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13 July 2009 : Column 11W—continued
Fairtrade Initiative
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the food retail sector on support for ethical procurement initiatives. [285569]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In developing our future strategy for a sustainable food system, our officials have held ongoing discussions with stakeholders, including food retailers, on the issue of consumer demand for food produced to a range of ethical and environmental standards.
Food: Transport
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government have taken to provide incentives to reduce food miles travelled in England. [284752]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Distance food has travelled, on its own, is not a good measure of sustainability (AEA Technology (2005) The Validity of Food Miles as an Indicator for Sustainable Development), but Government do want to address the environmental costs associated with the transport (as well as the production and consumption) of food-such as carbon emissions and congestion. Government have been working with the food industry to identify ways of reducing the sector's environmental impacts overall, and in doing so, improving efficiency across the supply chain. In response to recommendations made in the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (DEFRA, May 2006), the British Retail Consortium developed a set of commitments to reduce their members' environmental impacts and the Food and Drink Federation developed their Five-Fold Ambition. Both these initiatives set targets to reduce the environmental impacts of food transport in the UK. The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) is also spearheading a voluntary initiative on 'sustainable distribution' for the food and grocery industry.
Food: Waste
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an estimate of the volume and proportion of food from (a) supermarkets, (b) households, (c) restaurants and other eating establishments and (d) other sources which became food waste in the last year for which figures are available. [286435]
Dan Norris: The DEFRA-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) undertook research in 2007 to quantify the amounts and types of household food waste produced in the UK. According to its report "The Food We Waste", UK households waste 6.7 million tonnes of food every year: around one third of what is bought.
WRAP is currently undertaking research on the amounts of food waste produced by the retail sector and its supply chain and by the hospitality industry. This research will be published later in 2009.
Based on a range of data sources, WRAP has estimated that, in total, the UK produces between 18 and 20 million tonnes of food waste per year from all sources.
Greyhounds: Animal Welfare
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from (a) animal welfare groups and (b) the general public on his proposed regulations on the welfare of racing greyhounds. [284851]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA is currently consulting on proposals for new regulations for the welfare of racing greyhounds. The consultation closes on 22 July 2009 and a full summary of the responses to the consultation will be published shortly thereafter. Prior to the public consultation, DEFRA set up a number of working groups to provide input into the proposals. The working groups contained representatives of the industry, the veterinary profession, local authorities, the devolved administrations and animal welfare groups.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter dated 8 June 2009 from the hon. Member for Chichester on Dairy Farmers of Britain. [285998]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I wrote to the hon. Member for Chichester on 9 July 2009 and apologise for the delay in responding.
Ozone
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to reduce levels of ozone in urban areas to within the limits prescribed by EU legislation by 2010. [286030]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Council Directive (2002/3/EC) sets target values for ozone for the protection of human health and ecosystems, to be attained by 2010. Ground level ozone is formed when sunlight acts on nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other atmospheric substances close to the ground. The pollutants that cause ground level ozone come from a range of sources including industry and combustion sources such as road transport and power generation. Ozone formation can take place over several hours or days and may arise from emissions thousands of kilometres away.
Emissions of ozone precursors across the EU are controlled by the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC) which sets limits on the amounts of NOx and VOCs that each member state can emit annually, with ceilings to be met by 2010. The 1999 Gothenburg Protocol does the same for a larger group of countries under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe. The UK is currently below its 2010 VOC ceiling and is committed to meeting its NOx ceiling as soon as possible.
Recycling
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking together with local authorities to (a) promote and (b) facilitate commercial waste recycling. [284742]
Dan Norris: DEFRA funds the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) centre for local authorities which has a network of over 800 local authority officers involved with business resource efficiency activities. It has funded over 60 local authority projects that provide resource efficiency services or support to their local business communities. The centre disseminates examples of successful recycling schemes to other councils to encourage them to consider whether they may be able to offer recycling services and support on resource efficiency and waste reduction.
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for future levels of compulsory recycling for households; and what guidance (a) his Department, (b) the Waste
and Resources Action Programme and (c) the Waste Improvement Network has issued to local authorities on the matter. [285420]
Dan Norris: Decisions on local waste collection services, including recycling are taken by local authorities in line with local circumstances and priorities.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has issued no guidance to local authorities on the subject of compulsory recycling for households.
The Waste Improvement Network (WIN) has not issued advice or guidance on compulsory recycling. WIN exists to share information between councils, and publish guidance from all available sources in one place on waste management issues, and so does not issue advice. It has, however, published some documents on the subject of existing compulsory recycling schemes in councils in England. These documents are usually written either by or for local authorities.
Recycling: Conferences
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each (a) speech and (b) presentation made by the representatives of the Waste and Resources Action Programme at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee's conference held in November 2008. [285251]
Dan Norris: A copy of the presentations requested made at the 2008 Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee conference on food waste has been placed in the Library of the House.
Recycling: Public Consultation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many consultation responses his Department received on (a) application and designation guidance, (b) technical issues guidance, (c) finance guidance, (d) coverage and disadvantaged groups guidance and (e) unauthorised deposit or disposal guidance in its June 2008 consultation on incentives for recycling by households. [285348]
Dan Norris: The Department received 29 responses in total to its informal June 2008 consultation on incentives for recycling by households, which also included the recycling service guidance. The number of respondents who commented specifically on each piece of guidance are listed as follows:
| Number of respondents who commented specifically on each piece of guidance | |
11 responses were also received which commented on all five of the documents. Three responses made general comments. Nine responses were received on the recycling service guidance.
Recycling: South East
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities in (a) the South East and (b) London provide a commercial waste recycling service. [284743]
Dan Norris: As at February 2009, 17 (out of 75) local authorities in the South East and 23 (out of 37) in London were providing trade waste recycling services.
Source:
Local Authority Trade Waste Recycling Survey, BREW Centre
Waste and Resources Action Programme
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure the Waste and Resources Action Programme has incurred on overseas travel in the last 24 months. [284929]
Dan Norris: The total expenditure incurred by the Waste and Resources Action Programme on overseas travel amounted to £15,728 over the two years 2007-08 and 2008-09 (i.e. between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2009).
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 401W, on the Waste and Resources Action Programme, whether the liaison activity funded by the Waste and Resources Action Programme included liaison with (a) official representatives of (b) hon. Members from and (c) noble Lords from (i) the Conservative Party, (ii) the Labour Party and (iii) the Liberal Democrats. [285453]
Dan Norris: Yes. Meetings were scheduled with interested representatives from all three main parties, including both hon. Members and noble Lords.
Waste and Resources Action Programme: Manpower
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's staff work on matters relating to alternate weekly collections. [285346]
Dan Norris: WRAP has a team of 14 advisers who are available to support and advise local authorities on their waste and recycling services. Advice covers improvements to existing services and the introduction of new services-which can include the introduction of alternate weekly collection of household waste. All support provided by WRAP is at the request of individual local authorities.
Waste Disposal: Eco-Towns
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance (a) his Department, (b) the Environment Agency and
(c) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has provided to potential eco-town developers on policies on household waste for adoption in eco-towns. [285250]
Dan Norris: The Environment Agency has had discussions on the practical application of the waste worksheet with a number of potential eco-town developers.
DEFRA and the Environment Agency have also worked closely with the Town and Country Planning Association on a series of worksheets, including one on waste management, which set out principles, information and flexible models for best practice on a range of themes relevant to eco-towns. These worksheets are being made available as a resource for planning and designing eco-towns.
Neither DEFRA nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme have provided any separate or additional guidance to potential eco-town developers on household waste management policies.
The environmental standards that eco-towns will be expected to meet, including on waste management, will be set out in the Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement.
Waste Management
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's Waste Prevention Toolkit. [285252]
Dan Norris: WRAP's waste prevention toolkit is an online tool, rather than a document. It is not therefore possible to deposit a copy in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis undertaken by the Waste and Resources Action Programme into the efficiency and effectiveness of waste management models used by local authorities. [285253]
Dan Norris: WRAP published a study entitled "Kerbside recycling: indicative costs and performance" in 2008. A copy of this study has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 May 2009, Official Report, column 904W, on waste management, and with reference to the minutes of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group meeting of 30 November 2007, whether his Department has a communications strategy on residual waste. [285254]
Dan Norris: DEFRA is currently reviewing its communications strategy on waste, including on residual waste, and will be updating the waste stakeholder group on progress in the autumn.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on waste prevention, reference: WSG05NOV07, circulated at the meeting of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group of 30 November 2007; [285255]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper on medium term risks to the waste strategy, reference: WSG04FEB00, circulated at the meeting of his Department's Waste Stakeholders Group on 25 February 2008; [285256]
(3) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 May 2009, Official Report, column 904W, on waste management, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the papers circulated in respect of each of the meetings of the Waste Stakeholder Group. [285457]
Dan Norris: I am arranging for copies of the documents requested to be placed in the Library of the House.
Defence
Armoured Personnel Carriers: Iraq
13. Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of safety measures on armoured personnel carriers deployed in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [285633]
Bill Rammell: We continue to keep under review the measures in place to ensure the protection of the remaining British forces in Iraq. A small number of protected personnel carriers currently remain in the country, giving commanders the ability to choose the most appropriate vehicle for the limited missions and tasks which remain.
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