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27 Oct 2008 : Column 611W—continued
Losses and thefts relating to passes issued to the Marine Fisheries Agency, the Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate are included in the figures for DEFRA core Department. Data for lost/stolen passes for Veterinary Laboratories Agency are not available for 2007 due to a change in responsibility of pass production. Figures do not include Animal Health as information is not available. All electronic passes reported as lost or stolen are cancelled immediately on access control systems making them invalid. Losses of paper escorted and unescorted visitor passes (which are not able to activate access control points) are rare and are not recorded.
Dogs
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy of the Forestry Commission is on dog-free car parks; and which car parks are being considered for designation as dog-free. [229744]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 23 October 2008]: In association with the Kennel Club, the Forestry Commission published its guide, Managing Dogs in the Wood, in March 2007. This advocates the promotion of car parks that are attractive and well suited to dog walkers in order to reduce the potential for conflict with other interests. The Forestry Commission has no plans to designate car parks as dog-free but access to some other areas by dogs is actively discouraged, for example in children’s play areas.
Dogs: Food
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned into commercial relationships between members of the veterinary profession and commercial dog food producers. [228298]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has carried out no such research.
Environment Protection: New Forest
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2008, Official Report, column 1487W, on environment protection: New Forest, if he will place in the Library copies of the publications referred to. [229765]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 23 October 2008]: The New Forest National Park Authority has been asked to provide copies of the publications referred to. These will be placed in the Library as soon as they have been received.
Environment Protection: Seas and Oceans
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the provisions in Article 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002 on the provisions in the Marine Bill; what recent discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) his European counterparts on the establishment of measures to protect the marine environment beyond the six nautical mile limit; and if he will make a statement. [228074]
Huw Irranca-Davies: There have been no recent discussions between DEFRA and the European Commission, or my European counterparts, on the likely impact of article 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002 on the Marine Bill, or the establishment of measures under article 9 for the protection of the marine environment beyond six nautical miles.
The legislative framework for the common fisheries policy (CFP) is due to be reviewed in 2012. However, the Commission is required to present a report on access arrangements to the Council and Parliament by the end of 2011. Subsequently, the Council will decide what provisions will apply thereafter. DEFRA will engage fully in this process to ensure that UK rights are not jeopardised, and that effective conservation measures are applied where needed.
In advance of the report, where we wish to protect a marine conservation zone in an area where foreign vessels have access, we will look to do so through the CFP to ensure the equal application of measures to all vessels.
Fisheries
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2008, Official Report, column 2021W, on fisheries, when he expects to formulate and announce UK policy in relation to the future of the 0-12 nautical mile zone under Article 17 of Council Regulation 2371/2002; and if he will make a statement. [228073]
Huw Irranca-Davies: We will be seeking views from interested parties on possible improvements to the common fisheries policy, including the issue of access to member states waters—in order to influence Commission thinking at an early stage—and will consider our position in the light of responses.
Further information will be available shortly in the ‘Fishing Focus’ newsletter on the DEFRA website.
Fisheries: Navy
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates there have been no River Class offshore patrol vessels operating as part of the Fishery Protection Squadron since April; why there were no River Class offshore patrol vessels operating on each such date; what alternative provision was made available; and if he will make a statement. [228063]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information is as follows:
21 July: HMS Severn suffered two breakdowns of its sea-boats in a 24-hour period on 20 July which resulted in the vessel having to anchor and await repairs/replacements by Vosper Thorneycroft. HMS Tyne was at stand-off on 20/21 July, between patrols. No alternative provision was required.
30 and 31 August: HMS Mersey was programmed to be on patrol on those days with a stand-off on 2 and 3 September. However, the stand-off dates for HMS Mersey were brought forward to 30 and 31 August so that it could participate fully in the Joint Deployment Plan for Cod in the North Sea, which commenced on
1 September. HMS Tyne was at stand-off on 30/31 August between patrols. No alternative provision was required.
On each of these occasions, the third River Class vessel was not programmed for duty, was not available and was not required.
Fisheries: Quotas
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to introduce quota management reforms; and if he will make a statement. [228168]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Examining how best to reform the quota management system is a priority for me, and I am currently considering options to take this work forward. This work will be done in close partnership with the devolved Administrations and in consultation with the industry. It will also need to be considered in the context of the common fisheries policy reform agenda.
Flood Control
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood protection schemes have been (a) postponed and (b) delayed in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [224220]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 17 September 2008]: DEFRA has overall policy responsibility for flood risk management and provides funding for schemes to Operating Authorities (Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards). The funding for flood risk has been administered by the Environment Agency since April 2006. Information on potential projects is collected from operating authorities and the Environment Agency decide which projects to promote and their timing to meet the targets set by DEFRA. Since the projects are not formally approved until funding is confirmed none will have been postponed or have had their commencement delayed.
Some projects do, however, take longer to deliver than is originally envisaged. From 2004-08 the Environment Agency's National Capital Programme Management Service was responsible for a total of 146 completed projects. Of these, 83 were completed early or on time and 63 were completed after the expected date. 70 per cent. of these projects were delivered within two months of the expected completion date.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what priorities he has set for reducing flood risk in (a) urban and rural areas. [228706]
Jane Kennedy: The Environment Agency allocates funding to Regional Flood Defence Committees for both new capital schemes and to maintain existing defences on the basis of national priorities to ensure that the funding is spent to optimum effect. This inevitably means that the allocation to each Regional Flood Defence Committee is likely to change year on year, particularly as capital schemes are completed.
Projects in sparsely populated areas will tend to score less highly than projects which protect larger numbers of people or higher asset values for a given cost.
DEFRA is working with the Environment Agency, other operating authorities and stakeholders to develop a prioritisation process for the capital programme. There will be no explicit geographic element to the allocation of funds which will be done to maximise the benefit achieved from the programme on a national basis. Allocation of funds for maintenance works is undertaken by the Environment Agency on the basis of their asset management strategy which takes account of risk; again there is no geographic element.
Flood Control: Cost Effectiveness
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what outcome measures are used to assess the effectiveness of expenditure on flood risk management measures; what criteria relating to outcomes for (a) the economy, (b) commerce and (c) industry are included in these measures; and what his policy is on the inclusion of flood security as an outcome measure. [228697]
Jane Kennedy: A set of nine outcome measures for flood and coastal erosion risk was published, following public consultation, in June 2007. The measures are described on the DEFRA website and the first measure, overall benefits, will include monetary estimates of the benefits to the national economy, with the expectation that in time the costs and benefits for different sectors will be identified separately. The term “flood security” is ambiguous, but a review of the outcome measures is under way and this will include consideration of alternative and additional measures.
Flood Control: Finance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which flood defences have been improved in 2008; and how much each improvement cost. [228477]
Jane Kennedy: In 2007-08 the Environment Agency reported that 31,505 houses received reduced flood risk in England from capital investment in 38 projects which are in the following list. Information on improvement cost in each case is not available.
Food Supplies
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 September 2008, Official Report, column 2419W, on food, what estimate he has made of the level of UK self-sufficiency in (a) milk and other dairy products and (b) each type of fish in each year since 1997. [228518]
Jane Kennedy: Figures on the level of UK self-sufficiency in (a) milk and other dairy products and (b) fish in each year since 1997. Figures are only readily available for fish in total.
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