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30 Mar 2009 : Column 831W—continued
Roads: Construction
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that future Design, Build, Finance and Operate contracts do not include incentives to increase traffic flows as a means of increasing revenue for the successful bidder. [267168]
Paul Clark
[holding answer 26 March 2009]: The shadow toll payment mechanism, which involved a usage element, has not been used on Design, Build,
Finance and Operate (DBFO) schemes since 1996, when the first eight Highways Agency DBFO contracts were awarded. Details of the payment mechanisms in the DBFO contracts let after 1996 can be found on the Highways Agency website at:
The M25 DBFO project includes incentives for lane availability, to maintain the road to an appropriate standard and to maintain and improve journey time reliability.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what threshold of penalty points above which a contract may be cancelled was set for each Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract let by his Department since 1997; how many penalty points have been accrued against each such contract to date; and how many such contracts have been terminated as a result of the threshold having been breached. [267169]
Paul Clark [holding answer 26 March 2009]: The Highways Agency have let three Design, Build, Finance and Operate contracts since 1997, they are the A1 Darrington to Dishforth (A1DD), A249 Stockbury to Sheerness and the A13 Thames Gateway project which has been transferred to Transport for London.
The penalty point threshold for the A1 Darrington to Dishforth and A249 Stockbury to Sheerness Design, Build, Finance and Operate contracts is 100 penalty points or more in any one year. This leads to the Highways Agency having several options, one of which is termination of the contract.
The number of penalty points accrued against each contract to date is:
| Penalty points | |
No contracts have been terminated as the thresholds giving rise to the option to terminate have never been exceeded.
House of Commons Commission
Digital Technology
Andrew Miller: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what proposals the House of Commons Commission has considered in respect of in relation to the use of digital technology to encourage wider public involvement in (a) the work of select committees and (b) the legislative process; and if he will make a statement. [267444]
Nick Harvey: The House has increasingly used digital technology to encourage wider public involvement in the work of Parliament. Select committees have built on the web pages that each has on:
and use new interactive tools to access views and opinions from a much broader audience. Since May 2007 the Parliament Web Centre has set up and managed 14 web forums (eConsultations) on behalf of select or joint committees. Outside organisations and individuals can
now not only follow and learn about committee activity online, but can also submit their evidence digitally and watch the committee hearings as they happen or archived on:
Forums have been particularly successful in increasing the level of engagement. Their use has been consistently encouraged by the Liaison Committee, most recently in its report on the Work of Committees in 2007-08 (HC 291) at para. 105.
In terms of the legislative process, enhancements to online bills and related information have significantly improved access to the legislative process for the wider public:
Further improvements later this year will include bill texts showing amendments made in Committee. Work is continuing on clause-by-clause indexing of bills and on simultaneous presentation of explanatory notes with bill text. We will also soon launch explanatory content on the passage of a bill through Parliament.
The Web Centre has also used Twitter and Flickr as channels which can engage with people about the work of Parliament. UK Parliament now has more than 4,000 followers on Twitter and 100,000 visitors to Flickr who can follow the work of committees as well as the progress of legislation. Further proposals for the use of social media and networks to engage people with the work of Parliament and its committees are also being considered.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Tom Brake: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether buildings occupied by the House and its staff are subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [266439]
Nick Harvey: Section 65(1) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes provision in relation to the application of the Act to the House of Commons, further qualified by section 21B. The interpretation of these sections is a matter for the courts. The House seeks to apply the principles of the DDA and much has been done around the estate to improve accessibility and facilities for people with disabilities.
Members: Allowances
Mr. Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what date the annual totals for hon. and right hon. Members’ allowances for 2007-08 will be published. [268228]
Nick Harvey: On 30 March at around 2 pm. The information will be available via a link from the home page at:
Parking: Disabled
Tom Brake: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many disabled parking spaces on the House Estate are available for the use of visiting members of the public. [266438]
Nick Harvey: We do not have designated car parking spaces for visiting members of the public or non-pass holders, because of security concerns and pressure on space on the estate. The Serjeant at Arms Office is sometimes able to make special arrangements for parking by disabled visitors, if the limited number of slots provided for Members and staff with mobility problems are not all in use (for example on non-sitting days or during parliamentary recess). In such cases, special arrangements for security search are made. If parking on the estate cannot be provided, disabled parking spaces are available in the nearby NCP car park at Abingdon road (opposite the Black Rod Garden entrance to the estate).
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Foreign Workers
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the availability of sheep shearers from non-EU countries in summer 2009; and if he will make a statement. [266385]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has received a limited number of inquiries regarding the availability of sheep shearers from non-EU countries for summer 2009.
I am aware that the visa requirements for bringing in sheep shearers from outside the EU have changed following the introduction of tier 2 of the points based system for economic migrants in 2008. As a result of the introduction of tier 2, sheep shearers who are not visa nationals now have to apply for entry clearance prior to travel, even where they are coming to the UK for less than six months. The industry has made representations concerning compliance with these requirements, but we are not aware that the new entry requirements are so far causing any problems in terms of a lack of shearers leading to animal health and welfare issues. However, we will continue to monitor the situation.
Immigration requirements do recognise the current need to employ workers for this purpose from overseas and to expedite procedures for their admission. On the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee, sheep shearers have been added to the UK Border Agency's list of occupations of which there is a shortage and, as a result, sponsors of such workers from overseas are not required to demonstrate that they have sought to fill such vacancies with a resident worker.
Agriculture: Pollution Control
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s policy on minimising pollution from arable farms. [263585]
Jane Kennedy:
Under the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, farmers in areas of the country designated as nitrate-vulnerable zones (NVZs) have to comply with a set of mandatory rules regarding the use and management of manure and nitrogen fertiliser for the purpose of reducing water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural
sources. The Department has established a project to evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations at tackling nitrate pollution. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the original set of NVZ rules (established by regulations in 1998) is available on the DEFRA website at:
In addition, within DEFRA’s agri-environment schemes—Environmental Stewardship and the predecessor schemes Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas—funding is available for environmental management which will contribute to improving water quality, including, for instance, the use of buffer strips, and the management of maize crops on arable land. Other options in Environmental Stewardship, such as beetle banks and under sown spring cereals, may also contribute to reducing diffuse pollution. In 2010 it is currently planned to introduce further resource protection options into Environmental Stewardship, such as wider buffer strips and the use of cover crops. These schemes are subject to regular evaluations.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid in export refunds for dairy products in each of the last five years. [266458]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 25 March 2009]: The amount paid in export refunds for milk and milk products in each of the last five years can be found in the following table:
| Date | Milk and milk products (£) |
Agriculture: Working Hours
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an assessment of the likely effects of the implementation of the European Working Time Directive on the numbers of seasonal workers required by farmers to assist them with harvesting. [265328]
Jane Kennedy: The Working Time Directive has been implemented since 1998 and we are not aware that it has had any noticeable impact on the requirements of the agricultural industry for seasonal workers.
Revisions to the Working Time Directive are currently being negotiated in Europe. In these discussions, the UK Government are strongly supporting retention of the individual's right to opt-out of the 48-hour working week, an important flexibility used by workers in many sectors, including agriculture. We, along with many other member states, believe that workers should have the right to work longer hours if they choose to do so and have pressed this point successfully to Council during the negotiations.
Animals: Circuses
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on his Department’s study of the use of animals in circuses. [267636]
Jane Kennedy: During the last 12 months DEFRA has been carrying out a feasibility study on whether it is necessary to regulate the use of non-domesticated animals in circuses. A report is due later in the spring.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, columns 44-46W, on bovine tuberculosis, for how many head of cattle he has budgeted for compensation payments for reactors and contact animals in 2009-10. [267468]
Jane Kennedy: We do not estimate compensation spend solely on the basis of head of cattle since spend is demand led and much will depend on the disease situation and prevailing cattle prices (since compensation payments are linked to market prices). The estimate of £23 million provided in the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, columns 44-46W, is based on what was spent in previous years and the spending pattern in the current year (forecast spend for 2008-09, net of receipts, is £25.7 million). The estimate includes payments to cattle-owners and haulage costs, and was offset by salvage receipts.
Compost
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research he has commissioned on the potential health effects of composting; [264863]
(2) if he will make an assessment of the potential health effects of composting. [265749]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has commissioned the following research:
Review of environmental and health effects of waste management: municipal solid waste and similar wastes (carried out by Enviros Consulting Ltd and the University of Birmingham, 2004)
Exposure-response relationships for bioaerosol emissions from waste treatment processes (WR0606, carried out by the Institute of Occupational Medicine, 2008), which is currently undergoing peer review.
The Environment Agency has also undertaken the following research on the health effects of composting:
Health effects of composting: a study of three compost sites and review of past data (carried out by AEA Technology, 2001)
Monitoring the environmental impact of waste composting plants (2001)
The Health and Safety Executive has undertaken the following research:
Occupational and environmental exposure to bio-aerosols from composts and health effects (carried out by The Composting Association and Health and Safety Laboratory, 2003)
Where appropriate, this completed research is incorporated into existing regulation and policy in relation to composting. There are at present no plans to carry out further research, although this will be kept under review.
Domestic Waste: Recycling
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether an organisation collecting household recycling in one local authority area is able to sell those recycling credits to another local authority which is not meeting its recycling targets. [264949]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 23 March 2009]: Local authorities have a power (not a duty) to pay recycling credits to third parties. These credits are payments in respect of waste for recycling or reuse which would otherwise have been dealt with by the local authority. Local authorities are expected to have in place controls that, among other things, ensure that the credits claimed relate to waste collected in their area.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of local authorities he expects will meet the target of 40 per cent. recycling and composting of household waste by 2010. [266248]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 24 March 2009]: The target of 40 per cent. recycling and composting of household waste by 2010 is a national target set out in the Waste Strategy for England 2007. This will be achieved by combining the recycling and composting rates of all local authorities in England.
Local authorities that face practical barriers, such as serving large numbers of apartment blocks or multi-occupancy houses, should not necessarily be expected to achieve the same level of recycling as those whose areas are dominated by traditional housing stock.
Under the National Indicators method of monitoring local authority performance, introduced by CLG in April 2008, each local authority chooses 35 indicators to be improvement targets. Of the 68 local authorities (out of a total of 394) that have chosen NI192 (recycling and composting rate) as a target, 35 have set the level at 40 per cent. or higher.
The latest audited data available show that the proportion of household waste recycled in England in 2007-08 was 34.5 per cent., an increase of 3.6 per cent. over the 2006-07 figure.
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