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25 Mar 2010 : Column 430W—continued
Marine Conservation Zones
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the minimum conservation objective for marine conservation zones will be; [323887]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effectiveness of the establishment of marine conservation zones in protecting the full range of biodiversity in UK waters. [323888]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK has and is making progress in reducing its environmental footprint in the marine area.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an integral part of our comprehensive marine policy. We are committed to designating enough MPAs by end 2012 to ensure we have contributed to a UK ecologically coherent network of sites.
We consider that the concept of Good Environmental Status should guide the minimum level acceptable for Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) objectives, as far as that is an appropriate measure for a site-based conservation tool. This will be defined through implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Minister with responsibility for farming and the environment will reply to the hon. Member for Billericay's letters of 12 January and 15 February 2010 on his constituent Ms F Smith. [324129]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I replied to both of the hon. Member's letters on 23 March and I apologise for the intervening delay.
Recycling
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he or his officials last met representatives of the recycling industry to discuss local authorities' performance against recycling targets. [323702]
Dan Norris: DEFRA Ministers and officials meet representatives of the recycling industries on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of waste issues.
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the West Midlands in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323877]
(2) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the East of England in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323878]
(3) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in Greater London in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323879]
(4) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the South East in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323880]
(5) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the South West in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323881]
(6) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the East Midlands in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323882]
(7) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in Yorkshire and the Humber in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323883]
(8) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the North West in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323884]
(9) how much waste was recycled in each (a) district council, (b) borough council, (c) unitary authority and (d) other local authority area in the North East in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [323885]
Dan Norris:
A table showing tonnages of waste sent for recycling, composting or reuse for all local authorities in England in the first quarter of financial year 2009-10 has been placed in the Library. The most recent full financial year data, which would take account of any
seasonal changes, are available in Table 1 of the 2008-09 results for all authorities published on the DEFRA website:
River Thames: Angling
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what evidence the decision was taken to restrict the eel-fishing season in the Thames; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that evidence. [324109]
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ensure compliance with the European Eel Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007, the Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 (No. 3344) establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel came into force on the 15 January 2010.
As part of the Eels Regulations, close seasons have been introduced to curtail fishing effort at times of particular pressure on the stock: 26 May 2010 to 14 February 2011 for eels 12 centimetres or less, and 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011 for all other eels.
The 2010 close seasons were set nationally and coincide with peak runs for elvers and with the main silver eel net fishing season. The close seasons will be in force for one year to provide time to assess stocks in each river basin.
In 2011, both adult eel and elver close seasons will be set through Environment Agency (EA) byelaws and will be specific to individual river basins to match local circumstances. The EA met with representatives of Thames eel fishermen in January this year to discuss the revision of byelaws.
A copy of the Statutory Instrument together with the Explanatory Memorandum, which provides information to support the measures introduced through the Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009, has been placed in the Library.
Waste and Resources Action Programme
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each tender invitation issued by the Waste and Resources Action Programme in the last three years. [323523]
Dan Norris: I have arranged for copies of all the tender invitation documents that were published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) over the last three years to be placed in the Library of the House. Copies of all other tender invitation documents produced by WRAP over this period, including those with a value below the threshold for publication in the OJEU, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Water
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the role of water efficiency in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. [324126]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA recognises the role water efficiency can play in reducing energy use, especially through reduced hot water consumption. Last September the Department launched a water efficiency campaign under the Act on CO2 banner which highlighted the energy and carbon implications of water use. DEFRA officials are in ongoing discussions with Department of Energy and Climate Change counterparts to coordinate the delivery of programmes to improve energy and water efficiency.
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on incentives for water efficiency to achieve his Department's water consumption targets; and if he will make a statement. [324127]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Each water company in England and Wales has had a duty to promote the efficient use of water by its customers. Ofwat is responsible for enforcing this duty and reports on progress in its annual Service and Delivery reports, available from its website. Following discussions within the Government-led Water Saving Group, Ofwat has introduced water efficiency targets for water companies from 2010-11 to 2014-15.
Energy and Climate Change
Boilers: Government Assistance
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households had used the boiler scrappage scheme to replace their boiler on the latest date for which figures are available. [322922]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 18 March 2010]: At the last set of published figures as at 16 March 2010, 118,785 vouchers had been allocated. 35,390 boilers or renewable heating systems had been installed, based on the number of claims to date from householders.
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many items of domestic heating equipment are receiving funding for the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme; what estimate has been made of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from this funding; and if he will make a statement. [323430]
Joan Ruddock: Domestic heating products make up 6 per cent. of savings to date towards the 185 million tonne lifetime carbon dioxide savings target (April 2008-March 2011 time frame). This compares to some 62 per cent. of savings to date achieved through insulation products. There are seven heating product types eligible under CERT, but suppliers are not required to report the number of each installed until the end of the scheme. However, suppliers do report on a quarterly basis to Ofgem the number of microgeneration units installed (approximately 1,000 to December 2009) and the number of properties switched from coal or oil to gas central heating (approximately 100,000).
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that energy efficiency services provided by energy suppliers under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme are monitored to ensure maximum (a) cost effectiveness and (b) energy efficiency. [324254]
Joan Ruddock: An independent assessment is commissioned at the end of each three year phase of the Supplier Obligation (now termed the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target), building on the cost-benefit assessment undertaken and published at the launch of each scheme. Independent analysis of the three year supplier obligation scheme ending March 2008 showed it to have been extremely cost effective in delivery-that for every £1 added on to GB household bills to pay for the obligation, benefits equate to an average saving of £9 per household bill over the lifetime of the measures. Equally, the present supplier obligation, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target which ends in March 2011, is also believed to be highly cost-effective. Annual benefits (net of costs) are expected to be around £649 million for the lifetime of the measures, with around £228 benefits per tonne of carbon dioxide saved in the traded sector and £153 benefits per tonne of CO2 saved in the non-traded sector. Insulation measures make up over 60 per cent. of savings to target-equivalent to some 4 million households receiving insulation measures.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from which companies his Department sourced temporary staff in each of the last three years; how many temporary staff his Department employed in each year; and what the monetary value of the contracts with each such company was in each such year. [320010]
Joan Ruddock: Since its inception on 3 October 2008 my Department spent a total of £374,939 on temporary staff in the financial year 2008-09. The latest available figures for financial year 2009-10 show an expenditure of £1,603,259 on temporary staff.
The information on the numbers of temporary staff and companies from which the staff was sourced can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Theft
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to deter theft from within the Department. [322646]
Joan Ruddock: The Department has building access monitoring and control measures in place in accordance with Cabinet Office policy; requires all staff to wear passes while in the office; issues staff awareness guidance on its intranet; has a clear desk policy in place and provides secure storage for its staff.
Ongoing security awareness activities are undertaken to ensure that DECC assets and information are handled appropriately and securely.
Electronic Warfare
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on the critical infrastructure of his Department of an electromagnetic pulse strike caused (a) deliberately and (b) through solar activity. [321757]
Joan Ruddock: The Government's Cyber Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, published alongside and reflected in the National Security Strategy update of June 2009, considers a number of methods of cyber attack, including those that generate high levels of power that can damage or disrupt unprotected electronics. It also outlines the new governance structures and workstreams which are now building on existing work to take forward the Government's plan for reducing the impact on and vulnerability of the UK's interests from cyber attacks.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on electronic or cyber protective security measures to the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK's critical national infrastructure, including public utilities, companies and banks. CPNI also runs a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) service which responds to reported attacks on private sector networks. In addition, CESG provides Government Departments with advice and guidance on how to protect against, detect and mitigate various types of cyber attack.
It would not be in the interests of national security to provide information about specific vulnerabilities, assessments or protective measures relating to electromagnetic pulse attack.
Energy: Housing
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 3 March 2010, Official Report, column 1205W, on energy: housing, what the cost to the public purse of the Energy Saving Trust's Penistone area project has been to date. [324849]
Joan Ruddock: The total cost of the Penistone Area Based Initiative campaign was £8,783.96.
Energy: Prices
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the EU Directive on (a) an internal market in electricity and (b) Common Rules for an Internal Market in Natural Gas was not implemented until September 2009; and what assessment he has made of the effects on energy prices of the timing of the implementation of each directive. [323843]
Mr. Kidney: The Government believe they have done all that is required to implement the Internal Market in Electricity and Gas directives. The Commission was notified of the implementation of the directive (except for provisions relating to the requirement for electricity companies to disclose their fuel mix to final customers and the requirement for Ofgem to act as dispute settlement authority between energy undertakings) in October 2004. No assessment has been made of the effects on energy prices of the timing of the implementation of each directive.
Information Commissioner
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what data loss incidents his Department has reported to the Information Commissioner since its creation. [321272]
Joan Ruddock: No data loss incidents have been reported to the Information Commissioner by DECC since its inception.
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