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20 Oct 2008 : Column 32W—continued
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much milk was produced in England in each of the last 10 years. [227608]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 16 October 2008]: The volume of milk produced in England is shown in the following table.
| Production of milk in England | |
| Million litres | |
| Source: DEFRA. | |
Oil: Waste Management
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the UK's obligations are on encouraging the recovery and re-use of waste under the waste framework directive; what assessment he has made of the degree to which the duty regime applicable to waste derived fuel oil from 1 November 2008 contributes towards this objective; and what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject. [226447]
Jane Kennedy: The waste oil directive requires member states to ensure the collection and correct management of waste oil and to take measures to give priority to the regeneration of waste oil above combustion. As a specific measure applying to waste oil, the waste oil directive takes precedence over the waste framework directive.
It is the view of the Government that the duty regime applicable to waste derived fuel oil from 1 November 2008 should have no adverse effects on the volume of waste oil collected, as correct management of hazardous waste is a legal requirement. Waste oil has a value and there will continue to be a demand for waste-derived fuel. A higher duty rate for waste-derived fuel could also encourage the provision of regeneration of waste oil in preference to combustion.
I have not held discussions on this issue with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but officials in my Department are in regular contact with officials in HM Revenue and Customs on this issue.
Pitt Review
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish a plan and timetable for implementing the findings of Sir Michael Pitt's review of flooding. [226701]
Jane Kennedy: The Government will be publishing a full response to Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations shortly.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 4 February 2008, Official Report, columns 49-50WS, on flood and coastal erosion risk management (budget allocations and outcomes targets), what plans he has to make funding allocations beyond those indicated in the statement to enable the implementation of Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations on flooding. [226702]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 June 2008, Official Report, column 301. Sir Michael Pitt's review included a recommendation that
“The Government should commit to a strategic long-term approach to its investment in flood risk management, planning up to 25 years ahead”.
The Government will be publishing their response to all of Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations shortly.
Rural Payments Agency: Personal Records
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many instances of the loss of personal documents have been recorded by the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years. [225106]
Jane Kennedy: During the last five years the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has had one formally recorded incident of the loss of personal information which was subsequently recovered shortly after being reported missing. Informal reporting of lost and recovered personal information has occurred during the five year period and RPA's system for recording such occurrences has been strengthened with further improvements in train.
Sewers
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish a further consultation on the transfer of private sewers and lateral drains connected to the public network to water and sewage companies; what the future timetable of this work is; and if he will make a statement. [227341]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 September 2008, Official Report, column 1942W, by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas).
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the Government’s response to his Department’s consultation on the transfer of private sewers to sewerage undertakers; and if he will make a statement. [227943]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 17 October 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) on 10 September 2008, Official Report, column 1942W.
Supermarkets: Waste Disposal
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much waste was produced by supermarkets in each of the last three years; and how much of this was (a) recyclable and (b) recycled. [227322]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold statistics relating to the waste produced specifically by supermarkets. However, in July 2008, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and DEFRA published the results of a survey of food and packaging waste arising across FDF member companies during 2006. The results show that of the 835,000 tonnes of food and packaging waste produced at 236 FDF member production sites in 2006, 686,000 tonnes were recycled or recovered in some way. Overall, only 138,000 tonnes were sent to landfill.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made (a) in the UK and (b) internationally in implementing the recommendations arising from the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development regarding sustainable consumption. [228492]
Jane Kennedy: At the international level responsibility principally lies with the ‘Marrakech Process’ and the seven international task forces which it has so far fostered. Among the themes covered by the task forces are sustainable lifestyles, education for sustainable development and sustainable tourism. The task forces focus on practical activities that help with the shift to more sustainable patterns of consumption at regional and local levels. A first draft of a 10-year framework programme has recently been produced and can be found on the Marrakech Process website.
Within England, DEFRA is implementing a programme on sustainable consumption and production. The main actions and objectives are described in DEFRA’s progress report on sustainable products and materials (published in July 2008 and available on the DEFRA website). As far as sustainable consumption is concerned, we have published a framework for pro-environmental behaviours which sets out a social marketing style approach to helping people move to more sustainable living. This includes core principles and approaches, headline behaviour
goals, consumer insight, a segmentation model and an assessment of the implications for policy. The framework has been used, for example, to inform the development of the Government’s Act on CO2 campaign.
Warm Front Scheme
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many people in North Yorkshire received Warm Front grants in each of the last five years; [223900]
(2) how many people in Yorkshire and the Humber received Warm Front grants in each of the last five years. [223901]
Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
The following below shows the number of households assisted under Warm Front 2 since it started in June 2005 in the Yorkshire and Humber and North Yorkshire areas.
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09( 1) | |
| (1) To 16 September 2008 | ||||
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated yearly effect on the (a) tax bill and ( b) other expenditure of a family in the lowest income quintile is under his Department's impact assessment of new charges for the collection of household waste. [225558]
Jane Kennedy: No such quantitative assessment has been made by DEFRA.
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on whether care homes should be subject to the new charges for the collection of household waste. [225645]
Jane Kennedy: This is a matter for the relevant local authority to decide.
Waste Management: Public Participation
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to the consultation on joint waste authorities' regulations and guidance. [225644]
Jane Kennedy: Responses to the consultation are publicly available in DEFRA's library.
Waterwise: Finance
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department requires the water industry to provide funding to Waterwise; and if he will make a statement. [226553]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not require the water industry to provide funding to Waterwise.
Justice
Church of England: Public Appointments
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of time has been to fill clergy vacancies in Lord Chancellor-appointed livings in each of the last five years. [227649]
Mr. Wills: This information is not held in this form and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many vacancies there are for clergy in the livings to which the Lord Chancellor makes the appointment. [227650]
Mr. Wills: On 15 October, there were 13 vacancies in livings to which the Lord Chancellor makes the appointment. This includes those livings where the patronage is shared and it is the Lord Chancellor’s turn to make the presentation.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there are plans to review the procedures for clergy appointments by his Department. [227651]
Mr. Straw: The Ministry of Justice has no plans to review the procedures for clergy appointments.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female clergy have been appointed by his Department in each of the last five years. [227652]
Mr. Wills: The figures requested are as follows:
| Female | Male | |
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