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23 Apr 2009 : Column 816W—continued
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which waste collection authorities have installed microchips in household bins; [269888]
(2) what guidance his Department has issued to waste collection authorities on the use of electronic systems to monitor household waste flows. [269979]
Jane Kennedy:
DEFRA does not collect information on which waste collection authorities have installed
microchips in household bins to date and has not issued any advice or guidance on the use of electronic systems to monitor household waste flows. Decisions on collection systems—including the use of microchip or other technology—are rightly for local authorities.
Environmental Transformation Fund
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which projects for which his Department is responsible are receiving funding from the Environmental Transformation Fund; how much each has received from the Fund since its inception; and what new projects are planned. [259358]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to his question tabled to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 20 March 2009, Official Report, column 1396W. The UK element of the Environmental Transformation Fund, which was formerly jointly led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has been led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change since its creation in autumn 2008.
Farmers: Income
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of farm businesses with an income of less than £10,000 in each year since 1997. [270447]
Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the percentage of farms with a Farm Business Income(1) (FBI) of less than £10,000 since 2003-04. This is the preferred measure of income but is not available prior to 2003-04.
(1) Farm Business Income 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.
| Percentage of farms with less than £10,000 FBI | |
| Source: Farm Business Survey, England.(1) (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. | |
Farms
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of farms have been recorded as being smaller than 27 acres in each of the last 10 years. [268574]
Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the number of registered holdings over the last 10 years with less than 11 hectares (27 acres equal 10.92 hectares) and the percentage of total registered holdings in England that these equate to.
| <11ha | >=11ha | Total number of holdings | Percentage of holdings for which data is available <11ha | |
| Notes: 1. Data prior to 2000 are for main holdings only. Figures from 2000 onwards include main and minor holdings. 2. A register improvement exercise in 2001 and the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 has lead to an increase in the number of registered holdings. Source: June Agricultural Survey. | ||||
Flood Control: EU Grants and Loans
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much EU funding was allocated for the implementation of flood prevention measures in England in each of the last 10 years. [270448]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency estimates that it has been awarded £10.7 million of EU funding in England for the implementation of flood prevention measures such as biodiversity enhancements, better public access and enhanced consultation and planning procedures that complement their flood defence activities.
In many cases EU funding for these activities is made available to local authorities rather than the Environment Agency.
| £ million | |
Food: EU External Trade
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the monetary value of EU export refunds for each commodity in each of the last 10 years. [264784]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 23 March 2009]: The amount of export refunds for each commodity over the last 10 years can be found in the following table:
| £ | |||||
| Eggs | Poultry | Pigmeat | Beef and veal | Milk and milk products | |
Green Belt: Property Development
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what approvals Natural England has given for development on green belt land in the last 12 months. [269978]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England has no executive powers in the planning process so it is not in a position to grant approvals (or otherwise) for development on green belt land. Such decisions are the responsibility of the local authority of the area in which the green belt lies.
Morocco: Fishery Agreements
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy in European Union negotiations to seek the exclusion of waters south of 27°40” from any future fisheries agreement with Morocco. [270181]
Huw Irranca-Davies: As with previous fisheries agreements, the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement applies to:
“the Moroccan fisheries zone under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Morocco”.
The fisheries agreement does not in any way prejudice the issue of the status of Western Sahara. The UK continues to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is best achieved under the auspices of the United Nations. To this end, and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution (1813) of 30 April 2008, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his staff, and the negotiation process currently under way.
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