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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1809W—continued
National Bee Unit
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 933W, on agriculture, on what basis the decision was made that 20 per cent. of the budget of the National Bee Unit should be reduced from 2008; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposed reduction on the UK beekeeping industry. [220455]
Alun Michael:
I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 944W, which cited the Department's Activity Baseline Review as the basis for the decision to reduce expenditure with the National Bee Unit from 2008. The review considered all of the Department's activities and the resources allocated to them.
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As we have always made clear, the changes we propose depend on satisfactory progress with our evaluation of the shook swarm technique for the control of European foul brood. We are in continuing discussions with the beekeeping associations about encouraging the wider use of this technique and managing the risks involved.
Official Residences
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the official residences for which her Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the occupants of each make towards running costs; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment was in 2003–04. [213560]
Alun Michael: The Department is responsible for one official residence, an apartment at Admiralty House, London, which is occupied by the Secretary of State.
Since Admiralty House is Government owned, running costs are paid by the Department to the Cabinet Office. Current annual running costs of £195,000 are paid in respect of rent and a service charge, which covers costs for utilities (including electricity and gas) security, facilities management and general maintenance. The Secretary of State does not contribute directly towards these costs but does pay a related personal 'tax' charge. The telephone charges are included within the Department's general telephone expenditure.
Since the Department was created in June 2001, we have not been advised of any capital or refurbishment expenditure. Any such expenditure is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office who would re-charge the Department through the service charge.
The Department incurs no expenditure on flowers and plants, wine and entertaining or food.
There are no domestic or maintenance staff employed by the Department.
Rigby House Farm Waste Tip
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers are available to her Department to close Rigby House Farm waste tip on the grounds of (a) emission of smells and (b) rodent problems; and what powers (i) her Department and (ii) the Environment Agency has to require the operators to compensate people living in the area for nuisance caused by the tip. [219757]
Mr. Morley:
Rigby House Farm landfill site currently operates under a waste management licence issued by the Environment Agency under the provisions of part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the 1990 Act).
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Section 38 of the 1990 Act provides the Environment Agency with the power to suspend a licence or revoke a licence in part, or in its entirety. This power is exercisable where it appears to the agency that the continuation of the activities authorised by the licence would cause pollution of the environment, or harm to human health, or would be seriously detrimental to the amenities of the locality. There are no powers under the 1990 Act to compensate people living in the area for any nuisance caused.
Sewerage
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) water companies and (b) Water UK on the potential for greater use being made of reed beds to try to overcome sewerage problems; and if she will make a statement. [220696]
Mr. Morley: Defra supports the appropriate use of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) such as reed beds, but recognises that, at present, barriers to the implementation, adoption and maintenance of SUDS exist. In order to address these problems, Defra is a member of the The National SUDS Working Group" (NSWG), of which representatives of water companies and Water UK are also members. Regular meetings of this group are held facilitating discussion between all parties interested in the implementation of SUDS. In July 2004 the NSWG published an Interim Code of Practice (ICOP) for SUDS. The aim of the ICOP is to provide a strategic approach to the allocation of responsibilities for the maintenance of sustainable drainage systems.
The new strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management that Defra has just finished consulting on, looks at ways of better coordinating the various responsibilities for urban drainage, including SUDS. A technical annex to this consultation explores in more depth, the specific options and proposals that have been made to government by stakeholders (such as water companies and Water UK) to encourage and facilitate implementation of more sustainable surface water drainage systems in the future.
Further information can be found at:
Single Farm Payments
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has in respect of single farm payments for those who had historic commoners' rights on the basis of the number of animals grazed over recent years, with particular reference to those who are classed as commoners, but who have chosen not to graze animals for a considerable period of time. [219819]
Alun Michael:
The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is open to applications from farmers who meet the scheme conditions. A farmer is someone who carries out an 'agricultural activity' as defined in the EC legislation. A commoner who is a farmer, may seek to establish SPS entitlements on a notional share of the eligible area of
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the common where he or she has rights to graze. On most commons in England, the notional share will be calculated in proportion to the commoner's right to graze the land, as registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965. It will be up to an individual to decide whether or not he or she will apply for the scheme. All applications will be included in the normal inspection arrangements, including checks to determine whether the applicant is a farmer.
Full details concerning the operation of the scheme on common land were published in our February update available on our website.
Warm Front
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many heating installations have been carried out in each constituency in England under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last three years. [218686]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 28 February 2005]: Between April 2002 and January 2005 approximately 174,000 heating installations have been carried out in England under the Warm Front Scheme.
A table showing a breakdown of the number of heating installations in each financial year, by constituency, will be made available in the Library of the House.
Waste Incineration Directive
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what installation and plant will be (a) exempted and (b) derogated from the requirements of the waste incineration directive regulations; and if she will make a statement. [219537]
Mr. Morley: Articles 3(4) and 3(5) of the waste incineration directive provide definition respectively of the incineration plant" and co-incineration plant" covered by that directive. However, Article 2(2) of that directive excludes from the directive's scope (i) plants treating only certain wastes listed there, and (ii) experimental plants.
Article 6(4) of the directive enables competent authorities to set, for plant subject to the directive's requirements, operating conditions different to those set out in Articles 6(1), 6(2) and 6(3) provided the directive's requirements are met. These provisions are relatively complex, but are explained in draft Guidance on Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste prepared by the Department and the Welsh Assembly Government and available on the Defra website. This publication also incorporates the text of the directive itself.
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what category of installations and plant that burn waste will not be covered by the waste incineration directive when it comes into force. [219538]
Mr. Morley: Article 2(2) of the waste incineration directive excludes from that directive's scope:
(iii) fibrous vegetable waste from virgin pulp production and from production of paper from pulp, if it is co-incinerated at the place of production and the heat generated is recovered;
(iv) wood waste with the exception of wood waste which may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals as a result of treatment with wood-preservatives or coating, and which includes in particular such wood waste originating from construction and demolition waste;
(vii) animal carcasses as regulated by Council Directive 90/667/EEC without prejudice to its future amendments;
(viii) waste resulting from the exploration for, and the exploitation of, oil and gas resources from off-shore installations and incinerated on board the installation;
(b) experimental plants used for research, development and testing in order to improve the incineration process and which treat less than 50 tonnes of waste per year.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether incineration by (a) asphalting companies, (b) cement manufacturers, (c) chemical firms, (d) merchant
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incinerators, (e) power generators and (f) steel industries will be subject to regulation under the waste incineration directive. [219539]
Mr. Morley: If these activities incorporate (i) plant dedicated to the thermal treatment of wastes, with or without recovery of the combustion heat generated, or (ii) plant which uses wastes as a regular or additional fuel or in which waste is thermally treated for the purpose of disposal, that plant will be subject to the requirements of the waste incineration directive unless any of the exclusions in Article 2(2) of that directive applies. The text of the directive is incorporated in draft Guidance on Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste prepared by my Department and the Welsh Assembly Government and available on the Defra website.
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