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26 Nov 2008 : Column 1593W—continued
Carbon Emissions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department and its agencies have made of the effects of emissions of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls into the air on public health. [235071]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
The independent expert advisory Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), advises the Department and other government departments and agencies, including the Health Protection Agency, on the health effects of emissions of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls. The Committee recommends the levels for the tolerable daily intake (TDI), which is the amount that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.
The TDI is expressed in World Health Organisation (WHO) toxic equivalents per kilogram body weight per day (TEQ/kg bw/day). The WHO-TEQs are an internationally recognised method for considering the toxicity of mixtures of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, by comparing them to that of the most thoroughly studied dioxin, Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, based on considering their relative potencies.
The COT has recommended a tolerable daily intake for dioxins of two picograms WHO-TEQ/kg body weight/day based on the most sensitive effect in laboratory animals, namely, adverse effects on the developing foetus resulting from exposure in utero. As this was the most sensitive effect it will protect against the risks of other adverse effects including carcinogenicity. A copy of the full statement has been placed in the Library and is available at:
The majority, more than 90 per cent, of non-occupational human exposure to dioxins occurs via the diet, with animal-based foodstuffs like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products being particularly important. Limited exposure may also occur via inhalation of air or ingestion of soil depending on circumstances. Provided that the strict emission limits on modern incinerators are adhered to, inhalation of dioxins is not a significant source of exposure for the general public. It has been estimated for example that current levels of dioxin emissions from incinerators accounts for less than 1 per cent of UK
emissions of dioxins. These data are available in a comprehensive review carried out for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2004 entitled “Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management: Municipal Solid Waste and Similar Wastes”. This is available through the DEFRA website at:
Christmas
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) lamb, (b) beef, (c) chicken, (d) pork, (e) turkey, (f) other meats, (g) vegetables and (h) fruits to be served by his Department at Christmas functions which will be sourced from British producers. [239726]
Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Civil Proceedings
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many legal proceedings naming his Department as a defending party are ongoing or unresolved; and if he will make a statement. [239728]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of legal proceedings where the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been named as a defending party which are ongoing or unresolved is 81.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many legal proceedings naming his Department as a defending party are under appeal. [239729]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of legal proceedings under appeal in which the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been named as the defending party is three.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision his Department has made in its budget for 2008-09 for potential civil liabilities stemming from legal proceedings. [239730]
Huw Irranca-Davies: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Coastal Areas: Departmental Coordination
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to improve its arrangements for co-ordination with other Government departments of policy affecting coastal towns in the last two years. [238650]
Jane Kennedy: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Common Agricultural Policy: Finance
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the 2007-08 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget was allocated to the top 10 recipients of CAP payments. [239225]
Jane Kennedy: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Absenteeism
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rate of staff (a) absence and (b) sickness absence was in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; what the target rates set for his Department are in each case; and if he will make a statement. [238925]
Huw Irranca-Davies: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether food and drink on sale to staff of (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies at official premises is subsidised from public funds. [237416]
Huw Irranca-Davies: As part of its commercial contracting arrangements with its external catering services providers, subsidy is provided where the costs of overheads cannot be offset by the contribution of margin from food and beverage sales. The subsidy payable is reviewed regularly as part of contractual arrangements.
Departmental Civil Servants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants have been employed by each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [239094]
Huw Irranca-Davies: With a few exceptions, executive NDPBs are non-Crown bodies and employees are not civil servants, although civil servants can be seconded or loaned to NDPBs. Information on the number of employees in executive NDPBs is published in the annual Cabinet Office ‘Public Bodies’ publication. Copies are available from the Libraries of the House.
Advisory NDPBs do not usually employ staff. They are typically supported by civil servants from the sponsoring Department.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultancy in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [239057]
Huw Irranca-Davies: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its agencies have spent on (a) flat screen televisions, (b) DVD players and (c) stereo equipment in each of the last three years. [237433]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information is as follows.
| £ | |
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of (a) Brenda Poller, (b) Absolute Energy, (c) Noreen Tehrani, (d) Alliance Mediation Management Ltd and (e) the Gaia Coach Institute in 2007-08; and for what purpose in each case. [233589]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested is as follows:
| Name | Purpose | Expenditure (£) |
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much expenditure his Department incurred in respect of (a) Chitterybite Ceilidh Band, (b) Off Limits, (c) Fresh Attacks, (d) Catch 22, (e) George Noble, (f) Mountain Goat Ltd., (g) The Right Address Ltd., (h) Devon and Exeter Steeplechases Ltd. and (i) Solent Steam Packet Services Ltd in 2007-08; and for what purpose in each case. [238228]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested is as follows:
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations provided media monitoring services to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost was of each such contract. [230180]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) has provided media monitoring services as follows to DEFRA:
| £ | |
Durrants provides DEFRA with a daily cuttings service at the following cost per calendar year:
| £ | |
DEFRA also subscribes to the Press Association newswire monitoring service at the following cost:
| £ | |
In addition, since May 2008 DEFRA has used the transcript service of Wordsworth at a cost to date of £8,705.
All figures quoted exclude VAT
Information related to Media Monitoring costs for agencies of DEFRA and NDPBs sponsored by DEFRA could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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