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11 Mar 2009 : Column 437W—continued
Insulation: Hazardous Substances
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances has been treated with approved methods of gas recovery in the last 12 months. [260964]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Ozone depleting substances are recovered from insulation foams in refrigerators, freezers and other equipment in specialist facilities. A small amount of insulation foam arising as construction waste is also treated in some of these plants but the quantity is unknown.
Annual reports on the tonnages of all ozone depleting substances recovered in the UK, including refrigerant fluids and halons from fire extinguishers, are provided to the EU but the Environment Agency does not hold information on the amounts derived from individual sources. Data are not yet available for 2008.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) enforcement notices have been issued and (b) prosecutions have been brought in respect of improper disposal of plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances in each of the last three years. [260966]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The National Enforcement Database is the main recording system for data on enforcement actions carried out by the Environment Agency. The database does not provide specific information regarding offences relating to the disposal of plastic foam insulation.
The Environment Agency takes enforcement action where necessary against people who have operated illegal transfer stations, unlicensed landfills for construction/demolition waste and those who have fly-tipped this type of waste.
Landfill Tax
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion and amount of revenue raised from landfill tax has been returned to local authorities in each of the last five years; [260447]
(2) whether it is Government policy that increases in landfill tax rates will be revenue-neutral for local authorities; [260448]
(3) if he will bring forward proposals to adjust local authority funding in line with changes to the rate of landfill tax in order to fund extensions to recycling services; [260492]
(4) what percentage of revenue raised through the landfill tax was reallocated directly to local authorities in each of the last five years. [261565]
Jane Kennedy
[holding answer s 3 March and 6 March 2009]: The Government worked closely with local government in CSR07 to identify the overall pressure on waste management services, including the increase in landfill tax, along with the extent to which those pressures can be mitigated. Over the CSR07 period, the overall Government grant will increase by £8.9 billion which takes into account local government’s landfill tax liability,
including the increased costs resulting from the rise in the standard rate escalator from 2008-09, and allows local authorities to deliver effective services including in the area of waste management.
DEFRA is also supporting local authorities to develop alternatives to landfill through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). To date £2.02 billion PFI Credits have been committed to 33 projects which will divert waste from landfill. There are a further 11 projects in the application process, for the remaining £1.18 billion PFI Credits currently available.
In addition the Waste Infrastructure Capital Grant provides direct funding to help local authorities put in place the front-end infrastructure needed to help them meet their landfill diversion targets.
Milk: Imports
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much liquid milk was imported into the UK in (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2008. [261566]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 6 March 2009]: Liquid milk imports are shown in the following table. Liquid milk is imported into the UK in two forms, as raw milk for processing by dairies in the UK, or as liquid drinking milk (e.g. pasteurised or UHT milk).
Most imports of raw milk come from the Republic of Ireland for processing by dairies in Northern Ireland.
| Imports of liquid milk to the UK | ||
| million litres | ||
| Raw milk for processing | Liquid drinking milk | |
| Source: DARDNI, HMRC | ||
National Parks: South Downs
David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many postcards supporting the designation of the South Downs as a National Park have been received by his Department since December 2008. [261957]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has received around 17,500 postcards supporting the proposed South Downs National Park since 1 December 2008.
Pollution: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many successful prosecutions have been undertaken by the Environment Agency concerning pollution in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Dacorum in each year since 6 February 2002. [261192]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table indicates the number of successful prosecutions undertaken by the Environment Agency concerning pollution incidents in Hertfordshire.
This information was taken from the National Enforcement Database which is the main recording system for data on enforcement actions carried out by the Environment Agency. The database does not provide information regarding offences in individual boroughs.
| Successful prosecutions | |
| (1 )From 6 February. (2) To date. | |
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints have been received by the Environment Agency concerning pollution in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Dacorum in each year since 6 February 2002. [261194]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the number of complaints received by the Environment Agency concerning pollution incidents in Hertfordshire and Dacorum.
| Incidents Hertfordshire | Dacorum | Complaints | |
| (1) From 6 February. | |||
The Environment Agency may receive multiple complaints about one incident.
Records of complaints received by the Environment Agency which prove to unjustified are only retained for two years.
Recycling
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made on the development of a voluntary code to encourage the positioning of accessible recycling bins in public areas. [261360]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 6 March 2009]: DEFRA launched ‘Recycle on the Go’ on 2 June 2008 which aims to put accessible recycling bins in public places. A good practice guide and a voluntary code of practice is available to help those responsible for public places to make recycling easy and accessible and includes guidance on providing recycling opportunities along with provisions for the correct disposal of non-recyclable waste.
The materials, which were developed in collaboration with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and ENCAMS, are available on the DEFRA website at:
WRAP’s Recycle Now campaign has published guidelines for local authorities on how to make good use of the signage for recycle bins, including up-to-date brand guidelines for ‘Recycle on the Go’. This, as well as artwork for bins and campaigning, can be downloaded from the Recycle Now website at:
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities carry out on-street recycling. [261361]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 6 March 2009]: Neither DEFRA nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme hold the information requested.
Recycling: Hampshire
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports his Department has received of allegations that Hampshire County Council is sending electronic waste for recycling to African countries; and if he will make a statement. [260600]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 4 March 2009]: DEFRA officials have received briefings from the Environment Agency about reports of exports of waste electrical and electronic equipment from various sources to African countries. The Environment Agency is undertaking further investigations into alleged breaches of the waste shipment controls. It is not appropriate to comment on any specific investigations while they are ongoing.
The illegal export of waste is completely unacceptable and that is why DEFRA has provided funding to the Environment Agency to step up its enforcement efforts to deter this activity and catch those responsible. The rules are clear—the export of scrap TVs or scrap computer monitors to Africa is illegal. Such activity is not only potentially harmful to the environment but it also undermines the good work of legitimate charities which provide working electrical equipment to communities in developing countries.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which trade unions are recognised in his Department. [262091]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Trade unions recognised within the Department are PCS, Prospect and the FDA.
Water: Meters
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water meters were installed in houses (a) in England and (b) in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since 1997. [261263]
Huw Irranca-Davies:
The following table sets out the number of water meters that have been installed in houses in England and Wales since 1997. Ofwat, the
economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry, does not hold data on how many meters are installed in individual constituencies.
Three Valleys Water figures are included as this company provides a water service to the constituency of Hemel Hempstead.
Because of water company supply boundaries it is not possible to separate out the number of meters installed in England alone.
| Household meters installed in England and Wales and Three Valleys Water between 1997 and 2008 | ||
| Total in England and Wales | Three Valleys Water | |
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