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2 July 2009 : Column 381W—continued
Renewable Energy
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to increase the proportion of waste from which energy is derived; and if he will make a statement. [283394]
Dan Norris: Government are committed to maximising energy recovered from unavoidable residual waste, making the most of its potential to contribute to our climate change and wider environmental objectives. The Renewable Energy Strategy, due for publication this summer, will set out how we will support the supply of biomass waste for energy and the necessary infrastructure.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has allocated to the development of agricultural businesses in (a) Mid- Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [280102]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table gives, by financial year, funding in the East of England region from 1998-99 onwards(1) (data for 1997-98 are not readily available electronically). Separate figures are not available for the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency. These figures include payments made under Rural Development Programmes since 2000, agri-environment payments made prior to that date and payments made directly to agricultural businesses by the East of England Development Agency.
(1) Figures obtained from DEFRA, East of England Development Agency and Natural England.
| Total (£) | |
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department allocated to (a) the Rural Payments Agency, (b) Natural England and (c) regional development agencies for the purposes of the administration of funding allocated under the common agricultural policy in 2008-09; and how much funding his Department has allocated for those purposes in 2009-10. [280755]
Dan Norris: DEFRA allocated £202 million in 2008-09 and £183 million in 2009-10 to the Rural Payments Agency for the purposes of administering the funding allocated under the common agricultural policy.
Natural England was allocated £13.6 million in 2008-09 and £14.6 million in 2009-10 to cover its direct costs associated with administering the pillar 2 axis 2 spend in the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) under the common agricultural policy. These administration costs are less than 4 per cent. of the value of the RDPE programme.
£4.95 million was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in each year to cover the costs of regional development agencies' delivery of the socio-economic measures of the Rural Development Programme for England.
Floods: Birmingham
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has provided for flood preparedness and flood defence projects in Birmingham in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [283395]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Birmingham city council has been successful in securing £153,900 of DEFRA funding to provide household level resilience measures to 27 properties in the Frankley area of Birmingham.
The Environment Agency advises that it has also funded various maintenance works over the last 12 months which total approximately £490,000.
Incinerators: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009, Official Report, column 578W, on waste disposal: Newcastle upon Tyne, whether his Department issues guidance to local authorities on the inclusion of incinerators as a waste management option in private finance initiative contracts for waste disposal. [283302]
Dan Norris: All private finance initiative (PFI) guidance is technology neutral and seeks to ensure that authorities and their procurements obtain value for money. DEFRA does however provide guidance on appraising residual waste infrastructure options. The guidance is available on DEFRA's website:
I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 25 June 2009, Official Report, column 1097W, which clarifies DEFRA's policy on technology choice for PFI projects.
Sheep Dipping: Organophosphates
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to protect farm workers from health problems associated with the use of organophosphate sheep dip. [283698]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Over the years the Government have taken a series of measures aimed at minimising any risks from exposure to organophosphates used as sheep dips.
introducing a requirement that those purchasing OP sheep dips hold certificates of competence in their use;
introducing a requirement that those dipping are to be supervised by a certificate of competence holder;
introduction of closed transfer systems designed to minimise the risk of users coming into contact with OP dip concentrate;
improving the available guidance (including on the product label) on the safe use of OPs;
introducing additional requirements for protective clothing.
All of the Government's measures have been based on the best scientific evidence and advice available at the time. The Government will continue to seek expert advice on this issue and will not hesitate to take appropriate and proportionate regulatory action on the basis of any new evidence.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 964W, on Afghanistan: detainees, whether the British embassy in Washington notified officials in his Department of the transfer of detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Bermuda before those detainees arrived in Bermuda. [283232]
David Miliband: Our embassy in Washington notified officials in London as soon as they were made aware by the US Administration, a few hours before the former detainees arrived in Bermuda early on 11 June 2009.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009, Official Report, column 631W, on Afghanistan: detainees. whether the agreement between the United States and the Government of Bermuda regarding the transfer of inmates from Guantánamo Bay includes financial provisions; and if he will make a statement. [283327]
David Miliband: The US has committed to pay to the Government of Bermuda costs of up to US$100,000 to assist with the living expenses of the four former detainees from Guantánamo Bay.
Afghanistan: Females
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations the Government have made to the Government of Afghanistan on ensuring the safety from violent attacks on female journalists in Afghanistan; [283518]
(2) what recent reports his Department has received of violent attacks on female journalists in Afghanistan. [283519]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are aware that attacks against female journalists have taken place, for example the attack on Zakia Zaki, who ran the private radio station Peace Radio. She was killed by multiple gunmen in her home north of Kabul, in the central province of Parwan, on 5 June 2007.
We deplore attacks on any journalist—male or female—and supported the joint EU-Norway declaration on freedom of expression made on 16 April 2009:
We welcome the huge growth in independent Afghan media since 2001, but, as the declaration states, we are concerned about evidence of a gradual deterioration of the situation regarding freedom of expression, including the growing intimidation and violence targeting Afghan journalists, and challenges to the independence of the media.
If the Afghan Government were to enact the new Media Law, already passed by the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament, it would do much to help ensure respect for freedom of expression, particularly in the run-up to the elections this August. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised this issue with President Karzai and we will continue to lobby the Afghan Government to pass the law.
Strengthening the rule of law is also essential to protecting individuals, including journalists, from violence and intimidation. But the challenges are long-term and significant. We continue to support the Afghan authorities in developing an effective police force, improving access to justice and strengthening the formal justice system's ability to prosecute offenders and tackle corruption. In 2008-09, the UK allocated £29 million to strengthen Afghan interdiction and law enforcement capacity.
Cluster Munitions
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions; and when he expects the ratification process to be completed. [283493]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is the Government's intention to ratify the Convention as soon as possible. In accordance with Article 9 of the Convention of Cluster Munitions, the criminal offences to enforce the Convention's prohibitions on use, development, production, stockpiling, retention and transfer of cluster munitions need to be in place before ratification. A Cluster Munitions Prohibitions Bill which will create the necessary criminal offences has a place in the Government's Draft Legislative Programme that was published on 29 June 2009.
Cyber Security: Finance
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing a cyber security operations centre. [283310]
Mr. Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
The cyber security operations centre (CSOC) will be established in September 2009 to bring together existing multi-agency efforts to provide situational awareness,
analysis and incident response co-ordination in the cyber security field, making sure that new and existing resources are used to best effect in the areas where they are needed the most. The additional resources for the Government's overall cyber security programme will be reported to the House in the autumn.
European Council: Meetings
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the meetings of the European Council in 2010 and 2011 are scheduled to take place. [282589]
Chris Bryant: European Council meetings for the first half of 2010 (under the Spanish presidency) are scheduled to take place on 25-26 March and 17-18 June 2010. Dates for European Council meetings in the second half of 2010 and 2011 have yet to be set.
European Union: Jordan
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the EU-Jordan Informal Summit on 17 June 2009; and if he will make a statement. [283233]
David Miliband: The discussions between the EU and Jordan on 17 June 2009 focused on peace in the Middle-East. The Jordanian delegation, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, and the EU agreed on the importance of making rapid progress. Achieving peace in the Middle-East is also a high priority for the EU and for the UK. We will continue to work towards a comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution, involving a secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state.
Honduras: Politics and Government
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political situation in Honduras; and if he will make a statement. [283585]
Chris Bryant: We condemn the forcible removal of President Manuel Zelaya from Honduras on Sunday 28 June 2009. Along with others, the UK has called for a swift resolution of the situation and the restoration of the legitimate, democratic Government of the country. I issued a statement to this effect on 28 June 2009 condemning President Zelaya’s expulsion. The UK also supported a UN General Assembly Resolution, adopted unanimously on 30 June 2009, which condemned these events which have
“interrupted the democratic and constitutional order and the legitimate exercise of power in Honduras”.
The resolution also demanded the restoration of the Government, and called on states not to recognise any Government other than the constitutionally elected one. Demonstrations have been occurring in Honduras and the military are deployed on the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and call for the peaceful resolution in accordance with the constitutional order of Honduras and the principles of rule of law and democracy.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 6 April 2009 on his constituent, Ms Daphne Green of Chelmsford. [278812]
Chris Bryant: I replied to the hon. Member on 1 July 2009.
Tamils
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of violent extremism in the UK connected with Tamil extremists. [281609]
Mr. Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
As a matter of policy we do not disclose assessments of levels of terrorist activity and violent extremism in the UK by members of specific communities. The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) is responsible for assessing the terrorist threat to this country and UK interests overseas, and Ministers play no part in that decision-making process. The general UK threat level has been publicly available since August 2006 and currently stands at ‘Severe’.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE—“Tamil Tigers”) has for many years been the main terrorist organisation connected to Tamil affairs in Sri Lanka.
The LTTE remains a proscribed organisation in the UK, and membership, fundraising and various other activities in support of the organisation are criminal offences. The prosecution of terrorist offences committed in support of the LTTE is the responsibility of the police and Crown Prosecution Service.
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