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Swill Feeding

The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to ban the practice of feeding swill (otherwise known as catering waste) to pigs and other agricultural animals; and, if so, when.[HL1545]

Lord Whitty: A ban on the swill feeding of catering waste which contains or has come into contact with meat came into force on 24 May this year.

Rural White Paper

Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made in implementing the Rural White Paper.[HL1642]

Lord Whitty: Since publishing the Rural White Paper on 28 November 2000, we have taken decisive steps in delivering the plans we set out to develop and maintain a living, working, protected and vibrant countryside. We have provided substantial extra funding to boost basic local services such as rural schools, policing, local post offices, childcare and rural transport. To help local services we have extended mandatory 50 per cent rate relief to include sole village public houses, petrol stations and village food shops. We are helping to rejuvenate over 100 market towns by funding projects to stimulate thriving rural economies.

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Earlier this month we published plans to improve the quality and effectiveness of town and parish councils as part of our commitment to give rural communities a stronger voice. And we have just published the first draft maps for the new rights of access for walkers.

Although alleviating the devastating effects of foot and mouth disease dominated our work for many months, a great deal has been accomplished. But there is still a lot more to be done. The creation of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is bringing a new focus and drive to the Government's policies for rural England. Together with partners, we are working to deliver a better future for all those who live, work in and visit the countryside. We will be publishing a full progress report in December. Our key achievements include:

increased funding for rural schools, including the £80 million per year (2001–02 to 2003–04) Small Schools Fund to help resource sharing, administrative support and adoption of new technology;

an additional £15 million in 2000–01 and £30 million in 2001–02 and 2002–03 to tackle the extra cost of policing in rural areas; also the launch of the on-line Rural Crime Toolkit, drawing on examples of good practice in rural policing;

a new £2 million fund, now open to applications, to support community-driven projects to refurbish and improve rural sub-post offices—one part of the Goverment's commitment to maintain a national post office network;

help to establish 8,728 new childcare places in the rural counties of Cornwall, Devon, Durham and Lincolnshire in 2000–01;

increased investment in wider health and social services, which is expected to be of particular benefit to people in rural areas—for example, the programme to establish 100 new primary care one-stop or mobile units, as well as 5,000 intermediate care beds, many in local facilities such as cottage hospitals by 2004. The NHS Direct service, now running throughout England, also offers a major benefit to people living in more remote and rural areas;

£62 million to improve rural bus services in 2001–02, with a total of £239 million allocated over the next three years for new and improved rural travel services;

the Housing Corporation exceeded its target of approving 800 affordable homes in rural settlements last year by more than 200 (1,003 approvals), and has increased its target for this year to 1,100 rising to 1,600 by 2003–04;

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new Countryside Agency grant schemes in operation: £15 million community service grants fund to help safeguard or re-establish basic village facilities; £15 million parish transport fund for small-scale, locally generated transport solutions; and £5 million parish plans fund to help around 1,000 communities prepare their own village or town plans;

new legislation, in force from August, extending 50 per cent mandatory rate relief to village food shops and new small-scale, non-agricultural enterprises on farms. This is additional to extending 50 per cent relief to sole village pubs and petrol stations in April;

selection of over 100 towns to benefit from a £100 million market towns regeneration programme, to which the Government have allocated £37 million. Changes have also been made to planning policy guidance on transport (PPG13) to emphasise the role of market towns as hubs for jobs and services;

changes made to planning policy guidance on the countryside (PPG7) giving stronger support to farm diversification and clarifying guidance on best and most versatile (BMV) land;

publication of a consultation paper on quality parish and town councils, seeking views on plans to give councils an enhanced role for their communities; and

publication of the Countryside Agency's Policy Maker's Checklist in April, to assist government and their agencies Xrural-proof" policies, now part of the Cabinet Office's rapid policy makers' checklist.

Greening Government

Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they next intend to report on progress with Greening Government.[HL1643]

Lord Whitty: We are delighted to announce that Greening Government: Third Annual Report 2001 will be published today. The report will be presented in two parts. Part 1 is a summary of the achievements across government against the commitments set out in the work programme in last year's report. Part 2 of the report will be in the form of a database giving details of the performance of every department. The database will be available on the Government's sustainable development website—www.sustainable-development.gov.uk.

The information contained within Part 2 will be transferred to a CD-ROM and placed alongside copies of Part 1 in the Libraries of both Houses.

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Northern Ireland: Gas TransportationTariff

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have calculated the negative impact on Northern Ireland consumers and business of the gas transportation tariffs in the United Kingdom.[HL1331]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Gas is supplied to Northern Ireland under a commercial contract between Centrica plc and Phoenix Natural Gas plc, the main gas supplier in Northern Ireland. This contract is a matter for the parties involved.

Gas transportation charges in Great Britain are levied by Transco and regulated by Ofgem, the independent regulator through Transco's price control. Centrica has to pay transportation charges on the national transmission system to ship gas to Northern Ireland and I understand that it prices the level of these charges into the prices it charges customers, including Phoenix.

The extent to which Centrica's transportation charges are passed through to Phoenix is a commercial matter between Phoenix and Centrica.

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, with respect to Northern Ireland, they will refer Centrica plc and its implementation of the gas transportation tariffs in the United Kingdom to Ofgem.[HL1332]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I believe the noble Lord is alluding to the contract under which Centrica plc ships gas through the national transmission system and on through the Scotland-Northern Ireland interconnector for Phoenix Natural Gas plc, the main supplier in Northern Ireland. This contract is a commercial matter between the two parties.

The price at which Centrica sells gas to Pheonix comprises energy charges and transportation charges. I understand that Phoenix has raised concerns regarding the level of transportation charges levied through its contract. These transportation charges are levied on Centrica and other shippers by Transco and regulated by Ofgem. Centrica prices the level of these charges into its gas contracts with customers, including Phoenix.

If Phoenix believes that its contract with Centrica is no longer commercially favourable, it will no doubt give consideration to any options it may have to reviewing these arrangements.

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Healthcall Contract

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:

Considering that Healthcall, one of the two contractors to the Department of Trade and Industry, was recently subject to acquisition by another Company, Nestor Healthcare Group plc, and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry decided not to refer that acquisition to the Office of Fair Trading, whether any audit was undertaken to establish that such acquisition would not prejudice or otherwise delay Healthcall's contractual obligations to the department. [HL1342]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry decided, on the information present before her at that time, not to refer the proposed acquisition by Nestor Healthcare Group plc of HCMS Limited (Healthcall) to the Competition Commission. This was in accordance with the recommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) on the case.

The effect of the acquisition on the execution of Healthcall's contract with the department was not considered as part of the DGFT's analysis, nor was it considered by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in reaching her decision.

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