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Environmental Management Systems
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which Government Departments and agencies have in place an Environmental Management System as suggested in 2.13 of their publication Building a Better Quality of Life; and[HL942]
When they will answer the Written Question tabled by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 24 October (HL942).[HL1754]
Lord Whitty: Ten Departments and executive agencies have an Enviornmental Management System (EMS) in place, certified to ISO14001. These are as follows:
- Government Car & Despatch Agency (Cabinet Office)
Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Department for Education & Skills
NHS Purchasing & Supply Agency (Department of Health)
Department for Work and Pensions
Department of Trade & Industry
Five Departments and executive agencies have an EMS in place but, as yet, not certified to ISO14001. These are as follows:
- Department of Health (Head Quarters)
Royal Mint (Her Majesty's Treasury)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Further details can be found in The Third Annual Report on Greening Government published on 27 November 2001.
Defra Logo
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that the expenditure of £20,000 on designing a new logo for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs represents value for money.[HL1814]
Lord Whitty: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has retained a strategic communications consultancy to advise on a range of corporate communications activities. This was done after a process of competitive tendering. The fee for this work is still being negotiated.
The aim of the work is to develop and establish an identity for a new government department which has a key role to play in delivering important policies. This identity will be important to the staff and to the stakeholders they deal with.
The identity project will include the production of new corporate materials and advice on how these would be used in all departmental communications. The new materials will be introduced as the old materials run out and there are no plans for a re-launch exercise.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On whose authority the decision to design a new logo for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was taken.[HL1815]
Lord Whitty: On advice from Defra's Communications Directorate, staffed by specialists from the Government Information and Communication Service (GICS), my right honourable friend the Secretary of State gave the go-ahead for the project.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they believe that the design of a new logo for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will have the effect of boosting the department's image.[HL1816]
Lord Whitty: A new logo is part of the process of developing a new identity for Defra. This process is aimed at establishing a clear understanding by staff and stakeholders of the role the department has been created to perform.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the decision to design a new logo for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was put out to competitive tender.[HL1817]
Lord Whitty: A competitive tendering process was undertaken through COI Communications, the agency which specialises in communications for the public sector.
Norwegian Salmon
Lord Mason of Barnsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much Norwegian salmon has been imported during each of the last five years.[HL1820]
Lord Whitty: Overseas trade statistics show that the UK imports of salmon from Norway between 1996 and 2000 were as follows:
| Units | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | |
| Fresh or Chilled | Tonnes | 4,675 | 5,846 | 4,345 | 12,801 | 4,736 |
| £ thousand | 13,034 | 14,866 | 10,532 | 19,697 | 11,888 | |
| Frozen | Tonnes | 529 | 675 | 537 | 405 | 714 |
| £ thousand | 2,059 | 2,469 | 2,051 | 1,449 | 2,812 | |
| Processed | Tonnes | 287 | 91 | 95 | 142 | 85 |
| £ thousand | 1,203 | 532 | 470 | 581 | 353 |
Source: HM Customs and Excise.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: It has been estimated that up to 3 million domestic refrigeration units are disposed of in the UK each year. The number that will require storage prior to recycling is dependent on the construction of suitable facilities for the recovery of ozone depleting substances. Some of these could be operational as early as spring 2002.
Earl Peel asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many redundant refrigerators they forecast will have to be disposed of during the 12 months from 1 December; what proportion they estimate will need to be put into storage, rather than being dismantled and recycled, within each three-month period; and how many they estimate will remain in storage at the end of each three-month period.[HL1890]
Whether the rates of payment made under Countryside Stewardship for (a) the 2 metre arable grass margin scheme and (b) the arable reversion scheme are sufficient to recompense farmers for the losses incurred by entering these schemes.[HL 1910]
17 Dec 2001 : Column WA19
Lord Whitty: Countryside Stewardship payment rates are reviewed regularly. In line with EU rules, the rates reflect any income lost in undertaking stewardship options, plus any additional costs incurred, such as specialised management or extra capital works, and a small incentive element of up to 20 per cent. Agreement holders should therefore be no worse off than their counterparts who are outside the scheme. The continuing demand for the scheme, with nearly 3,000 applications this year, indicates that the current level of payments is generally acceptable.
Foot and Mouth Disease
Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there have been no recorded outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom since 1 October.[HL1981]
Lord Whitty: There have been no outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in the UK since 30 September 2001.
Farming and Rural Conservation Agency
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will publish the 2000–01 annual report for the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency.[HL2041]
Lord Whitty: The 2000–01 annual report and accounts for the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency were laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
Fisheries: Economic Link
Baroness Turner of Camden asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the impact of the economic link measures introduced for the fisheries sector on 1 January 1999 have been assessed for the year 2000.[HL2059]
Lord Whitty: From 1 January 1999 all British registered fishing vessels over 10 metres in length and catching more than 2 tonnes of quota stocks have had to demonstrate an economic link with fisheries-dependent communities in the United Kingdom. This link can be demonstrated in a number of ways, for example by vessels landing at least 50 per cent by weight of their quota catch into the UK or by employing a crew of whom at least 50 per cent are normally resident in a UK coastal area.
In 2000, 1,627 vessels caught more than 2 tonnes of quota stocks and in each case achieved a satisfactory economic link, primarily through landings into the UK. The economic link arrangements have maintained the increases in UK landings and expenditure achieved by foreign-owned UK-registered
vessels in 1999. In addition, almost 400 tonnes of quota was made available for redistribution to the UK fleet.A full report by the fisheries departments in the United Kingdom on the operation of the economic link measures and their impact in 2000 has been placed in the Library of the House.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Group
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the psychiatrists on the Chief Medical Officer's Working Group on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis have withdrawn; and if so, for what reason; and what will be the consequences for the report.[HL1659]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis independent working group has now finalised its report. We understand that the psychiatrists on the group felt unable to support it, as it does not sufficiently meet their concerns. We hope to be in a position to publish the report shortly.
Haemophilia Patients: vCJD
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps have been taken to inform haemophilia patients whose NHS-prescribed treatment included blood from donors who subsequently died of vCJD; and further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 29 November (WA 71) that patients cared for by HIV-infected healthcare workers will be notified on the basis of the level of risk of exposure, whether they will take similar steps in the case of haemophilia patients who have received blood from donors who subsequently died of vCJD.[HL1800]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation, in consultation with the Department of Health, agreed a policy of offering all haemophilia patients a choice of whether they wish to be informed or not in the event that they or their children received blood or blood products from a donor who subsequently died of vCJD. Counselling and advice to patients were provided by haemophilia centres.
In October 2001 the department's CJD Incident Panel issued a document for public consultation on how to deal with any future incidents Management of possible exposure to CJD through medical procedures. This document is available on www.doh.gov.uk/cjd/consultation and the closing date for comments is 15 January 2002.
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