| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
13 Oct 2008 : Column 933W—continued
Slaughterhouses: Animal Welfare
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the proposal of the EU to appoint an animal welfare officer for each slaughterhouse. [225541]
Jane Kennedy: We are currently considering the proposed regulation and will be consulting formally before finalising our policy.
Trapping
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the Central Science Laboratory will play in the proposed research into the use of snares. [225716]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The research into the use of snares was put out to open tender and has recently been let. The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust put in a joint bid, with CSL as the lead partner. They were successful in securing the contract. They will therefore be responsible for carrying out the research.
Warm Front Scheme
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department takes to co-ordinate the Warm Front Scheme with existing schemes to fund fuel switching and insulation works offered by utility companies. [222006]
Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
Warm Front has an established history of working with energy suppliers who are looking to achieve their targets under the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) and its predecessor, the energy efficiency commitment. Through these relationships the vast majority
of households receiving first time loft or cavity wall insulations through Warm Front have their measures funded through CERT. This provides benefits to the householder by freeing up more of their Warm Front grant allowance for other measures and provides a more joined-up form of delivery.
Waste Disposal: Departmental Responsibilities
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the proposals for the new charges for the collection of household waste within the Climate Change Bill will remain the responsibility of his Department or become the responsibility of the new Department for Energy and Climate Change. [225215]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 8 October 2008]: I can confirm that responsibility for household waste collection will remain with Defra.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the selection of the local authorities which will pilot charges for the collection of household rubbish. [222861]
Jane Kennedy: Under the powers included in the Climate Change Bill, up to five local authorities in England will be permitted to pilot incentive schemes for encouraging householders to reduce and recycle their waste.
In June, my predecessor, the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) wrote to local authorities inviting them to come forward with proposals to pilot a waste incentive pilot scheme, with a deadline of eight weeks after Royal Assent to the Climate Change Bill. Once the powers in the Bill are commenced, the Government will be able to designate up to five local authorities to proceed with pilots. We anticipate that pilots could begin from spring 2009 onwards, though the exact timing will depend on the nature of proposals put forward by authorities.
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent to chief executives of local authorities inviting them to participate in the pilots of charges for the collection of household waste. [222864]
Jane Kennedy: I am arranging for copies of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Waste Management
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance he has given to county councils and unitary authorities to develop waste-processing technologies. [225098]
Jane Kennedy: To date over £1.7 billion in private finance initiative (PFI) credits has been committed to 31 local authority waste projects.
Also, for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 DEFRA is making £185 million of grant funding available to local authorities through the Waste Infrastructure Capital Grant (WICG) and £60 million through the London Waste and Recycling Fund. These will be paid to upper tier and unitary authorities to enable appropriate infrastructure to be developed in time to help English authorities meet landfill targets.
DEFRA also operates the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme to demonstrate innovative waste treatment technologies as possible alternatives to landfill. Each of the eight sites will have a visitor centre open to representatives from local authorities and the waste sector to enable them to learn more about the particular strengths and weaknesses of each technology.
Waste Management: Industrial Disputes
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of local government industrial action by municipal refuse collectors in the summer months in areas with fortnightly rubbish collections. [225647]
Jane Kennedy: No such assessment has been made by Defra. It is the local authority's responsibility to assess the impact of industrial action on their services, including waste collection.
Weedkillers
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2008, Official Report, column 435W, on manure, what representations he has received on the withdrawal of the provisional authorisation of aminopyralid. [222382]
Hilary Benn: The first representation relating to withdrawal was received by the Pesticides Safety Directorate’s helpline on 25 June 2008. Ten such representations had been received up to 8 September 2008. Ministers have also received around 30 letters which made some reference to withdrawal.
Wildlife: Conservation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to enforce provisions on the protection of endangered species in the UK. [224317]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Primary responsibility for enforcing wildlife legislation rests with the police service and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). DEFRA actively supports their activities through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW).
DEFRA, together with the Home Office, is the main source of funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU)—a police-led, stand-alone, multi-agency unit with the UK-wide remit for Wildlife Crime established in 2006. The unit gathers intelligence on national wildlife crime and provides analytical and investigative support to police and customs officers across the UK.
DEFRA, together with the other relevant Government Departments and enforcement authorities appraises the impact of wildlife crime and sets out the wildlife crime priorities for the NWCU. Current wildlife crime priorities include hen harrier persecution, offences against bats and poaching, among others.
Endangered species listed on annex A to the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) require licences in order to be traded within the UK. Animal Health operate a panel of wildlife inspectors who carry out inspections to ensure that the legislation is complied with; and also have an enforcement team who provide information from its records in support of prosecutions.
Wildlife: Environment Protection
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides on wildlife. [224979]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The rigorous EU scientific process for approval of pesticide active substances and the supporting national processes for individual products protect human health and the environment, including wildlife, providing products are used in accordance with the approval and any related conditions of approval. My Department is currently considering whether it is necessary to use further powers contained in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 to prohibit the possession of certain pesticide ingredients that may be harmful to wildlife.
Monitoring of pesticide poisoning cases is carried out through the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme which investigates any reported cases of suspected pesticide poisoning. Published data from this scheme show that, of those cases where a cause can be attributed to pesticides, the vast majority arise from abuse or misuse.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to address the illegal poisoning of wildlife. [224980]
Huw Irranca-Davies: On 26 July my right hon. Friend the noble Lord Rooker relaunched the Government's renewed Campaign against Illegal Poisoning to protect wild animals from illegal poisoning by pesticides. Over the next three years this will focus on preventing poisoning, educating people against accidental poisoning, and improved detection of poisoning cases.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit is also assessing the extent of illegal poisoning and will make any appropriate recommendations.
Duchy of Lancaster
10 Downing Street
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008, Official Report, column 1704W, on staff: 10 Downing Street (1), which companies employ the members of
staff working in the Cabinet Office seconded in from outside the Civil Service; and how many employees are seconded by each; [211880]
(2) what the (a) job descriptions and (b) daily rates of pay are for the agency staff and consultants working in the Cabinet Office; [211881]
(3) what the job titles are of the fee-paid staff; and what daily fees the fee-paid staff are paid; [211882]
(4) how many of the 87 members of FTE staff working in the Cabinet Office not employed by the Civil Service are staff seconded in from outside the Civil Service; [211886]
(5) if he will break down the staff numbers by employment type; [215145]
(6) how many of these staff are paid for by organisations other than the Government; and which organisations pay for them in each case. [215144]
Mr. Watson: Due to the wide ranging and topical nature of Cabinet Office work, we require a flexible resourcing model which allows us to bring in and move out skills and expertise as the business demands. Consequently, we use a mixture of non-permanent employment contracts including secondments from .outside the civil service, consultants, fixed term appointments, fee-paid and agency staff.
As at 31 December 2007, there were 87 members of staff (FTE) working in the Cabinet Office who were not employed by the civil service. This figure included staff seconded in from outside the civil service, fee-paid staff, agency staff and consultants but excluded service contractors. The breakdown was as follows:
| Employment type | Number FTEs |
All of these staff are paid for by the Cabinet Office.
Complete records of staff working in the Cabinet Office but being paid for by another organisation are not held centrally.
Of the 87 FTE staff not employed by the Cabinet Office, 14.4 FTE staff were seconded-in from outside the civil service, as at 31 December 2007. These are shown as follows:
| Secondment organisation | Number employees (FTE) |
Job titles and remuneration details for each person employed in a consultancy, fee paid or agency capacity are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Cabinet: Birmingham
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost was of holding the Cabinet meeting in Birmingham in September 2008. [226622]
Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart) by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 9 October 2008, Official Report, column 796W.
Central Office of Information: Training
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what media training courses the Central Office of Information provides or commissions. [217794]
Mr. Watson: The Central Office of Information offers the following type of media training courses across the public sector:
A full day course examining how the media operate, understanding audiences and techniques required for communicating through TV and radio media, including several practice interviews.
A half day media awareness course examining how the media operate, this includes one practice interview.
Bespoke one-to-one training is available looking at specific issues upon request.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |