To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he has taken since May 1997 to encourage local authorities to build council houses. [19118]

The ODPM five year plan Homes for All" set out three ways in which local authorities can be involved in delivering new social housing:

The expanded PFI;

funding building by housing associations; and,

bidding in partnership with private developers for funding from the Housing Corporation.

We expect the first of these to produce at least 6000 homes by 2008 worth around £500 million through a combination of new build and estate remodelling.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of public funding for social housing was in (a) 2005 and (b) 1997. [19121]

Government housing capital investment totalled £4.5 billion in 2004–05 and £1.8 billion in 1997–98.

These figures include £2.9 billion in 2004–05 and £1.1billion in 1997–98 made available to local authorities mainly for the maintenance and improvement of existing council housing, and £1.6 billion in 2004–05 and £0.7billion in 1997–98 to registered social landlords (via the Housing Corporation) mainly to increase the supply of new social homes.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review planning policy relating to telecommunications masts. [19119]

We are currently commissioning research on the future need for communications masts. This will help inform the General Permitted Development Order review which is looking at permitted development rights for mobile phone masts. We also commissioned a review of the code of best practice on mobile phone network development which will be published shortly.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he is making in ensuring that affordable housing is available in the South East. [19120]

Proposals for the use of the housing investment funds available to the South East for 2006–07 and 2007–08 were submitted by the Regional Housing Board in July. These proposals, which have been approved, involve a significant increase in funding for affordable housing.

The greater provision of affordable housing is dependent on improved levels of housing supply. Government are therefore working with local authorities to make sure that housing completion rates are built to planned levels. It will announce how it intends to respond to the recommendations of the Barker report later this year.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from members of the public concerning roadside advertising. [19122]

Since May 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received correspondence concerning roadside advertisements from 20 Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents and about 175 representations from members of the public.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of the key worker living scheme on recruitment and retention of public sector workers. [19123]

An evaluation of the key worker living scheme is currently underway, with the final report due in 2006. However, early interim findings published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 31 August found that the scheme is making a positive contribution towards improving recruitment and retention of key workers, such as teachers, nurses and police.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much revenue was raised in council tax in England in each year since its creation; and what the estimated figure is for 2005–06. [17353]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 542W and on 10 October 2005, Official Report, columns 383–5W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role (a) the Valuation Office Agency played in the council tax revaluation in Wales and (b) is planned for the Agency in a future council tax revaluation in England; and if he will make a statement. [17643]

1 April 2005, by placing 1.3 million properties into the new council tax bands.(a) In accordance with their statutory duty, under Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by Local Government Act 2003), the Valuation Office Agency's listing officers in Wales compiled the new valuation lists for each billing authority, effective from

(b) The Valuation Office Agency's listing officers in England currently have a statutory duty, under Local Government Finance Act 1992, to compile and maintain the council tax lists for each billing authority area. The Government has no proposals for any change in that role, but has announced that the revaluation planned for 2007 is to be postponed and is bringing forward legislation to give that statutory effect.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the likely cost of the council tax rebanding exercise in England. [19478]

The postponement of council tax revaluation in England, which the Government announced on 20 September, means a suspension of the existing programme of preparatory work for the 2007 revaluation by the Valuation Office Agency. It is not possible at this stage to estimate exactly what the costs of revaluation will be at that future date. This will need to be reviewed in the light of the Government's decisions, following the report of the extended Lyons Inquiry into local government funding.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Valuation Office Agency will continue to work on the council tax revaluation in England. [17306]

The Government announced on 20 September 2005 the postponement of the council tax revaluation in England in 2007 and the standing down of preparatory work. The Valuation Office Agency are reviewing in the light of this announcement what steps should be taken to capitalise on their preparatory work to date.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (a) public relations consultancies and (b) public affairs consultancies employed by (i) the Audit Commission and (ii) the Standards Board for England in each year since 2001. [17234]

I will ask the chief executives of the Audit Commission and the Standards Board for England to write to the hon. Member with the information requested. Their responses will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the value for money of his Department's website; and if he will make a statement. [15573]

The ODPM website was procured as the result of a fair and open competition. In awarding the contract all tenders were evaluated and the successful tender was deemed to have achieved the best balance on price and satisfying the detailed requirements criteria.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 806W. Unique visitors to the ODPM website have more than doubled since its launch. The website also helps ODPM to fulfil its commitment to Freedom of Information, with more than 300 publications and nearly 300 press releases and statements uploaded to the website in 2004–05. ODPM is therefore continuing to develop the corporate website as a value for money channel for government information.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much each departmental site has spent on electricity in each year since 2001. [18849]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed in May 2002 and the following figures reflect this.

£

⁽¹⁾Not known.

⁽²⁾The Rent Service transferred to The Department for Works and Pensions in April 2004.

This answer does not include figures for 26 Whitehall, which is managed by the Cabinet Office, and for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister pays an agreed proportion of the cost of all services supplied by the Cabinet Office.

The figures for 2004–05 have yet to be independently verified by DEFRA and therefore should be considered as provisional.

This answer does not include the buildings occupied by Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what energy-saving measures he has implemented in his Department since it was established. [18850]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has implemented a wide range of energy saving measures since its inception in May 2002.

These include an energy awareness campaign for staff and improved monitor ring and targeting of energy use and benchmarking as well as physical measures such as:

Implementing variable speed drives to supply and extract fans

Lowering the temperature setting of main boilers controls

Improved building management controls

Improved lighting controls in office space

Providing timers for hot water boilers and empty refrigerated display units to reduce out of hours electrical consumption

We have worked with the Carbon Trust in the past year to use their expertise to identify both short and medium term projects to improve our use of energy, promote more efficient use of energy and reduce our CO₂ emissions. These plans will be implemented and progress monitored.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the revenue expenditure of each local authority in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [17160]

Revenue expenditure in 2004–05 by local authority in England can be found on the ODPM website at: http://www.localodpm.gov.uk/finance/stats/revenue.htm.

Data are not available for a small number of local authorities as their returns were invalid at the time of processing the 2004–05 data. Final data are expected to become available towards the end of 2005.

A table has been placed in the House Library showing revenue expenditure for each local authority in 2003–04.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received about reform of the Local Government Ombudsman over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [17720]

The Office has received around 50 representations relating to the work of the Local Government Ombudsman over the past 12 months. We do not keep records of the precise nature of the representations received. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress of the negotiations on the Local Government Pension Scheme. [19487]

Good progress is being made by the local authority employers and trade unions, within the framework of the Local Government Pension Scheme Tripartite Committee, to determine what further amendments are necessary to the scheme, so that, in light of my statement of 13 July 2005, Official Report, columns 30–31WS, its on-going affordability and viability can be ensured by April 2006. A further meeting of the Tripartite Committee is scheduled for 2 November.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate has been made of the funding shortfall in local authorities pension funds in England. [17402]

The actuarial valuation of the local authority pension funds in England carried out on 31 March 2004, showed that the assets of £80 billion represented 75 per cent. of the total scheme liabilities of £107 billion. Each scheme administering authority has in place a funding strategy to manage and recover fund deficits.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have been found guilty of maladministration in each of the past 10 years. [17719]

The information requested is provided in the annual reports of the Local Government Ombudsman, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister

(1) what discussions his Department has had with the British Toilet Association on the subject of toilets in public places; and what the outcome was of those discussions; [17836]

(2) what steps he plans to take to encourage local authorities to provide and maintain a suitable quantity and quality of toilets in public places; [17852]

(3) if he will introduce legislation to oblige local authorities to maintain a basic provision of public toilets; [17853]

(4) what regulations are in place stipulating (a) standards of cleanliness in and (b) maintenance, of public toilets; [17854]

(5) what regulations are in place relating to the quantity and quality of public toilets required for disabled people. [17855]

I met with the British Toilet Association on 11 October to discuss methods of disseminating good practice in public toilet provision. It was agreed that the BTA would work with ODPM to promote guidance, including examples of best practice, as part of the 'How To Manage Town Centres' guide produced under the Cleaner Safer Greener Communities cross-Government initiative led by ODPM. The Government will also consider with the BTA ways in which access to toilets in public places can be further encouraged, but will not be introducing legislation to impose a duty on local authorities.

The standards of cleanliness in and maintenance of public toilets are a matter of public health and are therefore subject to public health regulation. The design of public toilets required for disabled people is regulated by Part M of the Building Regulations, which specifies overall design, layout, fixtures and fittings of toilets suitable for use by disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of a building which make accessing a service impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people. There is no duty on central Government to monitor the availability or standards of public toilet provision for disabled people.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for elections to the South West Regional Assembly. [17528]

The Government has no plans for elections to the South West Regional Assembly.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years. [17870]

ODPM was created in May 2002 and hence our answer can only cover the period between that date and the present.

ODPM allows staff to take special leave with pay to participate in a range of voluntary/public services in accordance with the organisations staff handbook. However, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

In terms of bringing in volunteers to the organisation, ODPM does not currently use volunteers to deliver its services within its Head Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of recent trends in the value of agricultural land. [16487]

The following table shows estimated agricultural land prices in England for the last 10 years. These are derived from data for all sales of agricultural land in England and give an indication of the trend in land values. They exclude land sold for non-agricultural purposes and sales of less than five hectares.

England agricultural land prices

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of male cattle she estimates were shot within one month of birth in the last period for which figures are available. [17229]

No official statistics are available on the number of male animals under one month old disposed of on farm. Based on estimates of numbers of male dairy calves produced in 2004 (roughly 480,000) it is estimated that approximately 80 per cent. were disposed of on farm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what surveillance and protection measures are in place to deal with a potential outbreak of avian influenza; and if she will make a statement. [18212]

The Government has significantly enhanced the arrangements for surveillance of wild birds, including the investigation of die-offs and sampling at shoots and wetlands. The arrangements have been agreed as part of co-ordinated efforts across the European Union. The EU has also banned all imports of birds and poultry-related products, except processed feathers, from countries affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza. Her Majesty's Customs and Revenue are enhancing checks of luggage of passengers travelling from Romania and Turkey. The Government is well-prepared to manage an outbreak of avian influenza with a published detailed contingency plan in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department has spent on research into avian influenza in each of the last five years. [19141]

Over the last five years the Department has doubled the amount invested into research activity on avian influenza, from £226,000 during 2001–02, to £463,000 budgeted during 2005–06.

£000

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the symptoms of avian influenza are; and how they differ in different domestic species. [19143]

Avian influenza is a highly contagious disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds. The general symptoms may include loss of appetite, diarrhoea, generalised weakness, swelling of the face and legs, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, blue discolouration of the skin or membranes, a drop in egg production, sneezing, coughing and laboured respiration. In disease caused by highly virulent types of virus, there may be no warning signs, with birds either being found dead or dying suddenly. The presenting clinical signs in different domestic species are influenced by husbandry conditions (e.g. whether birds are housed or not) and by the presence of intercurrent bacterial or other viral diseases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of vets who are qualified to identify avian influenza. [19144]

All veterinary surgeons should be competent to identify the signs associated with avian influenza and take any samples required for laboratory confirmation of disease. The state veterinary service trains all its veterinary staff in the recognition of clinical signs of exotic diseases, including avian influenza.

The British Veterinary Association has circulated very comprehensive advice to its members to aid identification of suspect cases and this advice incorporates the views of specialist veterinarians working with poultry on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the requirement for protective (a) clothing and (b) equipment for (i) poultry farmers and (ii) other keepers of birds to deal with avian influenza. [19146]

Worker protection and requirements for personal protective equipment are public health matters for the Health and Safety Executive, Department of Health and Health Protection Agency to advise on.

This Department is however fully committed to ensuring that sound practical and risk based guidance is available to the keepers of poultry and other birds. A joint poultry industry and cross departmental working group, chaired by DEFRA, has been established and will publish guidance by the end of October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it remains Government policy that action to tackle climate change post-2012 should include mandatory national targets for reductions in carbon emissions. [17178]

The UK Government and the EU remain committed to the framework set out by the Kyoto protocol. It remains crucially important, as the first ever legally binding framework, to set quantified emissions reductions for developed countries. The UK Government and the EU want to build on the Kyoto protocol and its key elements such as targets and timetables, monitoring and reporting, compliance and the flexibility mechanisms for the period after 2012.

In addition, on the basis of the European Commission's communication Winning the battle against global climate change" (February 2005) the European Council of Ministers concluded that the EU's future climate change strategy should:

(a) Strive at the widest possible cooperation by all countries;

(b) Include all important greenhouse gases, sectors and mitigation options;

(c) Drive technological innovation, employing an optimal mix of push" and pull" policies, in particular in the transport and energy sector;

(d) Promote the transfer of technologies to appropriate markets;

(e) Provide for the continued use of market-based and flexible instruments, and;

(f) Support the adaptation to unavoidable climate change in all countries, particularly in the most vulnerable developing countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure the accuracy of the inventory of UK carbon emissions; and if she will make a statement on the different methodologies used. [17180]

The inventory of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (including carbon dioxide) is compiled according to the guidance issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Accuracy checks on the UK inventory are conducted as follows:

Inventory data compiled by our contractor are subject to an audited quality control and assurance programme. This ensures that the data sources are reliable and quality checked, that the choice of methodologies is transparent, that data are consistent over time, complete, comparable, and assessed for uncertainties. When required, methodological changes are made to take account of new data sources, or new guidance from the IPCC, relevant work by other international organisations, new research, or specific research programmes sponsored by Defra. Such improvements to the methodology are applied retrospectively to ensure a consistent time series of emissions.

Defra periodically tests the accuracy of key source sector estimates in the national inventory by means of independent peer review. Reviews completed to date include carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and agriculture. Defra also funds independent verification of the reliability of the emissions estimates by combining measurements of the concentrations of selected GHGs at Mace Head in Ireland and a model of atmospheric transport developed by the Met Office.

Each year the GHG inventory is subject to annual reviews by trained expert reviewers working on behalf of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These reviews are a thorough cross-check of the accuracy and reliability of country estimates, and are designed to underpin the integrity of the convention process and the Kyoto protocol.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the representations she has received concerning the effect of Common Agricultural Policy subsidy reductions on sugar cane on the sugar cane industry in Swaziland. [17936]

In February of this year the then Minister for Food and Farming, Lord Whitty, met the Prime Minister of Swaziland to discuss the reform of the EU sugar regime and its impact on Swaziland. The Secretary of State, in her capacity as President of the EU Agriculture Council, has chaired a meeting between the Agriculture Council and representatives of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACPs) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Brussels on 19 September. Swaziland was represented at that meeting at ministerial level. Several meetings have taken place with ACP representatives to discuss sugar reform at both ministerial and Official level.

The Secretary of State has also received a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of the Swaziland Sugar Association concerning the proposed reforms of the EU sugar regime. In addition DEFRA has received several letters concerning the reforms from ACP countries collectively and received a large number of letters from members of the public concerned about development issues arising from the proposed reforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will implement a dog registration scheme to fund stray animal care. [17452]

We have no plans to introduce a dog registration scheme. Funding for stray dogs will come from existing budgets and those received from the police, as well as dog owners themselves. Dog owners are required to pay £25 on top of the cost accrued for maintaining their dog while in the custody of the local authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on farmers of the ending of the environmentally sensitive areas agreements. [19496]

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) scheme began in 1987 when farmers were offered 10-year agreements to protect and enhance the flora and fauna on their land. The Government have always encouraged farmers to enter into another agreement at the end of their existing 10-year agreement. The Environmental Stewardship (ES) scheme, introduced this year, comprises the new Entry Level Stewardship, which is open to all farmers in England, and the more targeted Higher Level Stewardship. Higher Level Stewardship will replace the ESA and Countryside Stewardship (CSS) schemes, which were closed to new applicants in 2004.

Under ES, the Government will continue their policy of encouraging farmers to enter into new agreements when their previous ESA and CSS agreements expire. This year an additional one million hectares has already been brought into ES, bringing the total area in these schemes to 2.3 million hectares. The Government have also made available an extra £150 million a year for new ES agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the flood mitigation measures on Lakes H and I at Radley Lakes, Oxfordshire; and whether measures are planned to improve the operation of the sluice gates there. [18297]

The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for flood risk management in England and, as part of this, advises local planning authorities on flood risk with respect to planning applications.

A private company—RWE npower—is responsible for managing these lakes and for any flood mitigation measures associated with them. The Agency recently advised Oxfordshire county council on flood risk with respect to a planning application from RWE npower relating to Lakes H and I.

Following discussion with the Agency, RWE npower revised their proposal to address Agency concerns, specifically on the ability of the lakes to store flood water and the sizing of flood relief pipes to allow flood water to pass into the lakes at a suitable rate to alleviate flooding in the Radley area.

The Agency is not aware of any proposal to alter operation of the sluice gates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries undergoing a foot and mouth disease outbreak are subject to import control measures initiated by the UK; and if she will make a statement. [18214]

The rules for imports of meat are the subject of EU rules. Imports are not permitted from countries or areas of countries where foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic.

The UK has not initiated any import control measures on any countries which are undergoing a foot and mouth disease outbreak, other than those initiated by the European Commission.

Following a recent outbreak of FMD in Brazil, imports of bovine meat and offal from the regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana, and Sao Paulo, have been banned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on reports of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Brazil; and what steps she is taking to restrict beef imports from that country. [19126]

holding answer 18 October 2005

The Brazilian authorities reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease on the 8 October 2005.

The EU Commission advised member states of the outbreak in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso du Sol on 10 October 2005 and advised that a meeting to discuss a proposal to ban imports of meat and offal from the affected Brazilian States would be held on the 12 October 2005.

We applied measures implementing the ban in line with the EU proposal on the 11 October 2005.

Following discussion in Brussels on 12 October 2005 revised measures were agreed banning imports from Mato Grosso du Sol, Sao Paulo and Parana. We amended our measures to reflect these changes on 13 October 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries have suspended imports of Brazilian beef following the reported outbreak of foot and mouth in Brazil. [19225]

holding answer 18 October 2005

All EU member states are taking the same action—banning the import of fresh de-boned and matured bovine meat and the offal from bovine animals from the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso du Sol, Sao Paulo and Parana.

Other non EU countries will be aware of the situation in the Brazilian States and will be taking action of their own. However, we have no record of the actions taken by non EU countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce legislation to ban the production of gamebirds for the purpose of shooting them for sport. [16873]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on (a) farmers and (b) the environment of herbicide resistance in wild plants; and if she will make a statement. [17141]

Herbicide resistance in weeds and other wild plants can occur naturally over time as a response to exposure to certain herbicides. It is an agronomic problem well known to farmers, agronomists and the crop protection industry all over the world. Responsible use of herbicides can mitigate the problem.

In the wider environment beyond the cropped areas of farms, herbicide tolerant weeds are not normally an issue as herbicides are not routinely used in such areas.

The approval and use of herbicides is closely regulated to ensure protection of the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the spread of the herbicide tolerant gene found in charlock in the Government's farm-scale evaluation; and if she will make a statement. [17142]

Researchers from the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology were commissioned by Defra to monitor for gene flow between the GM crops grown in the farm-scale evaluations and wild plants. Over 60,000 charlock seeds and 700 charlock plants were checked. The researchers reported the possible finding of a single hybrid between oilseed rape and the wild plant charlock (the scientists were unable to confirm that it was in fact a hybrid). The researchers returned to the site the following year and found no trace of any charlock plants carrying the herbicide tolerant gene. This was to be expected as I am advised that even if a hybrid charlock plant existed it would be unlikely to produce fertile seed and would not persist.

There are therefore no immediate implications of this research. The results of this study have been passed to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and will be used along with other information in assessment of any future proposals to grow GM oilseed rape. We have also commissioned a review of the risks associated with the cultivation of herbicide tolerant oilseed rape, with emphasis on hybridization with wild relatives which is due for completion at the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to build and develop an incinerator in Dungeness; and if she will make a statement. [17569]

The Government encourage all local authorities to have in place a strategy for managing their municipal waste. However, it is for individual local authorities and not DEFRA to decide on the strategy that best suits their needs relating to waste and the particular waste management options (which may include generating energy from waste) employed within that strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on how the recent outbreak of Newcastle Disease was dealt with. [18217]

The outbreak of Newcastle Disease in pheasants in Surrey in July 2005 was dealt with according to the published Defra Contingency Plan. A national disease control centre was established in London and a local disease control centre was set up in Reigate to manage the local response. The control policy was implemented quickly, the birds on the infected premises were culled, movement restrictions were imposed to limit the risk of disease spread and surveillance was carried out in the local area to detect any signs of disease. The outbreak was limited to one premises.

Rapid exchanges of information with the French authorities identified the farms in France that had supplied birds to the infected premises. Newcastle Disease was subsequently confirmed on one premises in France and the authorities took appropriate action.

Dialogue with the European Commission and other EU member states was maintained and there was close liaison with third countries to keep them up to date with developments and seek to minimise the impact on trade. The game bird and poultry industries and other stakeholders were kept fully informed. All restrictions on and around the infected premises have now been lifted.

A report on lessons learned from the outbreak will be published in November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on storing nuclear waste. [19388]

The UK Government and devolved Administrations set up the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) in 2003, under the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme.

The task for CoRWM is to recommend an option, or combination of options for the long-term management of the UK's higher level activity radioactive waste.

CoRWM began its third phase of its Public and Stakeholder Engagement consultation programme in August 2005, assessing the four short-listed options:

Deep geological disposal

Phased deep geological disposal

Near-surface disposal of short-lived waste

Long-term interim storage

CoRWM will provide its recommendations to Ministers, for their consideration, in July 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent advice she has received on ocean acidification and its impact on marine biodiversity and climate change. [17366]

holding answer 13 October 2005

In June this year The Royal Society published a report on the potential problems of ocean acidification as a result of increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This drew attention to the potential increase in acidity of the oceans which may occur over the next few centuries. This acidification has already been observed, although the full impacts on marine biodiversity are still relatively unknown.

The Department, jointly with DTI, is actively funding research at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) in the North Sea to investigate the potential impact of increased seawater acidity on shallow sea ecosystems, biodiversity and the health of key organisms, including their capacity to adapt. This will enable us to better understand and predict the consequences of the increasing acidity of seawater. Full details of all related research can be found on the DEFRA website (http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/proiect_data/).

The OSPAR Commission for the protection of the marine environment of the North East Atlantic has begun work on an assessment of the implications of increased carbon dioxide levels for our waters. The United Kingdom will be contributing to this work, drawing on the results of the Royal Society study and of the work at PML.

In March 2005 my colleague, the Minister of State for Environment (Mr. Morley), launched a new partnership called the Marine Climate Change Information Partnership (MCCIP) to co-ordinate the evidence resulting from investigations into the impacts of climate change on our marine environment. Ocean acidification is one of the issues it intends to address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received regarding (a) antisocial and (b) illegal off-roading by people with motorised vehicles. [18792]

We have received a significant number of representations regarding the antisocial and illegal off-road use of motorised vehicles.

There already exists a range of statutory powers that, when used as part of a co-ordinated strategy, can prove effective in dealing with the inappropriate use of motor vehicles off-road. The Government will shortly be issuing guidance to help the police and local authorities tackle motor vehicle misuse. The guidance will set out the range of powers already available and will draw on existing best practice examples of police and local authorities working in successful partnerships.

Copies of this guidance will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reduce exposure to organophosphates, with particular reference to those involved in agriculture. [18403]

Organophosphates (OPs) are used in agriculture in both veterinary medicines and pesticides. All veterinary medicinal and plant protection products, including organophosphate products are subject to stringent regulatory control.

The Government takes the safety of OPs very seriously and has funded a number of research projects into the effects in humans of exposure to OPs. Current research has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a link between chronic low-level exposure to OPs and ill health effects in humans. Some studies remain to be completed and the results of all the studies will be reviewed on their completion. We will also review our policy on OPs in light of these results.

In addition to this Defra has funded Research and Development projects on the development of non-chemical alternatives for the control of sheep scab. The research into alternatives are complex long-term projects and if they do lead to the development of viable alternative products it is unlikely that such products will be available for at least five and probably 10 years.

The Pesticides Safety Directorate also supports on-going R and D into less toxic and more environmentally benign alternatives for crop protection, either substituting for existing active ingredients or as part of broader Integrated Farm Management approaches. Again it will take some time before products based on this research are likely to be commercially available.

In 1998 a UK review programme of organophosphates used as plant protection products was announced and 40 organophosphates were identified for review. Although companies supported 21, there are now only nine approved organophosphate active substances in about 60 products. Partly as a result of this programme there has been a significant decline, to about 25 per cent. of the 1994 levels, in the use of organophosphate plant protection products.

Details of veterinary medicines and plant protection research can be found on the Defra www.defra.gov.uk website.

Provided they are used according to their statutory conditions of use, plant protection products and veterinary medicines containing OPs should pose no unacceptable risk to operators, bystanders or consumers of the treated produce and as such there is no current scientific rationale for further restricting their use as a precautionary public health measure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress on the National Scrapie Plan. [18213]

The National Scrapie Plan continues to make good progress. The voluntary Ram Genotyping Scheme is continuing to recruit new members and there has been encouraging progress in improving genotype profiles in participating flocks. We are working to implement the Compulsory Ram Genotyping Scheme during 2006, taking into account the results of a strategic review last year. Targeted action in scrapie affected flocks is continuing in line with t he EU rules and we are taking the opportunity of discussions in Brussels of the Commission's TSE Roadmap to press for changes to the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sewage was disposed in the Channel in each of the last five years; and what plans she has to develop sewage treatment facilities in East Sussex. [17567]

Information on the yearly volume of sewage disposed of in the English Channel (East Kent (Dover) to Cornwall) is not held centrally and could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

Southern Water Services Limited, which provides sewerage services for East and West Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, estimates that 28.3 million m³ of preliminary treated effluent is discharged from Brighton per year. Preliminary treatment means that the sewage passes through screens before discharge to the sea.

Southern Water have applied for planning permission and discharge consents to upgrade the sewage treatment facilities serving Brighton to at least secondary treatment. When these are received we expect Southern Water to complete the approved sewage treatment scheme as soon as practicable.

The estimated total volume of secondary treated effluent discharged directly to the English Channel and the Solent by Southern Water is 140.2 million m³ per year. Secondary treatment is the normal standard of treatment that sewage receives before discharge.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of research by (a) UK organisations, (b) the UK Government and (c) other EU member states into alternatives to using cypermethrin in sheep dip. [17897]

The Government are aware of reports from the Environment Agency of environmental pollution incidents caused by the use of cypermethrin sheep dips. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Environment Agency are jointly working towards developing a pollution reduction plan. As part of this plan they recently held a meeting of various interested groups from farming organisations, environmental non-government organisations with interests in fishing and wildlife, sheep dip manufacturers, the wool scouring industry and NAWAD.

The main alternatives to the use of cypermethrin sheep dips in the UK contain the active substance diazinon which is an organophosphate. These products have a record of known efficacy over many years. However, users must respect the recommended precautions to ensure their safe use.

DEFRA has funded four research and development projects on the development of non-chemical alternatives for the control of sheep scab. All four of these projects have been completed and three continuation projects are currently being funded to develop further the advances made on immunological (vaccine) and biological (entomopathogenic fungi) control methods. These are complex long-term projects and if they do lead to the development of viable alternative products it is unlikely that such products will be available for at least five and probably 10 years. Details of this research can be found on the DEFRA (www.defra.gov.uk) and VMD (www.vmd.gov.uk) websites.

The Government are not aware of any research by other UK organisations or EU member states into the alternatives to using cypermethrin in sheep dips.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for an alternatives to organophosphates for sheep dips; and what research the Department has funded on this. [18453]

Defra has funded four Research and Development projects on the development of non-chemical alternatives for the control of sheep scab. All four of these projects have been completed and three continuation projects are currently being funded to develop further the advances made on immunological (vaccine) and biological (entomopathogenic fungi) control methods. These are complex long term projects and if they do lead to the development of viable alternative products it is unlikely that such products will be available for at least five and probably 10 years.

Details of this research can be found on the Defra (www.defra.gov.uk) and Veterinary Medicines Directorate (www.vmd.gov.uk) websites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to introduce the recommendations in the Competition Commission's report on prescription-only veterinary medicines. [18215]

The Government carefully considered the recommendations made by the Competition Commission in their report on the supply of prescription-only medicines in the UK. Defra's formal response to these recommendations was issued on 9 July 2003 and is available on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD) website (www.vmd.gov.uk) under Publications, General", 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 53WS.

Those recommendations which were accepted by the Government have been carried forward within the recent comprehensive revision of the UK veterinary medicines legislation and the recommendations requiring changes to legislation on veterinary medicines are included in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2005 (SI 2745) that are due to come into force on 30 October 2005.

The recommendation that a review of distribution classifications of marketing authorisations has been addressed by a three month public consultation from 27 July 2005 requesting interested parties to submit cases for the review of the classification of individual products or product groups. The consultation closes on 19 October and all interested parties will be consulted again on proposals to change any product's distribution category. Details of the consultation are available on the VMD website under Consultations, Current".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many volunteering positions her Department has offered in each of the last five years. [17872]

DEFRA currently offers all staff one day's paid special leave each year for volunteering. However, central records are not kept of staff who apply for special leave for this purpose. Consequently, to provide the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

DEFRA encourages its staff to volunteer in their own time, either with charities or with voluntary community organisations in their own area as this helps to support the Departments main aim: Sustainable Development.

DEFRA's internal website includes links to a number of organisations with which the Department has had contact or with which staff are currently already volunteering. The list of organisations will be added to in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to (a) reduce water abstraction and (b) increase river flows during the summer months; and if she will make a statement. [18551]

The Environment Agency is the statutory body with a duty to manage water resources in England and Wales. The principal mechanism for achieving sustainable management and development of water resources is through the Agency's system of abstraction licensing.

Many abstraction licences will have a condition thatmeans abstraction must cease if the river flow or depth falls below a specified value. In addition the Environment Agency can place a ban on abstractions by spray irrigators, if this becomes necessary.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, can make a drought order, on application by the Environment Agency or a water undertaker, which contains powers to reduce abstractions by third parties to ensure that supplies can be maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to build new reservoirs in the (a) East and (b) South East of England; and if she will make a statement. [18554]

In fulfilment of their duties to maintain adequate supplies of water, several water companies in southern England propose to enlarge existing reservoirs or construct new ones. These proposals were set out in the 25 year water resources plans they prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency has advised Ministers about the appropriateness of these proposals and other measures to ensure security of supply, in its report Maintaining water supply", which was published in July 2004. The Department has no plans to build reservoirs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to ensure the water needs of the (a) East and (b) South East of England are met; and if she will make a statement. [18555]

The Environment Agency is the statutory body with a duty to manage water resources in England and Wales. As part of the Agency's management role it has national and regional water resource strategies which set out the pressures over the next 25 years.

Water companies have duties to maintain adequate supplies of water. They have 25 year water resource plans which complement the Agency strategies and seek to reconcile supply with anticipated demand. These water resource plans are produced voluntarily, every five years, at present but will become a statutory requirement under the provisions of the Water Act 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for protecting water supplies from tampering; and what measures are taken to do so. [19375]

Water companies are responsible for protecting the public water supply. Their installations and facilities have security precautions in place to protect the treated water supply from tampering and these are continually reviewed by the companies. They also have plans to cater for all types of emergency situations including contamination of supply. It is not the policy of the Department to disclose details of these arrangements or any procedures relating to national security.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes for dealing with antisocial behaviour by children under 10 years. [18847]

The Government are determined to ensure that parents take full responsibility for their children's behaviour and are considering a range of measures to do so. We have no plans to introduce antisocial behaviour orders for those aged under 10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued in the Peterborough city council area in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004. [18209]

The information requested is available on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in (a) Essex and (b) each police division in Essex in each of the last three years. [18083]

Available information is given in the table.

Antisocial behaviour order data are not available by police division. A table giving a breakdown by the local government authority area in which prohibitions are imposed within orders is available on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk

Antisocial behaviour orders issued in Essex, as notified to the Home Office, by year

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average length of time to determine asylum appeals from the date of being lodged to the date of hearing for appeals lodged (a) before and (b) after 4 April 2005; and if he will make a statement. [18968]

I have been asked to reply.

The latest provisional information available from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicates that an asylum appeal lodged 4 April 2005 took on average 33 weeks from first being lodged to a decision being promulgated by an Immigration Adjudicator of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA).(a) before the

Asylum appeals arising from a claim refused by the Home Office prior to the 4 April 2005 were lodged first, in accordance with the Tribunal's procedure rules, with the decision maker, before being transferred to the IAA to be determined by an Immigration Adjudicator.

The latest provisional information available from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicates that an asylum appeal lodged 4 April 2005 took on average five weeks from being lodged, to a decision being promulgated by an immigration judge of the AIT.(b) after the

Asylum appeals arising from a claim refused by the Home Office after the 4 April 2005 are lodged directly to the AIT in accordance with Rule 6 of The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons who have been granted British citizenship since 1 January 2000 had, prior to the granting of British citizenship, been (a) found guilty of a criminal offence by a court in the United Kingdom and (b) sentenced to a custodial sentence by a court in the United Kingdom. [16346]

All persons applying for naturalisation as a British citizen are required to meet a good character requirement. As part of the naturalisation process a police record check is made into all applicants. A check is also made on older minors who are applying for registration at the Secretary of State's discretion. In assessing whether any previous criminal activity would affect a person's ability to meet the good character requirement, we would take into account the nature of the offence, the age of the offender and the length of time that had elapsed since conviction. If sufficient time free of further offending had not elapsed since the offence, the application would normally be refused.

Between 1 January 2000 and 4 October 2005 765,833 applications for British citizenship have been decided. Of those, 4,947 were refused on character grounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is Home Office policy that police community support officers are entitled to be issued with personal protective equipment including anti-stab vests. [17709]

holding answer 14 October 2005

The issue of personal protective equipment to community support officers (CSOs) is an operational matter for chief officers. Guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers recognises that the issue of body armour to CSOs has become commonplace and that forces should consider issue of this equipment in light of local health and safety assessments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the levels of (a) violent crime, (b) car crime, (c) robbery and (d) burglary in Pudsey constituency; and if he will make a statement. [18922]

The Pudsey constituency comes within the Leeds Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). The current levels of recorded offences for the crimes requested are given in the table.

Recorded crimes in the Leeds Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area: 2004–05

⁽³⁾The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of crime undertaken as a direct consequence of drug addiction; and if he will make a statement. [16701]

Crime statistics used for monitoring overall crime trends, such as recorded crime and the British Crime Survey, do not contain information about the drug habits of individual offenders or their motivation for offending. It is therefore not possible to provide firm estimates of the total amount of crime undertaken as a direct consequence of addiction.

Findings from the Home Office sponsored New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring survey programme (NEW-ADAM), in which arrestees in custody suites in 16 high crime areas in England and Wales were interviewed and tested for drugs between 1999 and 2001, found that 38 per cent. of all arrestees included in the survey tested positive for opiates such as heroin, and/or cocaine/crack.

Furthermore, more than one-third (35 per cent.) of all interviewed arrestees were problem drug users (i.e. they reported recent signs of dependence on one or more illicit drug types).

Among those arrestees who reported recent drug dependence, 62 per cent. said that they were dependent on heroin.

Four out of five interviewed arrestees reported the use of at least one illicit drug in the previous 12 months and nearly two-thirds of these drug users said they had committed an acquisitive crime, such as burglary, shoplifting or other theft, during the same period.

Among those who used illicit drugs and had committed an acquisitive crime in the past year 60 per cent. overall said there was some link between their drug use and offending—this rose to 84 per cent. among crack users and 87 per cent. of heroin users. The findings from this study can be accessed via the Research Development and Statistics website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/drugs_new_adam.html

A new Arrestee Survey is currently being undertaken which will provide more comprehensive and nationally representative information on the proportion of crime that is drug-related in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what remit relating to sustainable development is (a) required and (b) undertaken by bodies for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement. [16313]

Advice on sustainable development will be issued shortly to Home Office-sponsored Executive and Advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's) as part of a wider revision of central guidance. The advice will, among other things, explain that NDPBs must consider the responsibilities they have for meeting the Government's commitment to sustainable development. We currently do not collate information about the extent to which NDPBs incorporate sustainable development into their remit, but some do have environmental policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list individuals subject to an EU travel ban who have entered UK territory in the last three years. [16072]

This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which regions of the United Kingdom are owners or keepers of soft airguns and low powered airguns, with an energy level in excess of one joule, required to hold a firearm certificate. [18093]

holding answer 14 October 2005

There is no such requirement in Great Britain except for air weapons declared to be especially dangerous by rules made by the Secretary of State under section 53 of the Firearms Act 1968 i.e. air pistols with a muzzle energy in excess of six ft.lb or air rifles with a muzzle energy in excess of 12 ft.lb. The Act does not extend to Northern Ireland which has its own specific legislation

To ask the Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment if he will assess the accountability of police forces in England and Wales in their use of firearms. [18534]

The use of lethal force by police officers is subject to the same requirements as for any other use of force. In general terms, the Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 also provides for the use of force when necessary in exercising any of the powers provided under that Act.

Within the general framework of the law governing the use of force by the police, Chief Officers must have regard to the Statutory Code of Practice on the Police Use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons.

The Code is made under the Police Acts of 1996 and 1997. The Code of Practice is backed up by a more detailed Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers which covers the more operational aspects of the use of firearms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are required to the laws banning the use of certain handguns in order to allow the relevant Olympic events to take place at the London 2012 Games. [17785]

No changes to the law are required to allow the pistol shooting events to take place at the Olympic Games to be hosted by London in 2012. The necessary arrangements can be made by issuing authorities under Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department

(1) whether his Department is proposing to take further action to effect the arrest of General Almog; [17027]

(2) whether his Department made a request to Interpol to circulate the arrest warrant for General Almog. [17029]

The arrest warrant was issued on 10 September. On 15 September the District Judge who issued the warrant withdrew it, noting that it had been issued on grounds of urgency, but once General Almog had left the UK, the urgency was removed. There is therefore no outstanding warrant for his arrest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) private and (b) commercial vehicles entering the UK were searched by immigration officials at the (i) Hull, (ii) Dover, (iii)Portsmouth and (iv) Southampton ports of entry in the last period for which figures are available. [3139]

At Hull, Southampton, Portsmouth and juxtaposed locations with services arriving at Dover, manual searches of private cars are conducted by Immigration Service staff on a risk assessed, intelligence led basis. Figures are not collated on these checks.

Commercial vehicles on services to Portsmouth, Southampton and Hull are screened by the port operator and carriers abroad. Figures are not available for these checks. On arrival in the UK screening of the vehicles by the Immigration Service is undertaken on a risk assessed intelligence led basis. 100 per cent. of commercial vehicles departing from juxtaposed locations to Dover are screened by the port operators on behalf of carriers using search technologies provided by the Immigration Service. Secondary checks are also conducted by Immigration Officers at juxtaposed locations on a risk assessed, intelligence led basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers are available to the police to disperse youths in known troublespots; and if he will make a statement. [18557]

Section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 gives the police a power to disperse groups who are causing or who are likely to cause intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to others.

These powers are limited to areas where anti-social behaviour is a significant and persistent problem and there is a history of members of the public causing intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to others.

If a superintendent is satisfied that these conditions have been met and he has gained the agreement of the local authority, he may give authorisation for this power to be used by an officer for a period of up to six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will collate and publish figures for (a) the income from parking fines and (b) the number of parking fines issued in each local authority area in England in each year since 1997. [17501]

Whilst information is not available centrally on the amount of income from parking fines, available information on court-imposed fines and fixed penalty notices issued by the police is given in the following tables. The information is broken down by police force area and relates to all offences of obstruction, waiting and parking in England during the calendar years 1997 to 2003 (latest available).

Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.

Information for 2004 will be available early in 2006.Under the Road Traffic Act 1991, decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) powers allow local authorities to take over responsibility for enforcing parking contraventions from police. Data on penalty charge notices (PCNs) from individual local authorities operating decriminalised parking enforcement was first published in the Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales 2002 Supplementary tables'. The latest publication 2003 [Table 22(a)—22(b) refers] lists data by local authorities partaking in the scheme, a copy of which is available in the Library. This publication can also be accessed on the Home Office research development and statistics (RDS) website at:

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm

Table A: Fixed penalty data by police force area for obstruction, waiting and parking offences1,2England 1997–2003 -- Number of tickets

Number of tickets

Number of tickets

⁽⁴⁾Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.22; Transport Act 2000 ss.173 (5); 173 (6); 173 (7); 174 (3); 175 (2); 175 (3); 175 (4); 190 Highway Act 1835 ss 72 and 78; RTA 1988 ss. 19 & 21; Highways Act 1980 s. 137 (1); Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 ss. 5 (1), 8,32–36 and 45–53; Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) regulations 1986 Regs. 101 and 103; Transport Act 2000 Part III; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 s. 54 (1)

⁽⁵⁾Does not include decriminalised parking enforcements (DPE).

Table B: Court proceedings data for obstruction, waiting and parking offences England 1997–2003Court proceedings^(6)(7)(8)