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Wild Animals: Enzootic Diseases
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: The Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, published on 24 June 2004, recognises that there may be a legitimate role to play: where there is a risk of zoonotic diseases being transmitted to man, either directly or via vectors, for example, rabies from bats; where wildlife populations may pass on, harbour
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or recycle diseases of farmed livestock—for example, classical swine fever in wild boar, bovine tuberculosis in badgers and avian influenza in migrating birds; where certain welfare issues arise involving protection from cruelty or the role of rehabilitation and rescue centres; and where disease controls for farmed livestock and other animals affect wildlife.
The development of the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy, which will collect information from many animal populations, will improve our knowledge in these areas and help identify areas for further research.
Marine Conservation in UK
Lord Eden of Winton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking, or have under consideration, as part of the environmental management of United Kingdom coasts and seas, to introduce areas of high protection so as to restore natural population structures of exploited marine species. [HL3931]
Lord Whitty: We have recently received a report from the Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group which makes recommendations to government on possible measures to improve the protection afforded to important marine features and ecosystems, including what use could be made of marine protected areas. The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit recent report on fisheries, Net Benefits, also recommends that an experimental programme of marine protected areas should be developed. The Government will be developing their response to these recommendations in the coming months. The issue of marine protected areas is also being considered through the UK's involvement in the OSPAR Convention.
In addition, we are currently preparing regulations to extend the application of the Habitats and Birds Directives to the offshore marine area which will allow the designation of sites for species of European importance. We have already identified the Darwin Mounds as a candidate site and through the Common Fisheries Policy the EU have introduced measures to protect the site from damaging fishing activities. To date there are 71 special protection areas for birds and 62 candidate special areas of conservation which contain an inshore marine element.
Household Waste
Lord Trefgarne asked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidelines exist for local authorities relating to their duties to collect household waste. [HL3943]
Lord Whitty: Local authorities' duties to collect household waste are set out in the Environment Protection Act 1990.
Guidelines on the classification of waste, what waste should be collected and the charges for the collection
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of certain items were included in a joint circular from the Department of the Environment, the Welsh Office and the Scottish Office Environment Department published on 21 May 1992 following the coming into force of the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.
Guidance on municipal waste management strategies, published in March 2001, sets out the statutory performance standards that local authorities must meet for 2003–04 and 2005–06 in respect of the recycling and composting of household waste. The guidance is on Defra's website.
Defra began a consultation on 5 July on draft guidance to assist waste collection authorities in implementing the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 which requires local authorities to collect at least two types of recyclable waste separate from the rest of the household waste they are required to collect by 2010. We hope to publish the guidance before the end of the year. Copies of the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 and the draft guidance are in the Library and on Defra's website.
Horse Passports
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why value added tax registration was not considered during the setting up of the horse passport scheme. [HL3997]
Lord Whitty: Value added tax (VAT) is specifically a Treasury matter and was, therefore, not included in consultations carried out by this department regarding the proposal to extend the horse passport requirement to all horses.
However, Customs and Excise is considering representations made to it about the VAT treatment of both the fees for issuing horse passports and the charges for printing passports.
These matters need to be considered in the context of the EU rules on VAT. Customs will report their findings to Treasury Ministers for further consideration.
Rural Diversification
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for ensuring that rural diversification is carried out in such a way as to contribute to the character of the countryside and enhance its tranquillity. [HL3998]
Lord Whitty: The planning system is the main mechanism for ensuring that development in the countryside is appropriate to its surroundings. A Written Ministerial Statement was made by my right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning (Mr Keith Hill) on 22 July to the effect that the Government will be publishing a new planning policy statement (PPS7) on sustainable development in rural areas in August. The document strikes a balance between the need to enhance and protect the
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character and tranquillity of the countryside and the need to support rural economies and communities through diversification. PPS7 will set out clear advice for local planning authorities on setting criteria for acceptable farm or other rural diversification measures. Diversification in respect of tourism and other business is promoted by Defra with partners such as the Regional Development Agency and others, with a careful eye on the three elements of sustainable development:
1. the environmental (including considerations such as biodiversity, landscape etc);
2. social issues including the needs of local communities;
3. economic considerations with a particular focus on disadvantage or underperformance and the needs of lagging rural economies.
Defra's rural strategy 2004 shows the care with which we seek to integrate and balance these considerations.
Pigswill Local Feeding Ban
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature Conservation and Fisheries, Mr Ben Bradshaw MP, on 30 March (HC Deb, 1305W), how many of the 357 respondees to the consultation on the pigswill local feeding ban indicated that compensation should not be paid to those deprived of their livelihood. [HL3999]
Lord Whitty: The consultation document (published 27 March 2001) did not seek views on whether compensation should be paid. Therefore it is unsurprising that none of the respondees indicated that compensation should not be paid.
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