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29 Oct 2009 : Column 488W—continued
Fraud: Convictions
Bob Spink: To ask the Solicitor-General how many convictions for offences of fraud in relation to corporate tax there were in (a) the UK, (b) the East of England region, (c) Essex and (d) Castle Point constituency in each of the last 10 years. [296071]
The Solicitor-General: Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office was established in April 2005 as an independent prosecuting authority in England and Wales.
We are therefore unable to provide information prior to that date nor earlier than that indicated below. Nor can we provide statistics relating to the whole of the United Kingdom since we do not prosecute in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
In our reply we have defined fraud in relation to corporate tax as prosecutions for VAT and Direct Tax offences.
The following table indicates the number of convictions in England and Wales, the East of England region and Essex. We are unable to provide details relating specifically to Castle Point constituency.
| England and Wales | East of England( 1) | Essex | |
| (1) Prosecutions conducted in courts in the following counties: Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. (2) This information covers the 6 month period April to September 2009 only | |||
It should be noted that simply because a conviction is recorded in the East of England or Essex, it does not follow that either the crime or the defendants are linked with that area. For example, a case could have been moved there by HM Court Service for logistical reasons.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biodiversity Targets
15. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made towards meeting its 2010 biodiversity targets; and if he will make a statement. [296315]
Huw Irranca-Davies: We have made good progress on all of our biodiversity priorities. In particular, 89 per cent. of Sites of Special Scientific Interest are now in favourable or recovering condition; agri-environment schemes are leading to significant improvements; we have made great strides on the Marine and Coastal Access Bill; and internationally we continue to support a wide range of conservation projects through our Darwin Initiative.
Household Waste
16. Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking together with local authorities to ensure household waste is dealt with effectively. [296317]
Dan Norris: We have worked with local authorities to make great improvements in effectively managing household waste over the last 10 years: recycling rates have more than quadrupled.
We recognise there is still much more to do and the Government will continue to work with local authorities, and others, to move towards a zero waste nation.
Grain Farmers: Income
17. Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average income of grain farmers in each of the last three years. [296319]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The average farm business income for cereal farmers in England was £73,400 in 2007-08, up from £45,900 the year before.
Figures for 2008-09 are published today.
Bovine Tuberculosis
18. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis were slaughtered in the most recent month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [296320]
19. Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered following a diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in the most recent month for which figures are available. [296321]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In July 2009 2,350 cattle in GB were slaughtered as TB reactors or inconclusive reactors. A further 45 were slaughtered as direct contacts.
It should be remembered that TB is a chronic disease, and as such, the long-term trend is more significant than looking at any short-term trends.
European Habitats Directive
20. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibility he has for enforcement of the provisions of the European Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement. [296322]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Secretary of State's powers to enforce the implementation of the European Habitats Directive are set out in the 1994 Habitats Regulations. These include powers under regulations 22 and 23 to make Special Nature Conservation Orders specifying operations likely to destroy or damage sites protected under the directive, and to serve a notice on any person carrying out or proposing to carry out such an operation which has the effect of prohibiting such an operation.
Bluefin Tuna
21. Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on preservation of bluefin tuna. [296324]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Bluefin tuna was the subject of a Commission presentation and statements by member states at the October Council of Fisheries Ministers in preparation for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. I have stated previously that UK supports CITES listing for this species. However, in line with the common EU position, I look forward to ICCAT coming forward with appropriate management measures to reflect the latest stock position. I have made clear to EU colleagues that this is a critical issue and a test of ICCAT's credibility.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1595W, how much subsidy his Department received in respect of externally contracted catering services for staff in each of the last five years. [289071]
Dan Norris: From information held centrally, the subsidy paid in respect of externally contracted catering services for staff in the core-Department in each of the last five years is as follows:
| April to March each year | £ |
The year on year figures are not a comparable series because over the periods identified there have been changes to the number of sites offering catering services to staff, changes to catering facilities to accommodate increased throughput and rationalisation of suppliers down to one for all current core-DEFRA sites.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
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 Navigator waste infrastructure study results. [294563]
Dan Norris: A copy of the Navigator waste infrastructure study results will be made available in the House Library.
Food: Packaging
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of categories of products which are presented for sale in unnecessary packaging; and if he will make a statement. [295593]
Dan Norris: There is no fixed definition of what constitutes 'unnecessary packaging'; decisions have to be made on a case by case basis and as such these decisions will only be relevant to that particular product.
However, one way of identifying opportunities for packaging reductions is to use benchmarking tools such as the Waste and Resources Action Programme's "Best in Class" database. This database compares a range of
packaging solutions used for the same product and ranks them from the lightest to the heaviest. We encourage all users of packaging to make use of this data when specifying packaging. Action on the basis of this information is often taken at the sector level through voluntary agreements e.g. the Courtauld Commitment, or can be taken by individual packaging producers.
Greyhounds
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for a central database to trace the lifespan of each greyhound bred for racing. [296281]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 28 October 2009]: We have no plans to bring forward such proposals. However, we will be introducing a requirement that all racing greyhounds must be micro-chipped, with the details of the owner placed on one of the existing microchip databases.
Ragwort
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to remove ragwort (a) in Eddisbury constituency and (b) nationally in 2009; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of ragwort which has been removed. [295608]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England investigates complaints about injurious weeds on behalf of DEFRA. During 2009, Natural England has issued 189 enforcement notices under the Weeds Act 1959 requiring occupiers to take action to prevent injurious weeds spreading to neighbouring land. Of these 189 enforcement notices, 15 were issued by the Natural England office in Worcester which covers the Eddisbury constituency area. It is not possible to be specific about the number issued for the Eddisbury constituency, nor is it possible to provide an estimate of what proportion of ragwort has been removed because this information is not held centrally.
Recycling: Greater London
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of its targets for recycling waste each London borough achieved in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. [296129]
Dan Norris: For the period in question, local authorities had one statutory recycling target consisting of two parts: Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) 82a (household dry recycling rate) and 82b (household composting rate). Statutory recycling targets were set for 2005-06 and 2007-08, but not for 2006-07.
The tables show the recycling and composting rate; the target for these combined rates; and whether it met the target or not and by how much for each of the 33 local authorities in London, for 2005-06 and 2007-08.
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