To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many submissions the Government have received from (a) industry and (b) academia under its voluntary reporting scheme for engineered nanoscale materials since its launch in September; what steps the Department is taking to encourage submissions under the Voluntary Reporting Scheme; and what other steps the Government are taking to improve understanding of where nanoscale materials are being used or could be used in the future; (152770)

My Department launched the UK Voluntary Reporting Scheme for engineered nanoscale materials in September 2006. To date (July 2007) we have received a total of nine submissions, seven from industry and two from academia.

We have been working with a variety of stakeholders to encourage further awareness and uptake of the Scheme. Regular updates on the Scheme are presented to the Nanotechnologies Stakeholder Forum which meets quarterly; the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) and the European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance (ENTA) have raised the Scheme with their members and have offered assistance with completion of the paperwork; and we are addressing the research community via the Research Councils.

We have also been seeking additional advice on ways in which we may improve participation. The UK Advisory Committee for Hazardous substances (ACHS) recently reviewed the Scheme and made suggestions for clarifying the guidance for participants, particularly in defining how the data submitted will be used and what information might be relevant. My Officials will take these recommendations forward. We are also working with international partners, including members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials to share experiences of implementation of similar Schemes.

The Voluntary Reporting Scheme is intended to operate for two years. Therefore my Department will undertake a thorough review of the process in September 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will respond to the Council for Science and Technology review of the Government’s nanotechnologies policies. (152772)

The Government responded to the Council for Science and Technology’s review of its progress on nanotechnologies policies on 17 May 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will increase the funding provided for research into the environmental and health impacts of nanotechnology. (152773)

Funding for research into potential Environment, Health and Safety impacts of Nanomaterials is co-ordinated across Government Departments, their Agencies and the Research Councils through the Nanotechnology Research Coordination Group. Direct funding from Departments up to the end of 2006 amounted to around £13 million. This was supported by responsive mode funding through the Research Councils’ Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration on Nanotechnology of £19.8 million between 2002 and 2007.

At this stage there are no plans to increase funding levels however, in order to maximise the use of available funding, my Department is working to achieve greater cooperation and collaboration between the above funding bodies and will seek more joint working with the nanotechnologies industries. DEFRA is working closely with the Research Councils to influence more funding in ‘directed mode’, in an approach similar to that adopted by the DEFRA co-funded Environmental Nanoscience Initiative and we will be working with the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills’ Technology Strategy Board and National Measurement Systems Programme to identify further opportunities. In this way we would seek to encourage the development and safe use of nanotechnologies in universities and the nanotechnologies industries.