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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1580W—continued
Fisheries: Quotas
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the EU sea fishing quotas for 2008 on the profitability of the British fishing industry; and if he will make a statement. [254073]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has information on the monetary value derived from fish landings, rather than profitability, which is at best estimated.
DEFRA does not have all 2008 landings data, which should be available in May. On the basis of available 2008 information we understand that landings of quota species generated revenues of £459.2 million and revenues from all species landed amounted to £635.5 million. In 2007, for which we have a full year's worth of data, quota species generated £464.8 million in revenues, and all species landed generated £643 million.
Once all the data from 2008 are available DEFRA expects revenues generated in 2008 to exceed those generated in 2007.
Flood Control
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the contribution the Leader programme may make to reducing flood risk; what the budget for the next three years is; what type of project is eligible for consideration under the programme, and what criteria have to be met; and if he will make a statement. [253434]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Leader approach is a delivery mechanism for the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013. It is a method of harnessing local knowledge to enable a bottom-up, community-led approach to the delivery of funding in rural areas. The Leader approach is being implemented through local action groups, which represent public and private partners and local interest groups covering broad sectors of the local society and economy.
Local action groups are implementing local development strategies setting out their plans for their areas, including selection criteria for local projects. The regional development agencies are responsible for the overall management of the delivery of the Leader approach.
A minimum of 5 per cent. of the EU funds within the Rural Development Programme for England will be spent through Leader. This means a minimum of £105 million across the country until 2013.
Reduction of flood risk has not been identified as a national priority for Rural Development funding. However, individual local action groups may have identified environmental management activity as a priority for them and within that there is scope for small-scale interventions to encourage community engagement in flood management.
Floods: Copeland
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will request that the North West Development Agency include in its plans for bringing forward major public works flood protection projects in Copeland constituency. [252556]
Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
The Environment Agency north-west region is currently planning a number of flood risk studies within the borough of Copeland around the Whitehaven and Egremont area. These include Nor Beck in Cleator Moor, and Skirting Beck in Egremont. Once completed, these studies may lead to flood defence capital improvement works. There are currently no plans to bring the possible construction works forward as this would require additional grant in aid and other funding. In addition, a small scheme at Low Mill, near Egremont, is currently nearing completion.
Fly-tipping
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates the Environment Agency’s National Fly-tipping Prevention Group met in the last 12 months. [252199]
Jane Kennedy: The National Fly-tipping Prevention Group met on the following dates in the last 12 months:
4 March 2008;
24 June 2008;
24 September 2008; and
10 December 2008.
Inland Waterways
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to grant cruiseway status to the Kennet and Avon canal. [254678]
Huw Irranca-Davies: British Waterways has the discretion to apply to DEFRA for cruiseway status to waterways of remainder status, such as the Kennet and Avon canal. British Waterways has confirmed that it intends to submit its proposal for reclassification of the Kennet and Avon canal shortly. Ministerial consideration of the proposal will then be subject to the outcome of the consultation and other statutory procedures prescribed by the Transport Act 1968.
Joint Waste Authorities
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which bodies will underwrite the liabilities of joint waste authorities. [252384]
Jane Kennedy: The detail of liabilities will be set out on a case by case basis as agreed between the authorities involved.
Nappies: Waste Disposal
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to Environmental Resources Management Limited for its research on the environmental impact of nappies; and if he will place a copy of the final research report in the Library. [252623]
Jane Kennedy:
DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) paid a total of £45,787.50 (excluding VAT) to Environmental Resources Management Ltd. for the
updated study into the environmental impact of nappies. DEFRA's share of the cost was £16,762.50. A copy of the study will be placed in the Library.
Nature Conservation
Mr. Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the European Commission's proposals for an EU-wide regulatory approach on non-native invasive species in its Communication entitled “Towards an EU Strategy on Invasive Species”. [253810]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Commission's proposals are still at a very formative stage and detailed proposals have not yet been brought forward for thorough evaluation. I am aware that options are still being appraised by the Commission and we expect member states to be further involved in discussions soon. The UK has attended all previous meetings with the Commission on development of these ideas and as we now work to implement the "Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain", we are well placed to contribute to the development of an EU strategy. On 3 February I laid in Parliament an Explanatory Memorandum on the Commission's Communication.
Mr. Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Convention on Biological Diversity's proposals for a global approach on non-native invasive species. [253811]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Invasive alien species are a major global threat to biodiversity and the Government support the work done under the Convention on Biological Diversity to promote concerted efforts to tackle this. The "Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain" has at its core one of the key invasive species guiding principles agreed by the parties to the convention—advocating prevention, early detection with rapid eradication and finally, management or control as the most cost effective policy approach. The GB strategy will enable us to take forward many areas of work relevant to implementing the decisions of the parties.
At the ninth conference of the parties in Bonn in 2008, along with a small number of other parties, we signalled our commitment to tackling this issue under the convention with a signed ministerial commitment presented at an event hosted by the global invasive species programme. As part of implementing a more strategic approach, the Government are also supportive of current proposals to develop a stronger EU framework to help address key issues at that scale.
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the cost to farmers of compliance with the new nitrate vulnerable zones. [253928]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Nitrates Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 came into force on 1 January 2009. An impact assessment was laid with the regulations on 4 September 2008. It included an assessment of the potential costs to farmers of compliance.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the nitrate vulnerable zone regulations on the sustainability of the farming industry; and if he will make a statement. [253929]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The regulations came into force on 1 January 2009. An impact assessment covering the impact on the farming sector was laid with the regulations on 4 September 2008.
Noise: Pollution
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amendments have been made to local authority powers to tackle noise since 2001; and what his Department’s policy is on noise from church bells. [252324]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Since 2001, the following amendments have been made to local authority powers to tackle noise.
The Noise Act 1996 has been amended by the Anti- Social Behaviour Act 2003 so that the Noise Act powers are easier for local authorities to use.
The Noise Act 1996 has been amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which extended the Noise Act to licensed as well as domestic premises. Local authorities have a discretionary power to prosecute or issue a fixed penalty notice for night noise above the ‘permitted level’ emitted from a dwelling or licensed premises between 11 pm and 7 am.
Sections 69-81 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 introduced new powers for local authorities to deal with audible intruder alarms in their area. A local authority may designate its area (or parts of it) as an alarm notification area. The occupier or owner in respect of any premises that are fitted with an audible intruder alarm in the designated area must nominate a key holder for those premises and notify the local authority of the contact details of that key holder.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 also introduced powers for local authorities to enter premises in order to silence audible intruder alarms where key holders cannot be reached, or where the alarm is not in an alarm notification area. These powers of entry apply to audible intruder alarms sounding for 20 minutes continuously or one hour intermittently, and likely to cause annoyance to those in the vicinity.
Section 80 (2A) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 introduced a discretionary power for local authorities to take such other steps as it thinks appropriate to persuade the appropriate person to abate a statutory nuisance from noise within a seven-day period without serving an abatement notice. An abatement notice must still be served after the seven-day period if the local authority thinks that a statutory nuisance still exists, or is likely to occur or recur, and the abatement notice can be served at any point within the seven days.
Complaints about noise from church bells would be subject to part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended), but we would expect common sense to be applied to the handling of complaints not least because church bells are part of our culture and heritage.
Duchy of Lancaster
Civil Servants: Housing
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance the Cabinet Office has issued on the provision of housing allowances for second homes as remuneration to staff in (a) the Civil Service and (b) non-departmental public bodies. [249919]
Mr. Watson: The rules and guidance for Departments on civil servants' pay and allowances are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. General guidance on terms and conditions for NDPB staff is set out in the Cabinet Office publication “Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments” and in the HM Treasury publication “Managing Public Money”. Copies of all publications are available in the Library of the House.
Civil Service: Pensions
Mr. Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he intends to make to payments from the Civil Service Pension Scheme from April 2009; and whether savings are expected from these changes. [253982]
Mr. Byrne: Pensions paid by the civil service scheme are adjusted in April by the same amount as the state second pension. Pension payments will therefore be increased from April, based on the retail prices index for September 2008.
I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008, Official Report, columns 111-12WS.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1431W, on the Civil Service: pensions, for what reason the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme resource accounts were not laid before Parliament after the House returned in the autumn of 2008; and when he plans to publish them. [249002]
Mr. Byrne: The accounts were laid before Parliament on 22 January 2009 [HC60].
In my written ministerial statement of 16 December 2008, I referred to some overpayments made to pensioners of public sector pension schemes, including the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts contain reference to these overpayments. The decision was taken not to publish the accounts until such time as we had sufficient information to be able to inform those pensioners affected. Critical to this decision was the need to avoid unnecessary public concern among the vast majority (95 per cent.) of civil service pensioners who were entirely unaffected, but who would not have known that had a general announcement been made. Letters were sent to affected pensioners on 15 December and the statement, formally notifying Parliament of the overpayments, was made on 16 December.
Community Assets Programme
Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster according to what criteria funds are allocated from the Community Assets Fund for councils to renovate community assets in preparation for the transfer of their management or ownership to community groups. [253713]
Kevin Brennan: To be eligible to apply for the Community Assets programme, applications had to be made by either the local authority that owned the asset to be transferred, or a third sector organisation that the asset would be transferred to. In each case the application had to be endorsed by the other partner, and supported by the wider community. The transfer could be in the form of a registered freehold or a registered and assignable lease of at least 20 years without a break.
Applications had to address the three programme outcomes to be considered for funding:
1. Local third sector organisations have greater security and independence, and are better able to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
2. Communities have more access to better quality facilities that respond to their needs.
3. There is more effective partnership working between local authorities and the third sector.
Subject to meeting the initial eligibility criteria, projects were then assessed against the two following criteria:
1. The proposed project outcomes meet an identified need and help to achieve the programme outcomes.
2. The organisation can deliver the project well and achieve the proposed outcomes.
On the basis of assessment against these criteria, 38 in-principle grants were awarded in April 2008. A full breakdown of the above criteria and published guidance on the Community Assets programme can be found at:
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