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1 Apr 2009 : Column 1246W—continued
DEFRA raises awareness of Bluetongue disease, and the benefits of vaccination against it, through the regularly updated Bluetongue web pages and through its ongoing communications to livestock keepers through livestock market road shows, Farming Link magazine and through the support it offers to the industry-led Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB).
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what training he plans to provide for those undertaking the vaccination of wildlife to reduce levels of bovine tuberculosis. [267482]
Jane Kennedy: Those undertaking vaccination will be suitably trained and accredited in all the skills necessary to perform the role. This will include expertise in trapping and injecting badgers as well as other skills such as sett identification.
Chemicals: EU Law
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amendments his Department proposed to the EU Directive on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals during its drafting. [266960]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Negotiations to agree the final legal text of the EU REACH Regulation (no. 1907/2006) covered a three-year period, from October 2003 to December 2006. DEFRA led for the UK during the negotiations, working alongside other Government Departments and taking account of industry and NGO views. The aim throughout was to secure a robust and workable regulation that balanced the interests of industry with a high level of protection for human health and the environment.
Between July and December 2005 the UK held the presidency of the European Union, and during this time developed the text which secured political agreement as the Council’s Common Position following the first reading in the European Parliament. A significant initiative put forward jointly by the UK, known as ‘One Substance, One Registration’ (OSOR) was incorporated into the Common Position. This was assessed at the time as potentially providing savings in registration costs for UK industry of up to €128 million over the 10-year registration period, compared with the original Commission estimates.
During the second reading negotiations in the second half of 2006, the UK strongly supported initiatives to require substitution plans for hazardous chemicals subject to authorisation, and measures to further reduce animal testing and encourage development and use of non-animal alternative methods.
Defence Estates: Floods
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sites owned by the Ministry of Defence in England and Wales have been assessed by the Environment Agency as vulnerable to flooding. [267549]
Mr. Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
I am replying because risk assessment on Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites is a matter for the MOD. The Environment Agency has not made any assessment of the vulnerability of specific MOD sites to flooding. However, MOD uses data published by the Environment Agency to assess the general level of flood risk to its sites, but does not collate this centrally. We are augmenting this data by developing the means to assess the significance of impacts that a changing climate or an extreme climate event, including flooding, could have on MOD sites. Results of these assessments will then influence site planning and development, location and design of buildings, and will inform site plans to enable risks to be managed effectively.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of its suppliers his Department has paid within 10 days of receipt of invoice in the last four months. [264930]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 20 March 2009]: The information for the core-Department is as follows:
| Percentage | |
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department’s entertainment budget was in each of the last five years. [261104]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The core-Department’s financial system does not have an expenditure category for entertainment.
Departmental Press
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997. [261191]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA was created in June 2001. Its expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals since then through its library services is set out as follows:
| £ | |
These figures exclude the spend on newspapers, magazines and periodicals by DEFRA local offices and the Department’s Executive agencies. These figures could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which former (a) hon. Members who have left Parliament since 1997 and (b) Members of the House of Lords from each party have been appointed to positions on public bodies within his Department's responsibility; and who made each appointment. [267542]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 27 March 2009]: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies’ annual reports and accounts.
Departmental Surveys
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2008, Official Report, column 1007W, on departmental surveys, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s most recent staff survey. [265659]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Staff surveys are valuable tools used by Departments to help them improve performance. The results of the 2005 DEFRA survey are available on the civil service website at:
The results of the pilot Civil Service Employee Engagement Survey in which DEFRA is participating are expected to be produced as a consolidated external publication in June 2009. The DEFRA results from the pilot will be published later in the year following communication and feedback from staff.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department’s policy is on the renewal of the contracts of (a) temporary and (b) agency staff. [264287]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The core-Department’s policy on the renewal of the contracts of (a) temporary and (b) agency staff is to consider any such renewal in accordance with business need, value for money, the public procurement rules and the consolidated employment legislation.
Dog Wardens: Finance
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has provided to local authorities to fund the work of dog wardens in each of the last five years. [266962]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA does not fund the work of dog wardens. In accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are required to appoint an officer for the purpose of dealing with stray dogs found in their locality.
With the commencement of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 in April 2008, which relieves the police of the responsibility of dealing with stray dogs, additional funding of £4 million a year has been provided to local authorities in England and Wales through the Revenue Support Grant to cover additional costs of providing an out-of-hours service for stray dogs.
Fisheries
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of small fishing craft which have been taken out of service in England under the capping scheme and have been registered in (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [267892]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 31 March 2009]: 25 inshore vessels have applied to change port from English to Scottish and Northern Ireland ports in the last 12 months(1). However to date only 15 have completed the process, six of which transferred to Northern Ireland and the rest to Scotland. This is out of nearly 2,500 English registered inshore fleet vessels.
This is an average of two vessels re-registered monthly, with a steady level of activity. In comparison four vessels have re-registered from Scotland into England over the same period.
Since the English licence capping system was implemented on 9 February 2009, there has been a slight increase in vessels changing port (four vessels in March). However, it is not possible to establish whether this directly stems from the licence capping scheme. This information is not captured as part of the change of registered port process.
(1) Data supplied by Marine and Coastguard Agency.
Food Supply
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the level of UK food self-sufficiency; and if he will make a statement. [266558]
Jane Kennedy: In 2008, the UK was 60.3 per cent. self-sufficient in all food and 72.9 per cent. self-sufficient in indigenous food. These figures were published for the first time on 26 March 2009 in Agriculture in the United Kingdom. These figures are provisional.
Food: Packaging
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets on food (a) packaging waste and (b) labelling; and if he will make a statement. [263903]
Jane Kennedy: As part of the development of the Packaging Strategy DEFRA held two stakeholder workshops last year which were attended by retailers as well as other industries involved in the packaging chain.
We are currently in discussions with supermarkets through the Courtauld Commitment, which is a voluntary agreement between the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and major UK grocery organisations. This led to zero growth in packaging in 2008 despite increases in sales and population.
WRAP and the Food Standards Agency held a joint workshop earlier this year, with representatives from the food industry, consumer groups, and UK Government Departments to discuss how we can help improve consumer understanding and confidence of date labels and food storage. WRAP research has revealed that as much as 3 million tonnes of food is not being stored in the best way, or is being thrown away due to confusion over date labels.
In addition to this retailers are represented on both the Advisory Committee on Packaging and the Packaging Recycling Action Group which discuss a range of issues concerning packaging and packaging waste.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I also met the supermarkets on 21 January to encourage them to improve origin labelling of food and to comply with the FSA guidance on origin labelling, so that the information on the label is clear and accurate and does not confuse consumers.
Food: Waste Disposal
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill; and if he will make a statement. [263910]
Jane Kennedy: The Government are focused on reducing the amount of food being wasted by producers, retailers and consumers; and by encouraging better management through environmentally friendly treatment of food waste where prevention is not possible, to minimise the amount that reaches landfill.
The Government are helping reduce the amount of food being wasted through their ongoing work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to cut significantly the amount of food wasted in the supply chain and in the home. This requires a twin-track approach—working closely with retailers and manufacturers, and also directly with households. The two main programmes contributing to this work are the ‘Courtauld Commitment’ and the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign.
Not all food waste can be prevented, and the Government have been actively promoting and providing support for greater uptake of anaerobic digestion (AD), a proven renewable energy technology, as a sustainable option for unavoidable food waste that would otherwise go to landfill. AD offers a considerable climate change benefit through avoided landfill methane emissions, with the energy generated also offsetting fossil fuel power generation, and counting towards our renewable energy targets. There are currently 37 local authorities that have separate food waste collections. These collections are expected to become more widespread in the future.
Lighting: Business
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of businesses which have begun to use energy-efficient light bulbs in the last four years. [267478]
Jane Kennedy: Neither DEFRA nor DECC hold the information requested.
Meat
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what classification his Department gives to meat from animals fed on non-organic feedstuffs. [266045]
Jane Kennedy: EU organic standards permit a proportion of conventionally produced ingredients (10 per cent. until the end of 2009 and then 5 per cent. until the end of 2011) to be included in feed for organic pigs and poultry when organically produced ingredients are not available. Permission to use conventional ingredients in feed for organic pigs and poultry will cease after 2011 and its equivalent for organic ruminants has already ceased.
DEFRA has received an approach from some organic organisations seeking permission for organic farmers to feed their livestock entirely on conventionally produced feed in return for not selling their product as organic, while retaining organic status for the future as market conditions improve. It is not possible to allow this within the rules on organic production applying across the EU. An informal consultation on the proposal indicated that there was limited support for it.
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