencies covered by the core-Department’s terms and conditions (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate (which merged with the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 2008)).
The data do not cover executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies which operate delegated pay arrangements, as this information could be provided, only at disproportionate cost.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid in sick pay to staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility in each of the last five years; what proportion of the staffing expenditure of each body this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement. [216157]
Jonathan Shaw: A table showing the total cost of sick pay for staff in DEFRA for the last four financial years is as follows. Data prior to April 2004 are available only at disproportionate cost.
| Financial Year (1 April to 31 March each year) | Total cost of sick pay (£) | Proportion of staffing expenditure (%) |
The data cover all staff in Core-DEFRA and those Executive Agencies covered by the core-department's terms and conditions (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate (which merged with the HSE on 1 Apr 08))
Further information on the Department’s other agencies and non-departmental public bodies is available only at disproportionate cost.
Dogs: Animal Welfare
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 on the behaviour of breeders of dogs; and what plans he has to reduce the number of young dogs in animal sanctuaries. [223116]
Jonathan Shaw
[holding answer 10 September 2008]: Under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, anyone who is in the business of breeding and selling dogs requires a
licence from their local authority. Under the legislation, local authorities have powers of entry and search and can decide whether a licence should be issued.
In addition, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides that any owner or keeper must provide for the welfare needs of their animals (this requirement applies to breeders of dogs). Failure to provide for an animal’s needs can result in a penalty of £5,000 and/or six months’ imprisonment. The 2006 Act, which came into force last year, placed for the first time a statutory responsibility on owners and keepers to provide for the welfare needs of their animals. Anyone considering owning or keeping a dog should ensure that they are familiar with what is required and are prepared to meet the associated costs.
I am satisfied that the existing legislation contains the necessary powers to enable enforcers to deal with any irresponsible dog breeders and owners.
My Department is working with devolved Administrations to produce a code of practice on the keeping of dogs. The code will explain the essential requirements of keeping a dog and will be approved by Parliament. We expect to consult widely on a draft code before the end of the year.
We hope this guidance will enable people to better understand the care that a dog requires and thus to reduce the number of dogs in animal sanctuaries.
Domestic Waste Management
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Waste and Resources Action Programme has made of the scope for monthly collections of household residual rubbish. [223619]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 15 September 2008]: The Waste and Resources Action Programme has made no such assessment.
Fertilisers: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to assist farmers in meeting fertiliser costs; and if he will make a statement. [223215]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 10 September 2008]: Current high energy prices are having a knock-on effect on the price of manufactured ‘inorganic’ fertilisers. Lord Rooker and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have discussed this issue with the Agricultural Industries Confederation, which represents the UK fertiliser sector. We are alert to the potential impact that high fertiliser prices may have on farmers and we will continue to monitor the situation; the fundamental cause is the rise in the price of oil.
Farmers will want to do all they can to ensure efficient fertiliser use. Some farmers will also need to consider increased use of ‘organic’ fertilisers such as manures. Other options include the use of digestate from Anaerobic Digestion.
Pandas
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy of the Government is on the loaning of giant pandas to UK zoos for commercial purposes. [224054]
Joan Ruddock: International trade in giant pandas is strictly controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and trade in them is facilitated by means of an import/export certification system, which is administered by Animal Health.
Before granting a certificate to allow a captive-bred giant panda to be imported into this country, Animal Health would have to be satisfied that a number of strict conditions had first been met. For example, the UK’s CITES Scientific Authority for fauna (the Joint Nature Conservation Committee) must assess whether the export would have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species. The importer would also need to demonstrate that they had the housing and husbandry skills to conserve and care for the pandas adequately.
If the giant panda was wild-caught, Animal Health would have to be satisfied that the animal would not be used for primarily commercial purposes; it could only be imported for essential biomedical research, or for breeding, research or educational purposes of benefit to the conservation of the species. There is nothing to preclude the issuing of licences to allow the commercial use of captive bred giant pandas. Applications of this nature would be dealt with on a case by case basis.
Plastic Bags
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what date a full life-cycle analysis of plastic carrier bags was first commissioned; and on what date it is expected to be published; [224104]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to produce a full life-cycle analysis of plastic carrier bags. [224105]
Joan Ruddock: The life cycle analysis of carrier bags is being carried out by the Environment Agency. It was commissioned in January 2006 and is expected to be published at the end of this year.
The Environment Agency is looking at a range of carrier bags, including disposable plastic carrier bags and bio-degradable alternatives. The study is looking at their entire life-cycle from raw material extraction, through manufacture and use, to reuse, recycling and emissions from final disposal.
Waste Disposal
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what tonnage of wet waste was collected from (a) households and (b) businesses in each local authority area in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; [223506]
(2) what tonnage of wet waste was anaerobically digested by local authorities or their contractors in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; and what volume of biomethane was produced by these processes in each year. [223507]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 15 September 2008]: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.
Waste Disposal: Offenders
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fixed penalties for waste receptacle-related offences were issued in 2007-08. [223620]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 15 September 2008]: All local authorities and any other bodies with fixed penalty notice issuing powers must submit a returns form to the Local Environmental Quality division at DEFRA each year, detailing all the fixed penalty notices issued for relevant offences for that period. Data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued in 2007-08 for ‘waste receptacles offences’ will be published later this year on the DEFRA website.
Waste Disposal: Waste Management
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what records (a) his Department and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme holds on which waste collection authorities have adopted collection policies which prohibit side waste. [223618]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Neither my Department nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme hold records of which waste collection authorities prohibit side waste.
Waste Management
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of green list wastes was exported to non-OECD countries in the last five years; and to which companies this waste was exported in the receiving countries. [223448]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 10 September 2008]: Where non-hazardous wastes (such as separated recyclables) are exported, they are generally subject only to commercial controls, and not to the prior notification and consent procedures which apply to exports of hazardous wastes. Precise data on the amounts and destinations of exported recyclables are not, therefore, available.
However, by using HM Revenue and Customs trade data it is possible to estimate that 8.4 million tonnes of green list waste was exported from the UK to countries outside the EU (including non-EU OECD countries) in 2006. This data are indicative, since the categories used to collect trade data are not identical to those used to collect data on waste.
Weed Control
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many enforcement notices he has served on landowners under the Weeds Act 1959 in relation to (a) ragwort, (b) spear thistle, (c) creeping field thistle, (d) broad leaved dock and (e) curled dock in each year since 2004. [223592]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Separate figures for the number of enforcement notices served for each of the five weeds covered by the Weeds Act 1959 are not available, however the majority of enforcement notices served relate to Common Ragwort ( senecio jacobaea). The total number of enforcement notices served is set out in the following table.
| Number | |
| (1) This is an approximate figure because the number of enforcement notices served in the period July to December in relation to weeds complaints handled at that time by DEFRA’s Crewe office, are not available. Note: All figures relate to England. | |
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