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19 Oct 2009 : Column 1212W—continued
Farmers: Nitrates
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the farming industry on the identification of areas where the requirements placed on farmers to comply with nitrates legislation exceed the minimum requirements of the Nitrates Directive. [292717]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA introduced the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 in accordance with the Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC following extensive consultation during 2007-08.
In addition to the formal consultation, DEFRA officials met representatives of the farming industry on numerous occasions to discuss the Action Programme measures. These represent what DEFRA considers to be the best way of fulfilling our obligations under the nitrates directive, while maintaining a sustainable agricultural industry. The measures were developed to reflect good agricultural practice and are based on best available science. My ministerial colleagues and I also frequently discuss the implementation of the nitrates directive when we meet farmers.
Holiday Accommodation: Taxation
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with HM Treasury Ministers on the effect of the abolition of furnished holiday lettings tax relief on the rural economy. [293430]
Dan Norris: Ministers and officials have discussions on a wide range of issues as part of the process of policy development.
Government will publish an impact assessment at pre-Budget report 2009 alongside draft legislation.
Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether there are plans to change the responsibilities of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding conservation issues in UK Overseas Territories; [293294]
(2) what progress has been made by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in developing a coherent strategy to manage biodiversity and promote conservation in the UK Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement; [293295]
(3) how much funding will be made available for the Overseas Territories Challenge Fund as part of the United Kingdom Government's Darwin Initiative in the next 12 months; [293456]
(4) how much funding the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean have received under the Darwin Initiative scheme in each year since 2005; [293457]
(5) how much funding the UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic have received under the Darwin Initiative scheme in each year since 2005; [293458]
(6) what recent measures have been taken to achieve a co-ordinated approach to environmental protection across Government departments in relation to the (a) UK Overseas Territories and (b) Crown Dependencies. [293469]
Huw Irranca-Davies: There are no plans to change the responsibilities regarding conservation issues in the UK's Overseas Territories.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) was commissioned by the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on biodiversity (IDMGb) to draft a Government Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories. This was done with the express intention of improving the effectiveness of co-ordination of the UK Government's support for biodiversity in the Overseas Territories. The strategy was announced at a reception on Collaboration on Environmental and Biodiversity Issues in the Overseas Territories, hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) at the end of June.
The strategy, which is shortly to be published, establishes, inter alia, a partnership of the three participating Government Departments, with JNCC providing the secretariat. The Strategy also establishes that my Department will co-ordinate the work of the partnership with the FCO and the Department for International Development (DFID).
In addition, an Interdepartmental Group on Biodiversity in the Overseas Territories has been established following agreement of the strategy. This group, comprising the same member Departments as the IDMGb, met for the first time on 29 September and established its key principles and terms of reference, one of which will be to co-ordinate to best effect UK Government support for biodiversity in the Overseas Territories.
Turning to the Darwin Initiative's new Overseas Territories Challenge Fund, I announced the establishment of this fund in June. It is intended to pay for up to 10 projects relating to biodiversity in the Overseas Territories, each costing up to £25,000. These will be comparable to existing Darwin scoping projects, aiming towards main-round projects, but for longer periods and involving some initial implementation work. The cost of Challenge Fund payments will come from a sum of up to £1.5 million, which I announced at the same event will be earmarked within the Darwin Initiative this year for Overseas Territories projects.
In terms of specific figures provided under the Darwin Initiative for projects in the Caribbean and South Atlantic Overseas Territories, these are as follows:
For the Caribbean Overseas Territories, since 2005, the figures are:
| £ | |
For the South Atlantic Overseas Territories, since 2005, the figures are:
| £ | |
Retail Trade: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of rural parishes without a general store in each year since 1997. [293201]
Dan Norris: The Secretary of State has made no estimate of the number of rural parishes without a general store.
Tim Farron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what
estimate he has made of the number of (a) newsagents, (b) fishmongers, (c) bakers and (d) butchers that have closed in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas in each year since 1997; [293227]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of food shops that have closed in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas in each year since 1997. [293228]
Dan Norris: DEFRA does not collect data on the numbers of different types of shops in urban and rural areas. However, the following table shows the number and rate of insolvencies in the retail industry nationally and in rural and urban areas between 2003 and 2009. 2003 is the earliest year for which DEFRA has data.
| Total number of retail insolvencies | Rate per 1,000 businesses | |||||
| Rural | Urban | England | Rural | Urban | England | |
| (1)2009 data are for Q1 and Q2 (January to June) only. Notes: 1. Figures refer to average annual rates of insolvencies per 1,000 businesses. 2. Rural-urban definition is applied to the postal address of where business is registered. Source: pH Group 2009. | ||||||
The rate of insolvencies in rural areas has been consistently lower than the national average since 2003.
Rights of Way
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many panel inquiries have been adjourned for consideration of evidence submitted outside the time limits set in the Rights of Way (Hearing and Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2007; and what the reasons for granting the adjournment were in each case. [294227]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested regarding public inquiries is unavailable as it is not recorded by the Planning Inspectorate or published in its year-end statistics.
Northern Ireland
Criminal Damages Compensation 1997
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for compensation under the Criminal Damages (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) 1977 Order have been made in each of the last five years; and how many such applications were certified by the Chief Constable. [292759]
Paul Goggins: The following table sets out the number of applications for Criminal Damage received and the number certified with a Chief Constable's Certificate within the last five years.
| Number of claims received | Number certified by chief constable | |
Libya
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures of cooperation and training with Libya involving (a) Police Service of Northern Ireland officers and staff and (b) any other departments or agencies for which he is responsible he has authorised in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [292159]
Paul Goggins:
All requests made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for international assistance must be approved by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, and then the Secretary of State, under section 8 of the Police (NI) Act 2000. I have provided one authorisation within my area of responsibility in the last 12 months involving co-operation and training to Libya. This related to an approval under Section 8 for a serving member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to provide training to the Libyan Police. This approval followed a request from the National Police Improvement Agency for the assistance of the PSNI, and in response to the Northern Ireland Policing Board who supported
this request. The assistance involved the delivery of three weeks tactical command training in January 2009 as part of a Foreign and Commonwealth Office sponsored programme of work designed to help Libya meet their human rights obligations by fostering policing techniques that meet international standards.
Northern Ireland Independent Monitoring Board
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a code of practice for the Independent Monitoring Board. [293652]
Paul Goggins: A code of conduct for the Independent Monitoring Board was agreed by the Council of Independent Monitoring Boards in Northern Ireland on 26 November 2008.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to assist self-employed people to participate fully in the operation of the Independent Monitoring Board. [293662]
Paul Goggins: Vacancies on Independent Monitoring Boards are publicly advertised to encourage anyone who is interested in serving as a member of the IMB on a voluntary basis, regardless of employment status, to consider applying where they can give the required time commitment.
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