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2 Apr 2009 : Column 1293W—continued
Energy: EU Law
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received raising concerns on the implementation of the Energy Using Products Directive; whether his Department is planning for the Directive to be implemented by 2013; and if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Directive. [263143]
Jane Kennedy: The EU’s Framework Directive for the Eco-design of energy-using Products (2005/32/EC) was transposed into UK law on 11 August 2007 (SI 2007 No 2037). Eco-design requirements for individual product areas are established via implementing measures as set out in the framework. Up to 10 March 2009, five implementing measures have been voted on and approved by member states. Further measures are expected to be negotiated over the next year.
Officials in DEFRA engage stakeholders on the development of implementing measures in a variety of ways, including consulting on the European Commission's draft proposals, holding quarterly stakeholder events attended by industry representatives, green and consumer NGOs, and by engaging directly with stakeholders on a one-to-one basis, as appropriate.
The Government fully support the implementation of eco-design requirements on energy-using appliances.
Farmers: Income
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent estimate he has made of the average income of a sheep farmer; [267849]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of sheep farmers who had an income of less than £10,000 in the last year for which figures are available. [267850]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 30 March 2009]: Information is not published separately for specialist sheep farmers. These are included within the broader category of grazing livestock farms for the purpose of this analysis. Data from the Farm Business Survey(1) show that the average Farm Business Income in 2007-08 was £10,400 on grazing livestock farms in the Less Favoured Area (LFA)(2) and £12,400 on grazing livestock farms in the lowland(3). Approximately 53 per cent. of grazing livestock farmers in the LFA had a farm business income lower that £10,000. For grazing livestock farmers in the lowlands the figure was 55 per cent.
Farm business income is the headline measure of the profitability of farm businesses. It represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
(1) The Farm Business Survey sample covers businesses with a Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of at least 0.5, i.e. a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer for at least half their time.
(2) Farms with more than two-thirds of their total standard gross margin (SGM) in cattle and sheep except holdings classified as dairy. A farm is classified as in the LFA if 50 per cent. or more of its total area is in the EC Less Favoured Area (both disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged).
(3) Farms with more than two-thirds of their total SGM in cattle and sheep except holdings classified as dairy. A farm is classified as “lowland” if less than 50 per cent. of its total area is in the EU Less Favoured Area.
Fisheries
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what species of non-quota fish are available to be caught by craft under 10 metres seeking to fish (a) in the English Channel, (b) in the Thames Estuary and (c) off the North Foreland. [267891]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 31 March 2009]: Non-Total Allowable Catch (TAC) species make up 82 per cent. of the landings of UK under-10m vessels in the English Channel. Almost 90 per cent. of this is shellfish such as whelks, scallops, crabs and cuttlefish. The remainder is a diverse range of fish species including bass, anchovy, mullet and lemon sole.
Fisheries data are collected by statistical rectangle and it is not possible to provide figures specifically for the Thames Estuary or North Foreland. However, the non-quota shellfish cockles make up almost 100 per cent. of landings of under-10m vessels from the inner Thames estuary inside Whitstable.
Non-quota species make up 60 per cent. of the landings of <10m vessels operating in the outer Thames estuary and the remaining coastline from Folkestone to Felixstowe, including North Foreland. Almost 90 per cent. of this is shellfish including cockles, scallops, whelks, crabs and lobsters. The remainder is fish such as bass, dogfish and mullet.
The following tables summarise data from the Fleet Activity Database for 2008(1), giving tonnes landed by <10m UK vessels in 2008.
(1 )Held by the Marine and Fisheries Agency.
| English Channel (ICES Div Vlld and Vlle) | |||
| Tonnes | Percentage | ||
|
Mainly bass, anchovy, grey mullet, lemon sole, pilchards, turbot and other demersal species | |||
| Outer Thames e stuary rectangles 31F1 and 32F1—including from Folkestone to Whitstable (including Foreland) and Brightlingsea to Felixstowe | |||
| Tonnes | Percentage | ||
| Inner Thames e stuary (out to Whitstable) rectangles 31F0 and 32F0 | |||
| Tonnes | Percentage | ||
A full species list has been placed in the Library of the House.
Flood Control
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when each planned flooding and coastal protection project is planned to be started; whether the start of any planned project has been deferred; and if he will make a statement. [265768]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency’s Medium Term Plan for England is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and includes those flood and coastal risk management capital schemes being delivered by the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards.
The Plan includes schemes funded in the 2008-09 financial year (from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009); schemes that have been given an indicative allocation of funding for the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11; and schemes planned for 2011-12 and 2012-13 subject to funding being available.
The Plan shows the current start date for each scheme. The Plan is constantly changing to reflect progress in developing, approving, designing and constructing a project. Projects are delayed for many reasons including securing planning permissions and other permissions from local authorities and others, prioritisation of the programme and funding availability.
30 Environment Agency projects (each with a construction budget of over £250,000) have been identified for implementation in the 2007-08 Medium Term Plan. Two of these projects are currently not being progressed.
The Ipswich Flood Defence Management Strategy civil works is on hold as it is rescheduled for implementation in 2011-12 as part of the delivery of the Ipswich strategy. This project has a budget of £544,500.
The Ashburton Ballard Stream Improvements project has closed as the scheme is not economically viable. This project spent £31,500 on the pre-feasibility study.
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Environment Agency to publish its updated flood risk maps. [267551]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency makes local updates to the flood risk maps on its website on a quarterly basis. The latest update took place on 26 March 2009.
The Environment Agency plans to publish the latest national flood risk assessment information on its website in the spring. This will provide a major upgrade to the Environment Agency’s flood risk maps.
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in England are considered to have a greater than 1 in 75 annual probability of flooding. [267552]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency published its latest national flood risk assessment in 2006. This showed that 392,800 residential properties were at significant risk of flooding. Significant risk is defined as a greater than one in 75 annual probability of flooding.
Flood Control: Expenditure
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by his Department on flooding and coastal protection projects in areas at risk from (a) fluvial and coastal flooding and (b) coastal erosion in each of the last three years. [265756]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the total funding that was allocated to the Environment Agency as flood defence grant in aid over the last three years.
| Total funding (£ million) | |
The following table shows funding allocated by the Environment Agency to capital projects and revenue expenditure. The allocation process ensures that resources are directed to the locations with the highest risk of flooding.
| £ million | ||
| Capital | Revenue | |
The following table shows the additional coastal erosion grants that were allocated to coastal authorities.
| Coastal grants (£ million) | |
| Source: DEFRA website and Environment Agency financial records. | |
Floods: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many warnings of floods affecting (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex have been issued by the Environment Agency in each year of the last 10 years. [267245]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows that 496 flood watches, flood warnings and severe flood warnings were issued in East Sussex since September 2000 (the date from which Environment Agency data are available), of which 58 were issued for Eastbourne.
| Year (starting from September) | Watches | Warnings | Severe Warnings | Total |
| Source: The Environment Agency's Flood Warnings Direct service and Environment Agency historic databases | ||||
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