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25 Jun 2009 : Column 1087W—continued


Floods: Cabinet Committees

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy that the Cabinet Committee on Flooding should meet at least three times a year. [276904]

Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office gave to her on 23 March 2009, Official Report, columns 50-51W.

This answer stated that it is established practice that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including exactly when and how often they are to meet, is not disclosed.

Floods: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of buildings on Canvey Island which (a) are not flood-resistant and (b) are flood resilient. [281325]

Huw Irranca-Davies: No estimate has been made of the number of properties on Canvey Island that are flood resistant or resilient. However, the Environment Agency spent over £4 million in 2006 to improve the drainage of the island and address fluvial flooding issues.


25 Jun 2009 : Column 1088W

Floods: Peterborough

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of buildings in Peterborough which (a) are not flood-resistant and (b) are flood resilient. [281664]

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has made no estimate of the number of properties in Peterborough that are, or are not flood resistant or resilient.

We are considering how a realistic national estimate can be effectively and economically achieved using information sourced locally. The route for providing the appropriate information for such an estimate will be clearer after the passage of the Flood and Water Management Bill through Parliament.

Forests

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of land in England is (a) woodland and (b) covered by peat. [281980]

Huw Irranca-Davies: The provisional figure published in June this year for woodland is 1.128 million hectares or 9 per cent. of England's land area.

It is estimated that 3-4 per cent. of England's land area is covered by peat soils. This figure refers to substantial peat deposits of at least 40cm in depth. This estimate excludes small pockets of peat in areas that are mapped as part of other soil types.

Livestock

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of the cost to farmers of livestock rustling in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 to date; and if he will make a statement. [281894]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Comprehensive figures on livestock rustling are not held centrally therefore we have made no assessment of the cost incurred to farmers. Such offences would come under Home Office classification 49 'Other theft or unauthorised taking' and cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded under that classification.

However, the Cattle Tracing System shows the following numbers of cattle have been reported to British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) as stolen:

Number

2007

7,175

2008

5,553

2009

4,047

Source:
Figures provided by the BCMS.

Marine and Coastal Access Bill

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what forecast he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the inshore fisheries and conservation authorities proposed under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill. [281498]


25 Jun 2009 : Column 1089W

Huw Irranca-Davies: Over 2009-11, one-off costs related to implementation of the reform package will be made available. This will be in the region of £1.6 million based on current estimates. In addition, the establishment of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) will result in an estimated additional financial burden on constituent local authorities of approximately £5 million per year. This will include expenditure on:

A consultation setting out options for establishing future IFC district boundaries and the local authorities that will fall within the districts closed on 22 April and the Government intend to publish its response this summer. The outcome of the consultation will help inform what changes need to be made and their associated costs. Officials will work closely with Sea Fisheries Committees and local authorities to quantify the changes necessary.

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Billericay of 6 April and 7 May 2009 regarding his constituent Fran Smith. [282181]

Dan Norris: The hon. Member for Billericay's letters of 6 April and 7 May regarding his constituent Fran Smith were replied to by my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy) on 10 May.

Ministers: Working Hours

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hours he spent on his ministerial duties in the seven-day period beginning Sunday 7 June 2009. [282180]

Dan Norris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) had a full diary of official duties.

River Humber

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely effect on levels of greenhouse gas emissions of the designation of the River Humber as a sensitive area under the EU urban waste water treatment directive; and if he will make a statement. [280779]

Huw Irranca-Davies: Yorkshire Water estimates (based on United Kingdom Water Industry Research Limited,
25 Jun 2009 : Column 1090W
Greenhouse Gas workbook) that designation will increase carbon dioxide equivalents by 380 kilotonnes during construction and 125 kilotonnes per year through operations.

Severn Trent Water estimates an increase of between 100 and 150 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide per year, a 20 to 30 per cent. increase on current emissions. Additional emissions from Anglian Water will be much smaller.

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs which would be incurred if the River Humber were to be designated as a sensitive area under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive; and if he will make a statement. [280780]

Huw Irranca-Davies: If the UK was required to designate the Humber as sensitive to eutrophication, industry has estimated the capital cost of additional treatment to be approximately £900 million, with operating costs of approximately £50 million a year.

Rural Payments Agency: Complaints

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints in relation to the processing of claims by the Rural Payments Agency his Department has received in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 . [282037]

Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 24 June 2009]: The following table sets out how many complaints in respect of the single payment scheme have been dealt with by the Rural Payments Agency for the last three years.

Financial year Number

2006-07

2,569

2007-08

1,149

2008-09

942

Note: 1. Financial years cover the period 1 April to 31 March. 2. The figures for 2008-09 are subject to confirmation in the annual Exchequer audit.

Sheep

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 96W, on sheep, what estimate has been made of the number of sheep in each county in England in each year since 1997. [281992]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total number of sheep and lambs in England by county/unitary authority in each year since 1997 are shown in the following tables.

Figures for 1999 onwards can also be found on the DEFRA website at:


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25 Jun 2009 : Column 1093W

25 Jun 2009 : Column 1094W
Table 1: Total sheep and lambs by county/unitary authority, 1997 to 2002
County/UA 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees

23,436

24,468

24,015

21,907

18,619

16,481

South Teesside

27,715

30,228

30,708

29,314

27,861

23,118

Darlington

30,449

30,252

31,797

29,944

20,226

18,075

Durham CC

678,435

685,483

689,716

650,712

500,085

522,161

Northumberland

1,664,446

1,680,887

1,719,011

1,642,218

1,395,748

1,343,874

Tyneside

10,023

10,862

10,750

(1)

(1)

(1)

Sunderland

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

West Cumbria

716,598

746,378

733,959

705,904

368,594

488,592

East Cumbria

1,975,625

2,061,168

2,041,301

1,928,069

1,130,470

1,313,197

Halton and Warrington

3,624

3,488

4,152

4,669

4,457

4,040

Cheshire CC

205,653

214,103

215,542

203,685

194,710

177,920

Greater Manchester South

16,813

16,822

16,442

20,349

19,772

17,178

Greater Manchester North

56,745

53,704

57,903

51,454

54,129

49,010

Blackburn With Darwen

20,036

21,173

21,229

21,230

17,342

16,925

Blackpool

(1)

(1)

0

(1)

(1)

(1)

Lancashire CC

788,668

823,332

800,283

776,586

703,264

656,886

East Merseyside

6,399

6,923

7,430

6,061

6,452

6,336

Liverpool

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

Sefton

334

659

417

(1)

(1)

249

Wirral

1,504

1,442

1,639

1,528

1,506

(1)

Kingston upon Hull, City of

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

1—

(1)

East Riding of Yorkshire

121,399

115,301

114,603

110,654

105,164

91,389

North and North East Lincolnshire

12,614

12,990

14,269

12,591

13,085

11,873

York

13,836

14,467

14,721

(1)

(1)

(1)

North Yorkshire CC

2,082,611

2,145,678

2,160,335

2,077,156

1,793,702

1,675,339

Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham

50,370

51,263

55,386

52,214

47,882

41,496

Sheffield

36,273

39,669

30,172

31,464

35,243

35,210

Bradford

74,334

80,623

75,983

76,204

73,352

70,360

Leeds

51,544

51,709

50,187

46,567

44,880

38,615

Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield

111,848

117,944

117,051

109,134

105,569

107,925

Derby

(1)

(1)

(1)

28,563

(1)

(1)

East Derbyshire

27,584

29,113

30,056

1—

25,663

21,540

South and West Derbyshire

429,662

459,537

459,847

438,425

420,812

377,670

Nottingham

0

0

0

(1)

(1)

(1)

North Nottinghamshire

53,816

49,482

57,508

58,313

49,441

46,320

South Nottinghamshire

32,238

32,401

28,265

27,575

(1)

(1)

Leicester

0

0

0

0

(1)

(1)

Leicestershire CC and Rutland

411,401

427,810

434,168

390,411

374,035

340,160

Northamptonshire

398,006

411,666

418,480

406,457

387,762

329,594

Lincolnshire

218,252

225,666

233,901

206,494

191,988

169,317

Herefordshire, County of

807,253

845,061

851,417

799,820

664,610

644,216

Worcestershire

378,186

393,374

395,697

377,145

336,362

309,974

Warwickshire

328,798

355,204

361,938

358,192

339,797

301,609

Telford and Wrekin

9,705

10,848

10,773

11,273

11,492

9,970

Shropshire CC

923,438

958,173

979,024

909,128

836,216

762,901

Stoke-on-Trent

502

685

883

(1)

(1)

(1)

Staffordshire CC

297,542

308,388

322,042

305,150

276,732

259,300

Birmingham

1,025

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

Solihull

16,627

17,438

17,215

17,760

11,314

13,726

Coventry

1,813

2,925

2,816

2,589

2,552

2,422

Dudley and Sandwell

1,168

1,208

1,277

1,147

855

793

Walsall and Wolverhampton

1,031

1,092

1,243

683

542

553

Peterborough

9,445

12,265

11,141

49,135

10,548

8,728

Cambridgeshire CC

43,557

42,455

44,401

11,129

47,262

34,548

Norfolk

145,746

144,935

149,276

144,307

136,367

106,114

Suffolk

68,421

76,199

74,317

82,795

72,985

77,229

Luton

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

Bedfordshire CC

58,147

58,034

61,168

56,409

53,482

45,018

Hertfordshire

43,606

44,219

42,750

38,143

40,739

32,687

Southend-on-Sea

0

0

0

0

0

0

Thurrock

2,749

2,811

2,870

(1)

(1)

(1)

Essex CC

74,066

67,556

70,067

66,014

59,455

56,122

Inner London: West

0

0

0

0

65,970

1—

Inner London: East

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

21,281

45

Outer London: East and North East

1,696

1,519

1,683

(1)

204,408

(1)

Outer London: South

387

577

907

649

194,395

746

Outer London: West and North West

888

1,926

1,939

1,699

(1)

848

Berkshire

60,837

71,968

75,616

70,196

291,072

58,114

Milton Keynes

29,565

27,385

28,528

26,025

75,887

21,576

Buckinghamshire CC

186,506

199,017

220,705

208,804

114,130

180,258

Oxfordshire

208,953

218,569

219,270

211,197

(1)

172,395

Brighton and Hove

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

151

3,554

East Sussex CC

279,868

289,435

302,772

299,664

145,891

271,572

Surrey

76,210

75,395

76,708

80,907

33,096

64,931

West Sussex

140,226

138,258

127,124

121,364

(1)

102,861

Portsmouth

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

451,145

(1)

Southampton

(1)

149

162

(1)

(1)

(1)

Hampshire CC

161,303

160,422

156,850

154,421

(1)

129,661

Isle of Wight

36,568

38,784

38,715

35,083

(1)

30,738

Medway

8,416

7,737

7,920

7,949

854

9,594

Kent CC

514,911

511,487

508,048

491,865

1,230

383,725

Bristol, City of

416

427

419

(1)

1,232

(1)

N and NE Somerset, South Glos

100,105

102,743

98,295

98,595

95,202

84,217

Gloucestershire

403,875

414,686

425,662

418,837

334,173

329,925

Swindon

16,683

15,814

13,121

13,360

11,699

6,960

Wiltshire CC

203,393

194,027

203,037

199,164

193,195

171,851

Bournemouth and Poole

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

Dorset CC

209,155

221,225

226,936

219,057

200,171

176,598

Somerset

572,797

590,196

605,745

583,969

551,959

490,772

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

601,534

631,841

639,631

607,512

575,228

521,136

Plymouth

3,802

2,891

2,721

2,657

(1)

(1)

Torbay

4,287

2,794

2,944

3,945

2,151

(1)

Devon CC

1,828,808

1,921,261

1,937,405

1,817,687

1,472,395

1,445,962


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