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19 Jun 2009 : Column 519W—continued
Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services
Local Government Association
National Association of Agricultural Contractors
Natural England
Sitpro Ltd.
The consultation documents were also sent to 31 bee importers and three academics. Individual information cannot be disclosed due to the Data Protection Act. 86 responses were received.
The ROAME statement and the Evidence and Innovation strategy for bee health are published on the DEFRA website.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of Government funding for research related to the honey bee was allocated to (a) the National Bee Unit and (b) higher education institutions in each of the five financial years to 2007-08. [280724]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 18 June 2009]: The allocations by percentage of DEFRA funding for honey bee health in each of the five financial years prior to 2007-08 are as follows:
| Percentage | |||
| NBU | Rothamsted Research | Warwick-HRI( 1) | |
| (1) Horticulture Research International was integrated with the university of Warwick on 1 April 2004 to form Warwick-HRI. | |||
Dairy Farming
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to provide assistance to dairy farmers financially affected by the taking into receivership of Dairy Farmers of Britain. [280391]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I am deeply concerned and saddened by the situation facing farming members and other employees of Dairy Farmers of Britain, following the announcement to call in the Receivers (PricewaterhouseCoopers) on 3 June.
Publicly-funded schemes such as those available through Business Link are available to assist SMEs (small and medium enterprises) that find themselves in difficulties. Farmers who are in need of business advice should contact Business Link in their region. HMRC's Business Payment Support Service is also available for businesses which are finding it difficult to meet their tax commitments for the sorts of reasons faced by the farmers of Dairy Farmers of Britain.
Ministers have been in discussions with senior industry leaders and officials remain in close contact with the Receivers to ensure that those who might need to access these schemes know how to do so.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assist farmers affected by Dairy Farmers of Britain being taken into receivership. [281387]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Publicly-funded schemes are available: through Business Link to assist SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises); HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service may also enable businesses in difficulties to defer their tax commitments; and the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme.
DEFRA hosted a meeting on 17 June with the Receivers (PricewaterhouseCoopers), Dairy Farmers of Britain Members Council and many other parties to continue co-ordinated efforts and work towards our common goal of minimising the impacts on all those affected.
Fisheries
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will seek derogations to enable inshore fishermen to continue fishing when their fish merchants are unable to report landing details within the time required. [280662]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 June 2009, Official Report, columns 423-24W.
Litter Abatement Orders
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many litter abatement notices have been issued by each local authority in each of the last five years. [280266]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA does not collect figures on the number of litter abatement notices issued by local authorities; this information is collected by Keep Britain Tidy.
Newts
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the UK population of (a) great crested newts, (b) each other endangered species of newt and (c) each endangered species of bat; from what baselines changes in the population of each such species is measured; and what criteria would have to be fulfilled for each such species to be removed from the endangered species list. [279198]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table provides the latest estimates of UK populations for the bats and newt on the UK list of priority species and habitats. Population estimates have been divided into three components: an actual number of individuals (or populations in the case of the newt), the range which the species occupies within the UK and the population trend.
| Species | UK p opulation( 1) | Date | Range( 2) | Date | Trend( 3) | Date |
| (1) Biodiversity Action Reporting System (2008) (2) Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2007). The report detailing the UK approach can be found here: http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/FCS2007_ukapproach.pdf (3) Biodiversity Action Reporting System (2008). Where available, bat trends are provided by the National Bat Monitoring Programme (Bat Conservation Trust, 2008) (4) Based on Harris (1995) (5) Based on Harris (1995) (6) Based on Harris (1995) (7) Population estimate is 5,689 (adults counted at 21 breeding sites) * 2.2 = 12518 (Biodiversity Action Reporting System 2008) (8) Pers. comm. Schofield (2008). The rationale for this figure is based on an approximate doubling of the latest statistically valid figure for Wales (28,000; Matthews & Halliwell, 2008) due to the fact that the total area of the range in England and Wales being roughly equal. (Biodiversity Action Reporting System 2008) (9) JNCC (2007) | ||||||
The trends are not measured against a baseline. Baseline information is not relevant to de-listing as the viability of the population would be considered rather than a baseline value to which current population levels would be compared.
The criteria for delisting any species from the UK list of priority species is:
Long-term or underlying decline has been halted and sufficient recovery achieved. This represents compliance with the European 2010 target to halt the loss of biodiversity.
All criteria thresholds for selecting UK priority species have been exceeded.
Sufficient recovery has been undertaken to remove the risk of re-selection and immediate deterioration of state.
Some species are conservation dependant and will always require some conservation action even when desired state has been achieved. Where there is a realistic risk that removing a conservation dependant species from the UK list of priority species will result in the action or protection that the species is dependent upon coming to a halt, then the species will be identified as being ‘BAP dependent’ and will remain on the UK list of priority species until this is no longer the case, even if the other success criteria have been met.
Water Charges: Voluntary Organisations
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what effect he expects the guidance he plans to issue to Ofwat on charges to voluntary, religious and sporting not-for-profit organisations for surface water drainage to have on charges to the organisations concerned. [281221]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Guidance was issued by the then Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in 2000. This states that surface water drainage charges for non-household customers should be set in a way that is sensitive to the actual use of the service by different types of premises. Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator for the water industry, is required to have regard to this guidance.
United Utilities recognised that its switch to site area charging was not in line with this guidance, or Ofwat’s more detailed 2003 guidance to water companies. Consequently United Utilities introduced a moratorium on its surface water drainage charges for 2009-10 for faith buildings, community amateur sports clubs (and similar clubs) and properties owned by Scout and Guide associations. This saw surface water drainage charges for these customers revert to 2008-09 levels.
United Utilities is currently working on a revised scheme of charges for 2010-11 and beyond. Ministers are keeping the situation under review.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Bermudan Government has held discussions with the Government of the United States on plans to accept further former detainees from Guantánamo Bay; and if he will make a statement. [280864]
David Miliband: The Government of Bermuda have confirmed that they have not discussed with the Government of the United States any plans to accept more former detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
BBC External Services: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on the BBC World Service in each of the last five years. [281415]
Chris Bryant: The BBC World Service has received the following grant in aid funding for the last five financial years
| £ million | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Swedish counterpart on the closure of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement. [279701]
David Miliband: I maintain a regular dialogue with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. I have had a number of discussions with Foreign Minister Bildt on the question of the transition from the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina to EU Special Representative once the ‘5+2’ objectives and conditions set by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board are met. I have been clear on the Government’s view that transition can only take place once the conditions are met.
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