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Litter
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many times the litter advisory group has met since January 2000; and what advice it has offered during this period.[HL320]
Lord Whitty: The litter advisory group is yet to be formed. The group will comprise representatives from organisations that have responsibilities with respect to litter. The group will be chaired by DEFRA and its remit will be to review the existing litter legislation and make recommendations about the changes and additions that are required.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that prevention or deterrence of the dropping of litter within the property or in close proximity of a school is the responsibility of the school itself or the relevant local education authority.[HL321]
Lord Whitty: Schools are classified as duty bodies and therefore have a responsibility to deter, prevent and clean up the dropping of litter on their property. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, litter laying on the surrounding public land is the responsibility of the local authority and litter laying on the surrounding private land is the responsibility of the property owner. However, if the school is the source of the litter, the Government would expect the duty body to extend its responsibility to the surrounding land.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many litter control areas have been designated in each local authority since the Litter Control Areas Order 1991 was introduced. [HL323]
Lord Whitty: Information on the number of litter control areas designated in each local authority area since the Litter Control Areas Order 1991 was introduced is not held centrally. Areas designated, as litter control areas are entered on a public register maintained by each principal litter authority.
Foot and Mouth Disease: On-farm Burial
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, given their stated ranking of preferred options for disposal of carcasses during an outbreak of foot and mouth, at what date was the on-farm burial of animals identified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as the preferred means of disposal.[HL332]
Lord Whitty: Rendering has always been the preferred method of disposal during the current foot and mouth outbreak. However, because rendering capacity is limited, other means of disposal, including on-farm burial, have also had to be used.
Rights of Way Map
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether tenders have been invited by the Countryside Agency for work connected with establishing the definitive map of rights of way under Part II of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; if so, when they were invited; what was the work for which tenders were sought; when they were due to be returned; and what decisions have been made; and[HL383]
What progress has been made on starting the process and procedures for establishing the definitive map of rights of way under Part II of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.[HL384]
Lord Whitty: Definitive maps were first required to be produced under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. They are the responsibility of the local highway authority, which (under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) has a duty to keep the definitive map and statement under continuous review and to make such modifications as it deems necessary.
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 provides for a cut-off date in 25 years' time for recording of certain rights of way on definitive maps and the extinguishment of those not so recorded by that date. In order to ensure that the definitive maps are as complete as possible by this date, the Government have asked the Countryside Agency to consider ways of co-ordinating the efforts of user groups in researching any as yet undiscovered rights of way.
The Countryside Agency invited tenders for work associated with completing these local highway authority definitive maps, following OJEC contractual procedures, in February 2001. Interviews were held at the end of March. The agency invited consultants to advise on the most effective way of involving voluntary groups in research on unrecorded rights of way. They were specifically asked to: estimate the extent of unrecorded rights of way; report on the issues affecting the ability of highway authorities to complete their definitive map; recommend ways of improving the quantity and quality of research on unrecorded rights of way--this might include provision of information and training; prepare research standards to encourage high quality applications to modify each definitive map; recommend other ways to improve the process of recording historic rights on definitive maps--this might, for example, include ways on making archive material more easily available to researchers; consult with and ensure that any proposals are likely to be acceptable to the bodies involved in the programme of
historical research, such as local highway authorities, voluntary groups; landowning groups, the planning inspectorate and archive offices.The contract was offered on 12 July and, if accepted, we expect work to begin in August with a view to having a scheme to support voluntary work in place by spring 2002.
Common Land: Possible Improvements to Legislation
Lord Williams of Elvel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they propose to publish the White Paper on common land.[HL412]
Lord Whitty: The Government have been considering possible improvements to the legislation on common land and town and village greens, as set out last year in the consultation paper Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land in England and Wales. We intend to publish a report on the responses and to announce the way forward later this year. Progress has been delayed by the diversion of staff to deal with the consequences of foot and mouth disease.
Inputs Task Force Report
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will respond to the report from the Inputs Task Force.[HL476]
Lord Whitty: A response is being prepared and will be published as soon as possible given other priorities in the department.
Peers' Expenses
Lord Marlesford asked the Chairman of Committees:
- How many Peers, of those who claimed expenses in the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 respectively, claimed total expenses of under £1,000, £1,001-£5,000, £5,001-£10,000, £10,001-£15,000,
- £15,001-£20,000, £20,001-£25,000, £25,001-£30,000 and over £30,000 respectively.[HL541]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Tordoff): In financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 Peers claimed total expenses as follows:
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | |
| Under £1,000 | 109 | 43 |
| £1,001-£5,000 | 196 | 96 |
| £5,001-£10,000 | 168 | 97 |
| £10,001-£15,000 | 117 | 100 |
| £15,001-£20,000 | 100 | 63 |
| £20,001-£25,000 | 78 | 68 |
| £25,001-£30,000 | 55 | 71 |
| Over £30,000 | 22 | 33 |
Lord Marlesford asked the Chairman of Committees:
- Whether he will breakdown the total expenditure on expenses of Peers, as shown in the Annual Report and Accounts of the House of Lords for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 between (a) travelling expenses; (b) night subsistence; (c) day subsistence and incidental travel; and (d) secretarial costs, postage and certain additional expenses. [HL542]
The Chairman of Committees: The total expenditure of £9,389,611 in financial year 1999-2000 and £8,411,551 in financial year 2000-01 on Peers' expenses was made up as follows:
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | |
| (a) Travelling expenses | £1,942,394 | £1,643,744 |
| (b) Night subsistence | £2,885,084 | £2,540,450 |
| (c) Day subsistence and incidental travel | £2,053,041 | £,1,821,182 |
| (d) Secretarial costs, postage and certain additional expenses | £2,067,774 | £1,910,335 |
In addition, a total of £441,318 in 1999-2000 and £495,840 in 2000-01 was expended as follows:
1999-2000 2000-01
Allowances for Lords' Ministers and Office Holders £170,146 £165,936
Personal accident and travel insurance £22,384 £17,390
Financial assistance to Opposition parties in the House of Lords £248,788 £312,514
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