Fisheries: North West
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review Bylaw 5 as it relates to the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. [87373]
Richard Benyon: The management of inshore fisheries, including cockling, has been devolved to the inshore fisheries and conservation authorities (IFCAs) through the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and they are responsible for completing a review of all byelaws by April 2015. I understand that the North Western IFCA is urgently reviewing Byelaw 5 and will be discussing possible revisions in due course.
Mr Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the North Western
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Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority on enforcement of approved licences. [87374]
Richard Benyon: The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) is responsible for the management of inshore fisheries in the north west, including the enforcement of licences. This is a matter for North Western IFCA, having been delegated these powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009).
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that those who hold licences issued by the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) are able to exercise their employment; and what assessment she has made of the loss of earnings of NWIFCA-licensed cockle fisherman. [87376]
Richard Benyon: The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) issues licences for various activities as part of their management of inshore fisheries on the north west coast of England. Should the need arise, the IFCA can close a fishery, as recently happened with the cockle beds on the Ribble Estuary and the Wirral. The closure of a fishery and any decision to re-open it is a matter for the IFCA. Consequently, no assessment has been made by DEFRA of the loss of earning to licensed cockle fishermen in the north west as a result of the recent fishery closures.
Fishing Catches
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total tonnage of fish discards in UK waters in each year of the Common Fisheries Policy's operation. [87831]
Richard Benyon: UK fisheries laboratories have been sending scientific observers to sea to record the quantity of fish discarded by the UK since 1975. The data collected on these trips is used to estimate the quantities offish discarded by UK vessels in European waters. Figures are estimates only, with the accuracy of the figures depending on the level of sampling coverage.
A breakdown of discards by fishery is available for 2008 to 2010 and summarised in the following table. Figures for 2011 have yet to be analysed.
While data have been collected by Government laboratories since 1975, estimates made prior to 2008 are not available in the same format. For this reason they are not included.
| Discard estimates (kilotonnes per year) | ||||
| English and Welsh (1 ) (demersal) | Scottish (cod, haddock, whiting, saithe only) | UK pelagic species | Total | |
| (1) Northern Irish estimates are unavailable across all years. (2) Sampling coverage has generally improved in some areas and fleets since 2009. Since 2009 English and Welsh estimates include discards of all species, not just quota species. Furthermore, the under 10m sector estimates have also been included. (3) Unavailable. | ||||
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The UK is running a number of initiatives to reduce discards. These include trials of catch quota management (a quota for what is caught at sea rather than landed at port) for North sea cod and area 7e sole. Results have been very positive. For example, the English catch quota scheme has reduced discards of species subject to catch quotas to 0.25%. Through trialling catch quota and other standalone projects, the UK continues to encourage fishermen to take up and develop more selective fishing gears to avoid unwanted catches in the first place.
DEFRA has also commissioned the Fishing for the Markets research to look at the market side of the problem. The research made recommendations on how to increase the consumption and use of under-utilised, sustainable species that are often discarded. The work is continuing in partnership with the Seafood Industry.
Flood Control: Finance
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in spending on flood defences on the budgets for clearing up after flooding of (a) her Department, (b) local authorities, (c) insurance companies and (d) local land owners; [81469]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effect of changes on spending on flood defences on the cost of clearing up after flooding in Sefton, West Lancashire and Ribble. [81470]
Richard Benyon: Central Government responsibility for recovery after a flood, including clearing-up, rests with the Department for Communities and Local Government. Therefore there has been no impact on budgets for clearing up after flooding as a result of changes in spending on flood defences.
Food: Exports
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote exports of British food to other EU member states. [87752]
Mr Paice: DEFRA has a key role to play in supporting the food and farming sector become more competitive and sustainable. Taking advantage of new opportunities in overseas markets is important to the UK’s long-term growth prospects for the sector, and DEFRA works closely with UK Trade and Investment to help realise opportunities in international markets.
We are progressing work on the DEFRA Business plan commitment to work with the food and drink industry, and other Government Departments, to take full advantage of the potential for growth through overseas trade (including by identifying global market opportunities and barriers to exports). As part of this, the Government announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, a commitment to publish a joint government/industry Agri-food and Drink Exports Action plan in January 2012, which will set a shared vision to drive export growth in the sector as well as setting out areas for immediate action.
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The Action plan will focus on opening international markets for the food and farming sector, ensuring the right information and support is available to help companies succeed overseas, simplifying the process for food specific export paperwork, and promoting the best of British food and drink overseas. To support this, last year I personally attended Anuga in Germany, one of the world’s largest food and drink tradeshows, to support UK companies working to access overseas markets both in the EU and beyond.
Food: Waste
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider reviewing the best before dates for low-risk food products for the purposes of reducing food waste. [88788]
Mr Paice: DEFRA issued guidance on the application of date marking to food businesses in September 2011 to help them improve the consistency of the use of the ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date marks to prevent food being needlessly thrown away.
The guidance will help businesses to decide whether to label their food products with either a ‘best before’ or a ‘use by’ date. Either one or the other of these dates is required by law but the choice is a technical decision by the food manufacturer. The guidance is principally a decision tree asking a series of important questions around the production of a food product from a microbiological perspective.
The guidance also includes a short guide especially prepared to assist small and medium-sized business. It will aid compliance with the law and assist food businesses which do not have in-house knowledge or expertise to decide which date marks should apply to which foods and if they need to seek further advice, e.g. from their local authority or a specialist food consultant.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce waste across the food supply chain. [88791]
Mr Paice: The Government's “Review of Waste Policy in England”, published in June 2011, sets out our aim to move towards a zero waste economy. It outlines our long-term vision for food waste, which includes substantially reducing the amount arising.
DEFRA is working with food retailers and manufacturers via the Courtauld Commitment, a responsibility deal aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery retail sector. We are also working with industry, the Devolved Administrations and the Waste and Resources Action programme to develop a new responsibility deal with the hospitality and food service sectors to reduce food and packaging waste and ensure that unavoidable waste is managed sustainably.
We will continue to work with businesses and consumers to ensure less food is wasted by sharing insight, evidence and best practice, improving product design and retail and supply chain practice, engaging consumers, and encouraging local partnership approaches.
We will also lead by example by tackling food waste across the public sector estate.
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Government Procurement Card
Chris Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by her Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07 to 2009-10; at what cost; and on which dates. [73724]
Richard Benyon: Information prior to 1 June 2009 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following table provides detail of cash withdrawals by officials working in support of Ministers in core DEFRA for the period 1 June 2009 to 31 March 2010. The cost of these withdrawals was £124.54.
Cash is withdrawn to cover the reasonable costs of providing modest refreshments for ministerial meetings, including with external stakeholders, and a full log of receipts is kept to account for this.
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Japan Tobacco
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010. [87612]
Richard Benyon: Information about hospitality received by Ministers and special advisers is published quarterly by Departments. Information for the period 13 May 2010 to 30 June 2011 can be accessed on DEFRA's website. Information for 1 July 2011 onwards will be published in due course.
DEFRA Ministers and special advisers have not received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010.
Livestock Industry
Glyn Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to oppose the European Commission's
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proposals to legislate against the prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock farming. [87807]
Mr Paice: The European Parliament's resolution of 27 October 2011 called for the phasing out of the prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock farming. The European Commission's communication on its “Action plan against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance”, published on 17 November 2011, did not specifically mention prophylaxis when referring to the veterinary use of antibiotics. The European Commission has not yet published any proposals to change EU legislation on the regulation of veterinary medicines.
Marine Conservation Zones
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sites have been assessed as having adequate supporting scientific evidence for designation as a marine conservation zone. [83080]
Richard Benyon: The independent Science Advisory Panel (SAP) recently carried out an initial assessment of the evidence base for the proposed marine conservation zone (MCZ) sites. This assessment was based on the information presented by the four regional MCZ projects. The SAP concluded that around 25% of the recommendations appeared to be well supported by the evidence presented and recommended an in-depth review of the evidence base for all proposed sites. The SAP's report can be found within the MCZ pages on the DEFRA website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/protect/mpa/mcz/sap/
In line with the SAP's recommendations, DEFRA is currently commissioning the in-depth review into site proposals.
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether funding for improving the scientific evidence base for marine conservation zones will be distributed across all such zones where further evidence is required. [83094]
Richard Benyon: The review of the evidence base underpinning the recommendations of the four regional projects is expected to consider all site recommendations.
Discussions are underway between DEFRA and its delivery partners on the best approach to commissioning additional sea bed and habitat monitoring in English waters. This is to ensure we make the best use of additional funding to support marine conservation zone designation.
National Parks: Public Consultation
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the review by National Park Authorities on arrangements for local governance to be completed. [84432]
Richard Benyon: I announced the Government's decisions on the review in a parliamentary written statement on 13 September 2011, Official Report, column 43WS.
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Rural Areas: Finance
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the £165 million funding for the rural economy that her Department announced on 29 November 2011 was additional to funding previously allocated to her Department by HM Treasury. [85895]
Richard Benyon:
No additional funding has been allocated to DEFRA to finance the package of measures announced on 29 November 2011 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, DEFRA is using its existing resources efficiently in order to deliver a valuable boost to the rural economy. This includes redirecting £20 million of DEFRA's planned contributions to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) to support Rural Growth Networks and the Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund; and the targeting of £100 million (previously unallocated) from the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 on supporting rural businesses. In addition, other Government Departments and public bodies, such as the Home Office (up to £2.3 million will support women-led businesses particularly in Rural Growth Networks) and Visit England (£12
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million, including an element of its recent RGF award, will be used to support rural tourism) are contributing resources to the package.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much direct funding her Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement. [74828]
Richard Benyon: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the site property valuations are of the regional veterinary laboratory centres in England and Wales. [87818]
Mr Paice: The existing use values as at 1 April 2010 of the regional veterinary laboratory centres in England and Wales are:
| Location | Existing use value (£) |
| Notes: 1. These figures are asset valuations prepared for resource accounting purposes. The majority of the properties are assessed on a depreciated replacement cost basis due to their specialist nature. 2. DEFRA does not currently hold open market valuations for these properties. 3. Where sites are shared, the value shown is for the entire site. 4, These figures exclude Sutton Bonington and Penrith which are both leasehold properties. The main central veterinary laboratory at Weybridge is also excluded as it is not classified as a regional laboratory. | |
Water Charges
Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to replace the use of rateable values in the calculation of bills for unmetered domestic water supply. [87871]
Richard Benyon: There are no plans to replace the use of rateable values in the calculation of bills for unmetered domestic water supply.
Culture, Media and Sport
Big Lottery Fund
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications for Big Lottery funding were made in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the north-east in each of the last five years; and how many were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful. [87721]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The figures requested are in the following tables:
| Jarrow constituency: Projects with a correspondence address within the constituency (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this constituency) | |||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (1) | |
| (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the two applications received in the year that are still in assessment. | |||||
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| South Tyneside: Projects with a correspondence address within the unitary authority (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this unitary authority) | |||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (1) | |
| (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the seven applications received in the year that are still in assessment. | |||||
| North-east region: Projects with a correspondence address within the unitary authority (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this region) | |||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (1) | |
| (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the 109 applications received in the year that are still in assessment. | |||||
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications for Big Lottery funding were made in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years; and how many were unsuccessful. [87722]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
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A copy of the data requested will be placed in the Library of the House.
Works of Art
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of unlisted and unprotected outdoor public works of art in England; and if he will make a statement; [88526]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that have undertaken an audit of the public art outdoors in their area; and if he will make a statement. [88527]
Mr Vaizey: The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, the lead body for our outdoor sculptural heritage, has received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other organisations for their National Recording Project, which aims to make a survey of public monuments and sculpture across Britain. The database already includes more than 9,300 entries.
Many local authorities own and maintain public art outdoor works and organise their own records. This Department does not hold an estimate of the number of local authorities which have undertaken an audit.