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12 Mar 2009 : Column 678W—continued
Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will re-evaluate the tabular system for compensation for bovine tuberculosis breakdowns to increase payments for organically-reared animals. [257208]
Jane Kennedy: In 2008, following a legal challenge against the table valuation compensation system, the High Court decided that while table valuations are acceptable for the majority of cattle, they discriminate against owners of high value cattle. DEFRA subsequently lodged an appeal against the decision, which is due to be heard on 16 and 17 March 2009. Decisions about possible modifications to cattle compensation arrangements, including any relating to organic animals, will need to take into account the final judgement in the ongoing legal challenge.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the composition of his Department’s tuberculosis eradication group was determined; and what consideration he gave to inviting a badger ecologist to join the group. [261637]
Jane Kennedy: The composition of the TB Eradication Group was determined through discussions that were held between the Department, the farming industry and veterinary bodies. It was agreed that the group needed to cover the key interests, but to be small enough to allow meaningful discussion. It was therefore decided to restrict membership to Government, the farming industry and the veterinary profession, but for the group to be free to invite experts to contribute to its work as necessary, including representatives of other industry sectors, wider interest groups and specialists such as ecologists and epidemiologists.
Departmental Data Protection
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks. [259721]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
Departments follow CESG guidance on the use of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) communications security protocols in order to protect wireless networks carrying protectively marked (up to RESTRICTED/IL3) traffic. The configuration and operation standards for WPA2 are set out in CESG's Infosec Manual Y, Use of WPA2 Wireless Security in Government Systems.
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months. [259724]
Huw Irranca-Davies:
Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling
Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
It is not in the interest of the security of the Department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to electronic breaches of security of Department's IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the Department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date. [260353]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.
Departmental Public Appointments
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry. [261233]
Huw Irranca-Davies: This information is not held centrally.
Departmental Recycling
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) paper, (b) plastic and (c) other waste was produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such waste was recycled. [252868]
Jane Kennedy: The following amounts of waste were recycled in each of the last three years:
DEFRA is not able to provide figures for the different waste streams produced. It is not practical or cost effective to separate waste which is destined for landfill or incineration. Also, many of DEFRA’s operations, such as laboratory processes, involve the use of hazardous materials which cannot be separated into different waste streams. For this reason, visibility of DEFRA’s waste streams is limited to the quantities of the waste recycled.
It should be noted that a large proportion of DEFRA’s waste is incinerated with energy recovery—1,465 tonnes in 2007-08 (30 per cent.), 1,499 tonnes in 2006-07 (28 per cent.) and 1,041 (18 per cent.) in 2005-06. Although waste used for energy recovery cannot be classed as “recycled” the energy produced from its incineration is used in buildings on the DEFRA Estate.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, what the terms of reference are of the research on waste prevention scheduled to report in spring 2009; and which external organisation is conducting the research. [252718]
Jane Kennedy: The review study referred to in the reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, (WR1204) “Household Waste Prevention: A Synthesis Review” aims to extract key information from published research into techniques for preventing waste in the home.
The project is being conducted by Brook Lyndhurst in association with the Social Marketing Practice and the Resource Recovery Forum.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the Waste and Resources Action Programme holds on the local authorities which levy charges for the provision of bin bags for the collection of household waste. [262152]
Jane Kennedy: WRAP does not hold this information.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local councils provide free collection of needles used in the management of diabetes from homes. [262281]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps (a) his Department and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme is taking to promote the participation by local authorities in the ACR+ European Campaign for Waste Reduction. [262619]
Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is a member of The Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling and sustainable Resource management (ACR+):
but neither DEFRA nor WRAP is actively involved in promoting the participation of local authorities in the ACR+ European Campaign for Waste Reduction.
Energy Conservation
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the use of blinds and awnings as energy efficient products in domestic and commercial property; and whether officials of his Department have met representatives of the blind and awning industry. [256377]
Jane Kennedy: As far as it is possible to establish, neither DEFRA Ministers nor officials have met or received representations from any representatives of this industry.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken on the effect on energy efficiency of the use of blinds and awnings in domestic and commercial buildings. [256379]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has undertaken no specific research on the effect on energy efficiency of the use of blinds and awnings in domestic and commercial buildings. Nonetheless, the benefits of blinds and awnings are understood and included in our National Calculation Methodologies, by which building related energy efficiency measures are assessed.
Fisheries: Scotland
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation's request for a joint legal opinion to be given by the Scottish and UK law officers on the Scottish Executive’s proposals on fishing quotas and licences. [262129]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 9 March 2009]: My Department is aware of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation’s request. However, Government Departments do not disclose whether Law Officers’ advice has been sought, nor the substance of any advice given.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he and officials in his Department have had with Scottish Executive Ministers and officials on the Scottish Executive’s fishing quota proposals; whether a joint position with the Scottish Executive has been agreed; and if he will make a statement. [262130]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 9 March 2009]: I have regular contact with all of my counterparts in the devolved Administrations, including Richard Lochhead, with whom I discuss a wide variety of issues, of which, his fishing quota proposals are just one. I know that my officials work along the same principles.
In trying to develop a joint position with the Scottish Executive, I continued my willingness to work with Richard Lochhead on quota management and licensing reform within the devolution settlement. This can and should be on a multilateral basis, and should serve the best interests of the UK fleet.
I have given Richard Lochhead my full support for developing quota management and licensing arrangements for Scotland which reflect the devolution settlement. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a joint position with the Scottish Executive.
Fly Tipping: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought for fly-tipping offences in West Chelmsford constituency in the last four years. [261773]
Jane Kennedy: The number of fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions taken are not recorded at parliamentary ward level.
Food Supply
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to increase levels of self-sufficiency in British food production. [260899]
Jane Kennedy: Promoting a strong domestic farming sector is central to DEFRA's work, which is why one of its departmental strategic objectives is creating
“a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact”.
The UK is currently 74 per cent. self-sufficient in food that could be grown here, a higher proportion than in the 1950s. The UK domestic agricultural sector makes an important contribution to the richness and diversity of safe and nutritious food we enjoy, and it will need to continue to respond to changes in global markets for food.
UK self sufficiency tells us very little about UK food security. We need to maintain a range of supply sources for our food to spread the risk that might entail from over-reliance on one or a few supply sources, and to lower the impacts of any unforeseen disruptions involving any particular trading partner or from within our domestic food sector.
Fruit: Schools
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to implement EU proposals for free fruit provision in schools; and if he will make a statement. [261195]
Jane Kennedy: Agreement on the overarching principles of an EU scheme was reached by EU Agriculture Ministers at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2008. Proposals for the detailed implementing rules are currently under discussion in Brussels. In England, there is already the school fruit and vegetable scheme which is the responsibility of the Department of Health.
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