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6 July 2009 : Column 531W—continued
Pets: EU Law
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to request an extension of the UK derogation from EU legislation for pet travel. [283640]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The European Commission recently announced a proposal to extend the UK derogation on pet travel rules until 31 December 2011. This means that, subject to the agreement of the Council and European Parliament, the UK’s current pet travel rules will remain in place until then.
In the meantime, DEFRA will continue to have discussions with the Commission and others on the movement of pets into the UK and around the wider European Community to ensure that we have the right long-term disease controls.
Recycling: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of waste has been recycled by each local authority area in the Ceremonial County of Hampshire in each of the last five years. [283297]
Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 943W.
Sheep: Tagging
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take at EU level following the rejection of the Government’s proposed amendment to Regulation 21/2004 on electronic identification of sheep at the EU Agriculture Council meeting of 22 June 2009; and if he will make a statement. [283149]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We are continuing to work closely with the Commission and have received positive feedback from them on a further proposal to reduce the EID implementation burden on industry, which would provide for individual recording to be carried out at critical control points i.e. markets and abattoirs on behalf of the keeper. If secured, this could reduce industry implementation costs by a further 35 to 40 per cent.
Water Supply
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume of water lost through leaks from water pipes managed by (a) Severn Trent Water and (b) South Staffordshire Water in each of the last five years; what steps he is taking to reduce the volume of water lost through leaks from water pipes; and if he will make a statement. [283944]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Water companies report annual leakage figures to Ofwat as part of their annual regulatory returns. Ofwat publishes leakage performance annually in its Service and Delivery report. Ofwat sets the water companies targets to reduce their leakage to the economic level, the level of leakage at which it would cost more to make further reductions than to produce water from another source. Since 1997, total leakage has been reduced by 27 per cent. in England and Wales. All water companies met their leakage targets during 2007-08.
Leakage performance for Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08 was as follows:
| Performance (Megalitres/day) | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Water: Meters
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water meters were installed by water supply companies in homes in West Bromwich East constituency in each of the last three years. [283946]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry, does not hold data on how many meters are installed in individual constituencies.
The following table are the figures for how many water meters Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water installed, in each of the last three years. Severn Trent and South Staffordshire Water supply the West Bromwich East constituency.
| Number of meters installed— households | |||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
Transport
A1: A421
Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the improvements to the Black Cat roundabout at the A1/A421 junction at Eaton Socon cost; and for how long the improvement works affected traffic on the A1. [284220]
Chris Mole: Improvements to the Black Cat Roundabout at the A1/A421 Junction at Eaton Socon were carried out as part of the A421 Great Barford Bypass project and as such were not costed separately.
Traffic management and speed restrictions were instigated at the Black Cat Roundabout in June 2005 while work took place to enlarge the roundabout. The work took approximately 14 months to complete.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the costs arising from delays to traffic on the northbound carriageway of the A1 south of the Black Cat roundabout in each month in the five years before the roundabout was enlarged; and what estimate he has made of such costs in each month since completion of the improvements. [284221]
Chris Mole: Improvements to the Blackcat Roundabout were made as part of the A421 Great Barford Bypass scheme. The work to enlarge the roundabout started in June 2005 and lasted approximately 14 months.
The traffic information requested is not available for the full five years prior to June 2005. However, information is available from September 2002 onwards. The following table provides the information from that date to the present:
| Black Cat northbound approach vehicle hours delay (VHD) | |||
| Road Link = A1 between A603 and A421 | |||
| Month | Total vehicle hour delay (VHD) | Cost (£) | |
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