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9 Nov 2009 : Column 8W—continued
Lighting: EU Law
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) of 26 January 2009, Official Report, columns 48-49W, on lighting, what the title is of the implementing measure agreed by EU member state experts in December 2008; if he will place in the Library a copy of the measure adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council; what steps have been taken to implement the measure in UK law; and if he will make a statement. [297689]
Dan Norris: EC Regulation 244/2009 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC with regard to ecodesign requirements for non-directional household lamps entered into force in April 2009. A copy will be placed in the Library.
As an EC regulation it required no transposition into UK law. Enforcement of this regulation lies within the responsibility of the Secretary of State in accordance with the Ecodesign for Energy-Using Products (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 2560).
Local Government Services
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on participating in the Total Place initiative with local councils. [298438]
Dan Norris:
Total Place is a joint initiative challenging central Government and local areas to work together to
find better ways to achieve outcomes. Members of DEFRA's management board are representing central Government in the pilot projects in Birmingham, central Bedfordshire and Luton, and Kent.
Origin Marking: Israel
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, columns 956-57W, on Israel: imports, (1) for what reason no reference was made to the planned public consultation on the labelling of produce from the occupied Palestinian territories in the letter dated 13 October 2009 to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, ref: MC126368/MA; [297001]
(2) when he expects the draft voluntary guidance on origin labelling of produce from the occupied Palestinian territories to be placed on his Department's website. [297002]
Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA still intends to hold a consultation about the terms of the voluntary guidance referred to by my hon. Friend. The Government are still carefully considering the arrangements for consultation, and what guidance might be placed on DEFRA's website.
Palm Oil
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions the Cabinet discussed palm oil since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [298523]
Dan Norris: The minutes of Cabinet meetings are confidential. Ministers and Departments are working together to advance the sustainable production and consumption of palm oil, including through engagement with businesses, NGOs, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and other governments.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether his Department was represented at the most recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting; and if he will make a statement; [298529]
(2) when he last discussed the use of sustainable palm oil with (a) Ministerial colleagues, (b) representatives of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, (c) representatives of the palm oil industry, (d) representatives of environmental non governmental organisations and (e) officials of other Government departments; and if he will make a statement; [298530]
(3) what steps his Department is taking to support the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; and if he will make a statement. [298533]
Dan Norris: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) annual meeting which took place from 2-4 November was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad.
In the last month, Ministers from DEFRA and the Department of Energy and Climate Change met with UK based businesses that are members of the RSPO, and with international NGOs on forestry and palm oil. Engagement with these groups in the UK and internationally, including with other Governments, will continue as the UK Government work to support sustainable production and consumption of palm oil. This includes funding a project to help the RSPO secretariat strengthen and expand its certification.
Renewable Energy: Fuel Oil
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of recovered fuel oil as a substitute for the use of fossil fuels. [298887]
Dan Norris: DEFRA's policies on waste oils and recovering energy from waste are set out in Waste Strategy for England 2007. This Department does not have a specific policy on the use of recovered fuel oil.
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of plants compliant with the Waste Incineration Directive can accept recycled fuel oil as a fuel. [298888]
Dan Norris: In England and Wales, six out of 126 plants regulated by the Environment Agency, or 5 per cent. of Waste Incineration Directive (WID) compliant Plants, are permitted to receive recovered fuel oil (RFO) for use as a fuel. The plants using RFO are: four sewage sludge incinerators, one clinical waste incinerator and one hazardous waste incinerator. RFO is used usually as a support fuel to maintain furnace temperatures if waste burning does not remain self-sufficient. It would be very unusual for any of these plants to continue to burn RFO for prolonged periods.
Water
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the improvements to (a) lakes, (b) estuaries and (c) coastal waters required by the draft Regional Management Plans; and if he will make a statement. [298153]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency submitted its proposed final River Basin Management Plans to DEFRA on 22 September and they are available on its website.
DEFRA is currently in the process of considering its proposals and the final plans are due to be published by 22 December 2009, as set out in the Water Framework Directive.
Scotland
Departmental Aviation
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the (a) origin, (b) destination and (c) cost was of each such flight. [298747]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record journey information and expenditure on first class flights. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class air travel. All air travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost-effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Postal Services
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with which providers his Department held contracts to provide postal services (a) in 2007, (b) in 2008, (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (d) after 1 July 2009. [298766]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has contracts in place with Royal Mail for a range of postal services. These arrangements have been in place since 2007. The services are subject to annual renewal.
Departmental Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department and its predecessor travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997. [298547]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office does not hold the information requested.
Prime Minister
Ministers: Taxation
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister whether a member of the Government is required to be a UK resident for tax purposes. [298156]
The Prime Minister: Ministers are required to handle their financial interests in accordance with the requirements of the "Ministerial Code".
Northern Ireland
Departmental Homeworking
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff of his Department have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months. [297737]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office enables staff to work from home when circumstances permit and with prior agreement from their local management. Details are not held centrally.
EU Grants and Loans
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many applications for EU funding submitted in respect of projects based in Northern Ireland there were in each year since 2005; and how much EU funding was allocated to such projects in each such year; [298623]
(2) how much additional funding the EU allocated in respect of Northern Ireland other than its planned allocation in each financial year since 2005. [298690]
Paul Goggins: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Administration.
Firearms: Licensing
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications there have been for (a) new and (b) renewal of firearms certificates in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005. [297581]
Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Offensive Weapons
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offences involving a knife in Northern Ireland resulted in convictions in each year since 2005. [298892]
Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to separately identify the number of convictions for certain offences, for example murder in which a knife was involved. It is only possible to provide conviction statistics for those offences which, in their definition, refer to an "offensive weapon" (of which knives will be one sub-category) or "article with blade or point".
armed with offensive weapon with intent to commit offence;
possessing offensive weapon in public place;
possessing article with blade or point in public place;
possessing article with blade or point on school premises;
possessing offensive weapon on school premises.
There were 209 such convictions in 2005 and 242 in 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available). Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
Police
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the content was of (a) correspondence sent by and (b) other communications made by him to the First and Deputy First Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive since 1 October 2009 on issues related to policing and justice in Northern Ireland; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such communication. [297605]
Mr. Woodward: The Secretary of State has continued to meet and engage regularly with the First and Deputy First Minister and other party leaders in Northern Ireland, on a range of financial and other matters relating to policing and justice. A copy of a letter sent by the Prime Minister on 21 October has been placed in the Library.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the planned number of police officers in Northern Ireland for 2010-11. [298180]
Paul Goggins: Decisions on force complement in the PSNI have been guided in recent years by Government policy (in line with the recommendation of the Patten report) that there should be an establishment of 7,500 regular officers. In coming years the Chief Constable will have greater flexibility around the number of officers in PSNI, and the establishment size will be an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member on this point, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [298181]
Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Police: Devolution
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costed proposals he has received from the Northern Ireland Executive on the devolution of powers for criminal justice and policing to the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1 September 2009; and if he will publish the proposals. [297189]
Mr. Woodward: The Government have not received any costed proposals from the Northern Ireland Executive since 1 September 2009.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has agreed with the First and Deputy First Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive a date for the proposed devolution of powers for criminal justice and policing matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly. [297606]
Paul Goggins: The Government believe that the time is right for the Northern Ireland Assembly to complete the process of devolution by requesting the transfer of policing and justice powers. However, the actual timing of devolution remains for the Assembly itself to decide upon, as set out in section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Progress continues to be made towards the completion of devolution and I believe that the financial package set out by the Prime Minister should enable the parties to move forward with the process.
Presbyterian Mutual Society
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Financial Services Authority on the conduct of the Presbyterian Mutual Society in undertaking regulated activities. [297171]
Mr. Woodward: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) indicated in a statement on 9 April 2009 that the Presbyterian Mutual Society
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