To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what use (a) his Department and (b) its agencies make of (i) MOSAIC and (ii) ACORN data. (222053)

The Department does not make any direct use of (i) MOSAIC data or (ii) ACORN data. The Department has used data that has been extracted by an independent company from M0SAIC for the purpose of segmenting audiences during the National Minimum Wage campaign.

I have asked the chief executives of the Department’s agencies to respond direct to the hon. Member.

Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 9 October 2008:

The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2008/3618) asking what use (a) his Department and (b) its agencies make of (i) MOSAIC data and (ii) ACORN data.

The Agency does not make any direct use of (i) Mosaic data or (ii) Acorn data.

Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 6 October 2008:

I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Companies House do not use MOSAIC or ACORN data.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he was informed that KPMG had resigned as auditors to Excel Airways Group PLC in October 2006; what steps he and the regulator took to investigate the reasons for this resignation; and if he will set up an investigation into the financial affairs of Excel and the successor XL Leisure Group. (224686)

Companies House received KPMG's letter and statutory statement on 31 October 2006, and registered it on 7 November 2006. Companies House performed its statutory function of registering the document and placing it on the public record, but it had no duty, or power, to act on the contents of the document.

The administrators of XL Leisure Group plc, formerly called Excel Airways Group plc appointed on 12 September, have a duty to make a report within six months to the Secretary of State under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 on the conduct of its directors. In any event, the Insolvency Service, to which the administrators' report will be referred, is considering whether a Companies Act investigation is merited.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what the range in rates of the Annual Service Provision Cost (Franchise Fee) paid by branches of the Post Office is; (224852)

These are operational matters for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the economic impact on the City of Liverpool of Royal Mail's proposal to close the Coppers Hill mail sorting office; and if he will make a statement. (225742)

The decision to close the Coppers Hill mail centre was an operational decision by Royal Mail management. While Royal Mail intends to close this centre, it will be opening three new delivery offices in Liverpool. The Government fully appreciates that the closure of mail centres or other Royal Mail facilities creates uncertainty for Royal Mail employees and their families. I understand that Royal Mail is discussing the impact of their proposals and decisions with employees and will work with them individually to understand their preferences for future employment within the business.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he was consulted on Royal Mail's review of mail sorting offices in the North West; and whether similar reviews are being carried out in other regions. (225743)

The Review of the mail centres in the North West is an operational matter for Royal Mail. Ministers were not consulted about the specific decisions taken as it is for the Royal Mail management to decide how to run its operations efficiently. It is also for Royal Mail to decide how and when it should review its operations in other regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local housing companies will be allowed to build directly managed council houses with secure tenancies and council set rents. (221048)

[holding answer 22 July 2008]: The corporate aims and activities of individual local housing companies (LHC) will be decided by local authorities in agreement with their private sector partners. However, in general terms, LHCs are likely to be housing development, and possibly management, companies that build homes having a mix of tenures and types. It will be possible for LHCs to transfer homes into local authority ownership for them to manage and let on secure tenancies at rents set by the authority, if that is what they wish to do.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of targeting national indicator 191 on residual household waste on local authorities’ propensity to adopt fortnightly rubbish collections. (222717)

I have been asked to reply.

No assessment has been made of the effect of targeting national indicator 191 on residual household waste on local authorities’ propensity to adopt alternate weekly collections of residual waste. Such decisions are entirely a matter for local authorities themselves.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 19 June 2008, Official Report, column 1187W, on Dorneywood: official hospitality, what use her Department has made of Dorneywood for official engagements in the last 12 months. (221977)

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken to encourage local authorities to open their facilities to the public. (225339)

The Government are keen for local authorities to make available their facilities to local people. How this is achieved is a matter for local discretion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of how many repossessions were avoided by the Government’s mortgage rescue service in 2007-08. (225745)

The Government’s £200 million mortgage rescue scheme was announced by the Prime Minister on 2 September. It is anticipated that the scheme will be open for business by January 2009.

The scheme builds on existing Government initiatives aimed at supporting homeowners in financial difficulty and at risk of repossession. It is expected to assist up to 6,000 of the most vulnerable households, in England, likely to need state assistance were they to be repossessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on the number of complaints to local authorities about rodent problems in each of the last 10 years. (222465)

I have been asked to reply.

Neither DEFRA nor Communities and Local Government hold any records on the number of complaints to local authorities about rodent problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the account taken of competition issues and open tendering in the processes adopted by local authorities in selecting partnership agreements with private sector companies on waste management; and if she will make a statement. (222865)

I have been asked to reply.

The procurement of local authority contracts is the responsibility of the individual authority and must follow EU procurement rules which promote competitive tendering. DEFRA’s Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme (WIDP) offers PFI credits and transactor support as well as best practice guidance to authorities procuring residual waste infrastructure. WIDP always encourages authorities to structure their procurements to encourage competition in order to achieve value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with Liverpool City Council on the selection of their private sector waste management partner. (222866)

I have been asked to reply.

DEFRA has not had any discussions with Liverpool city council on the selection of their private sector waste management partner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was spent on grassroots sports in the London boroughs of (a) Southwark, (b) Lambeth, (c) Lewisham, (d) Newham, (e) Hackney, (f) Waltham Forest, (g) Tower Hamlets and (h) Greenwich in each of the last five years. (224186)

Funding for grassroots sport in London is available from a number of sources including local authority expenditure, Exchequer funding from DCMS via Sport England, and lottery funding via Sport England. The following figures do not include funding for national schemes that may have been spent within these boroughs. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. We do not hold information on local authority expenditure in the boroughs listed, but Sport England has advised that the amounts of Exchequer and lottery funding spent on grassroots sports in each borough, in each year of the last five years are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel left (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in each of the last five years. (225669)

Data on the number of Personnel leaving each of the UK regular armed forces can be found in tables 6, 7,9,10 and 11 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 4 - UK Armed Forces Quarterly Manning Report. TSP 4 is publishedquarterly and the most recent publication shows figures for the 12 months to 1 July 2008 and can be found at:

http://bravo.dasa.r.mil.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=67&pubTvpe=1&thiscontent=20&date=2008-08-28

Copies of TSP 4 are available in the Library of the House and also at

www.dasa.mod.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps have been taken to assess alternatives to bear fur for use in guardsmen’s busbies; and if he will make a statement. (225305)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Baroness Taylor on 29 September 2008, Official Report, column WA385, in the other place to the noble Lord Corbett.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the armed forces (a) Apache, (b) Lynx and (c) Gazelle vehicles were (i) fit for purpose and (ii) out of service at the latest date for which figures are available. (223847)

The percentages of the (a) Apache, (b) Lynx and (c) Gazelle aircraft considered (i) fit for purpose are detailed in the following table. For (ii), the term ‘out of service’ is not used in describing the management of helicopter fleets, however, for the purpose of this answer, ‘out of service’ is defined as those aircraft which are in the Depth fleet and those which are classified as non-effective aircraft.

The Departmental fleet comprises the effective and non-effective aircraft. The effective aircraft comprise those in the Forward fleet and those in the Depth fleet. Forward fleet are those aircraft that are available to the front-line command for operational and training purposes. Aircraft defined as ‘fit for purpose’ are those within the Forward fleet that are considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date at short notice. The Depth fleet are those aircraft which are undergoing modification, depth maintenance and repair, are in storage (including attrition aircraft), surplus aircraft awaiting classification as ‘ineffective’, or Trial aircraft.

Non-effective aircraft are those aircraft still on the Military Register which are declared surplus and awaiting disposal and are no longer expected to be flown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to dispose of Erskine Barracks, Wilton, on the open market; and if he will make a statement. (225204)

Erskine Barracks has been identified for disposal in the Defence Estates Development Plan 2008. A small area of the site is not Ministry of Defence (MOD) freehold and this will be returned to the owner. It is anticipated that the MOD owned area will be disposed of on the Open Market, once the site has been vacated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to place the order for the third tranche of the Typhoon. (225724)

Negotiations with partner nations and industry on tranche three are continuing; decisions will be taken once these negotiations are complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department has not written to the hon. Member for Thurrock with details of the plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the First World War's armistice on 11 November 2008; and if he will make a statement. (225397)

My predecessor wrote to the hon. Member on 25 February 2008 setting out our initial proposals. Plans for an event to mark the 90th anniversary of the Great War Armistice at the Cenotaph in London on 11 November 2008 are still being finalised but I intend to provide further information to the House next week.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether any Commissioner has withdrawn from a meeting of the Commission or part of a meeting on the grounds of a possible conflict of interest in the last 10 years. (224675)

The Electoral Commission informs me that there have been three occasions on which a Commissioner has withdrawn from discussions in a Commission meeting on the grounds of a possible conflict of interest.

In addition, the Commissioner who chairs the Boundary Committee for England always withdraws when decisions are taken on Boundary Committee reports and recommendations.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether he has made representations to the Commission about Parliament's view on the Commissions' work on political donations; and if he will make a statement. (224676)

I personally have made no such representations.

The Electoral Commission is always willing to receive the views of Members of Parliament on any aspect of its work.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that all relevant information on its register of regulated donees is published on the Commission's website for the years 2001 to January 2008 including details of donations received, name of donor, name of donee, amount, type of donation and whether the donation was notified to the Commission on time. (224677)

The Electoral Commission informs me that it is required under section 69 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 to maintain a public register of donations to regulated donees. The legislation requires that the register includes the name of the donor, the amount or value of any donation and the date the donation was accepted. The register also includes type of donation. All of these entries from 2001 can be viewed on the Commission's website.

The legislation does not require that donations reported late to the Commission be listed separately in the register. However, since 20 February 2008 the Commission has published a list each month of donations to regulated donees identifying those donations reported late.

In addition to this information the Commission has also published on its website, and placed in the House of Commons Library, a list of 527 donations to regulated donees reported late since 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Commoners' Association is able to negotiate single farm payments on behalf of its members; and what progress is being made in enabling other associations to establish similar arrangements, with particular reference to Minchinhampton Commoners' Association. (222670)

At the present time Hatherleigh Moor Management Committee is the only commoners' association that has been able to claim under the single payment scheme on behalf of its members.

A number of other commoners' associations including Minchinhampton Commoners' Association have submitted requests to make applications on behalf of their members. These requests are currently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new cases of non-payment of Single Farm Payment claims since 2005 have been recorded in the last three months. (223902)

No new cases of non-payment of single farm payment claims since 2005 have been recorded in the last three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will provide financial assistance for farmers using additional fuel to dry grain following the 2008 harvest; (224148)

The Government have great sympathy for those farm businesses affected by the extremely wet weather that has hampered this year's harvest. However, the Government do not provide compensation for crop losses as a result of extreme weather or financial assistance for additional fuel used to dry grain.

Farmers have a range of risk and crisis management methods available, including tax averaging, diversification, some limited weather insurance, crop selection and ‘self-insurance’ through saving and borrowing. An increasing number of farmers are making use of such tools and DEFRA is continuing to support their take-up, including by sponsoring risk management workshops in partnership with the industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what means his Department ensures that animals imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research are free from infectious disease. (222775)

In general, there are no separate import conditions for animals imported for research purposes. They must just comply with the normal import requirements set out in the Importer Information Notes (IINs), that can be found on the DEFRA website.

Rabies-susceptible animals imported for research must be travelling to quarantine approved premises where they must remain in quarantine for six months.

The exceptions to these rules are rodents and lagomorphs (a category which includes animals such as rabbits), which when imported into the UK for research must be licensed by Animal Health and use Supplementary Certification, signed by the responsible veterinary or medical supervisor (or other appropriately qualified responsible person) of the research establishment/premises. This certification states that:

Prior to the export the rodents/lagomorphs have been in the research/breeding establishment for not less than 15 days;

The colony has been closed for not less than 15 days or the rodents/lagomorphs to be exported have been caged and separated or isolated from any new introductions for a period of 15 days;

For the 12 months prior to shipment, the rodents/lagomorphs have been kept in an establishment(s) where no case of rabies was reported for at least 12 months;

No experiments with rabies or rabies related virus have been carried out in the breeding/research establishment during the 12 months immediately prior to the date of export;

Showed no clinical signs of rabies on the day of shipment.

All of the said premises above must hold current Home Office approval and regular veterinary inspections are also required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the UK has placed a moritorium on the importation of non-domestic animals from non-EU countries, with particular reference to South African white rhinoceroses, in advance of EU-wide agreement on the harmonisation of rules on such imports; which other EU member states have put such a moritorium in place; and if he will make a statement. (222849)

No moratorium was placed on imports of non-domestic animals from non-EU countries. I am not aware of any other member state having placed a moratorium on imports at this time. Harmonised rules on imports of such animals are currently being developed. A new EU directive 2008/73 came into force on 3 September 2008 which amends the EU legislation for imports of non-domestic animals and gives member states the powers to prepare national rules in event of no harmonised rules. Following an inquiry regarding the import of white rhinoceroses, a veterinary risk assessment was carried out, and a licence containing health conditions which the animals must meet to be eligible for import was prepared and sent to the South African veterinary authorities for agreement. We are awaiting a response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultation he undertook with zoos and similar institutions, with particular reference to the Cotswold Wildlife Park, prior to establishing the moratorium on the importation of non-domestic animals from non- EU countries.; and if he will make a statement. (222959)

There is no moratorium on imports of non-domestic animals from non-EU countries. DEFRA holds regular quarterly meetings with zoos and other similar institutions to discuss matters of interest. Notes of these meetings are available on the DEFRA website. At the last two meetings—one of which was prior to Cotswold Wildlife Park advising of their wish to import non-domestic animals—the development of an EC proposal for harmonised rules was discussed. Since Cotswold Park contacted DEFRA, a risk assessment has been carried out and a draft licence has been sent to the South African veterinary authorities for agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent steps the Government has taken to improve the monitoring of wildlife imports; (224176)

Together with the Home Office DEFRA has recently approved a three-year financial settlement for the National Wildlife Crime Unit. This is a multi-agency unit which works closely with officers in Animal Health, who form the UK CITES Management Authority, and with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff in the UK Border Agency.

I am confident therefore that the intelligence gathering capability and the monitoring of wildlife imports has been greatly improved and that our ability not only to monitor wildlife imports but more importantly to prevent the illegal importation of wildlife has been greatly enhanced.

HMRC is responsible for the enforcement of import and export CITES controls at the UK frontier and has a specialist CITES team based at London Heathrow airport. Profiling and targeting activities are included within the team's responsibilities to combat illegal imports. The team also makes an active contribution to work on the UK national CITES priorities.

In accordance with animal health requirements, animals have to be accompanied by animal health and public health certification as appropriate. Animals are subjected to post-import tests based on risk, taking into account the species and the country of origin.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps the Government is taking to work with producers of free range turkeys to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks of avian influenza; (222385)

The Government have published extensive advice to all keepers of poultry and other kept birds on the steps they can take to minimise the risk of introducing avian influenza to their flocks. This advice is available on the DEFRA website and in leaflet format. These messages are particularly reinforced during incidents of avian influenza. We have also invited representatives of the poultry sector to work with us on the guidance and encourage poultry keepers to consider the contingency plans needed in the event they do find themselves in a disease control area. We applaud the joint initiative by the British Poultry Council, National Farmers Union, Quality British Turkey and Golden Promise (free range Traditional Farmfresh Turkeys) to produce and distribute best practice advice on housing, sighting, management of flocks and biosecurity for free range turkeys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of spent batteries which were recycled in the latest period for which figures are available. (222739)

The UK currently recycles 90 per cent. of automotive and industrial batteries and approximately 3 per cent. or 600 tonnes, of waste portable batteries each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with producers of batteries on EU Directive 2006/66 on the recycling of batteries. (222745)

DEFRA policy officials have been engaged in informal discussions with battery producers through periods of formal and informal consultation for the past 12 months. Discussions covered the various aspects of forthcoming producer obligations under the Batteries Directive and included the directive’s recycling targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what departmental initiatives are in place to increase the number of honey beekeepers in the North East region. (223871)

New beekeepers can request a free apiary visit from their local bee inspector, who will provide help and advice. This is part of the National Bee Unit’s (NBU) statutory inspection programme for notifiable diseases and pests. The NBU also provides a free comprehensive training and education programme for beekeepers to enable them to develop their skills and become more self-reliant in combating disease problems through improved bee husbandry. In 2007, beekeepers benefited from more than 26,000 colony inspections and an extensive programme of training, including over 600 technical events of which 134 were in the north east region), delivered by the NBU to help improve disease control through good apiary management.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is funding on the promotion of selective breeding of bees to encourage behaviour that will protect the viability of colonies. (224158)

DEFRA currently spends around £1.3 million per annum on a range of bee health measures to assist the beekeeping sector in England. There are no funds allocated specifically for research on selective breeding programmes.

However, this issue is addressed in the draft Bee Health Strategy, which has just completed its public consultation. It is envisaged that the strategy will be published in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the resistance of northern brown honey bees to (a) the varroa mite, (b) foulbrood diseases, (c) colony collapse disorder and (d) small hive beetle. (223872)

No assessments regarding northern brown honey bees have been made. However, a project studying the genetic basis of resistance pathways in honey bees commenced at the National Bee Unit in 2007-08 and resistance to European foulbrood is currently being studied.

The cause of colony collapse disorder in the USA is unknown and there is no current evidence to suggest that the losses experienced in the UK are related. However, investigations into cases of colony losses this season where there is no readily available explanation are continuing as a high priority.

Research into small hive beetle is currently focussed on development of lures to facilitate early detection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1772-3W, on bees: diseases; what further steps he plans to take following reports of further colony losses; (223979)

The proportion of colonies found dead at the beginning of September was 12.3 per cent. of nearly 23,000 colony inspections. This is slightly higher than at the same time in 2007. The NBU are continuing to investigate reports of significant colony losses as a high priority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to make infestation of beehives by the small hive beetle a notifiable condition. (224159)

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), is a notifiable pest under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) Order 2006 (SI 2006 No.342).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is funding on ways to combat the varroa mite. (224160)

Funding across DEFRA and the devolved administrations on bee health in 2007-08 is around £1.9 million, including £200,000 for research and development. This overall funding includes work to develop sustainable approaches for controlling both statutory and non-statutory pests. This year research projects include work on the taxonomy of UK and exotic honey bee viruses, further details of which can be found on the science pages of the DEFRA website.

Government investment in research on varroa exceeds £2.2 million over the past 12 years. It is proven that the best way of tackling varroa is by means of a careful programme of integrated pest management, and beekeepers need to learn to control it to protect their bee colonies. The National Bee Unit assists beekeepers in improved bee husbandry, and has produced a comprehensive advisory leaflet on the subject.

The priorities for future funding will be determined in the context of developing a bee health strategy in liaison with stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of colony collapse disorder affecting the bee industry. (224161)

The proportion of colonies found dead at the beginning of September was 12.3 per cent., based on nearly 23,000 colony inspections. This is slightly higher than at the same time in 2007. The NBU are continuing to investigate reports of significant colony losses as a high priority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the animal welfare implications of the types of mesh used in the construction of bird feeders; (222361)

DEFRA has not carried out any research on the animal welfare aspects of the types of mesh used in the construction of bird feeders or made an assessment of risks to birds of certain types of mesh. I am not aware of any representations on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) dolphins and (b) porpoises died as a result of by-catch in fishing nets in UK waters in the latest period for which figures are available; and what target his Department has to reduce mortality rates in each case. (222724)

In August 2008 the UK submitted to the European Commission its annual report on the implementation of Council Regulation 812/2004 on cetacean by-catch. The report was produced by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) as part of their scientific research contract with DEFRA and it summarises cetacean by-catch observations undertaken in 2006-07.

The report states that no cetacean by-catch was observed in the fleet segments designated under Council Regulation 812/2004 on cetacean by-catch in the period of 2006-07. The Annual Report of the United Kingdom to the European Commission on the implementation of Council Regulation 812/2004 on cetacean by-catch is available at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/marine/fisheries/conservation/cetaceans.htm.

This report also includes data on cetacean by-catch observed under the obligations of the Habitats Directive.

DEFRA and the devolved administrations' fisheries departments published the UK Small Cetacean By-catch Response Strategy in March 2003, which highlights the Government's thinking on how to tackle cetacean by-catch in certain fisheries in UK waters. An update on specific targets and progress to date on implementing the strategy can also be found at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/marine/fisheries/conservation/cetaceans.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1005W, on coastal areas: land, what powers will be available to local communities to affect the poisoning of the coastal corridor. (224281)

The draft Marine Bill proposes that Natural England will be able to identify a coastal route and associated coastal margin around the English coast, to which there will be a right of access on foot.

The Bill requires Natural England to consult affected landowners before preparing its coastal access report which it has to submit to the Secretary of State. The report will include details of the route, of associated spreading room and of any proposals for exclusions and restrictions on access. In addition, the landowner and access authorities will be given an opportunity to make representations about matters in the coastal access reports. The final decision on the route and margin will be taken by the Secretary of State after consultation and representations have been made on any proposals from Natural England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of implementing Environmental Protection guidance note PG5/2(04) on local authority crematorium fees. (222444)

The costs of implementing controls over mercury emissions, which comprise the main additional requirements of guidance note PG5/2(04), as amended in 2005, were set out in two consultation papers published in 2003 and 2004, which can be found on the DEFRA website. The 2003 estimate was £55 per cremation, which was substantially reduced when the decision was taken to apply the requirements to only 50 per cent. of cremations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on farmers of the levels of rainfall over the 2008 harvest season; and if he will make a statement. (224151)

The 2008 harvest period has been one of the wettest on record with rainfall around double normal levels, which slowed progress with the harvest. The Government have taken action to help farmers in England by granting a temporary exemption from the cross compliance standard to enable them to use mechanical equipment and vehicles on waterlogged soils in order to complete the harvest. We are continuing to monitor developments closely, but it is still too early to make a full assessment of the impact of the wet weather on yield and crop quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many notifications (a) his Department and (b) its agencies made to the Information Commissioner following the loss or mishandling of personal information or data in each of the last three years; and what was notified in each case. (222897)

DEFRA has published details of the personal data related incidents notified to the Information Commissioner's Office in 2007-08 in its 2008 Departmental Report published on 19 May 2008.

Before November 2007 the Information Commissioner's Office did not specifically keep records of instances of security breaches.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 25 June 2008, providing the final report on measures for data handling procedures in Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what use (a) his Department and (b) its agencies make of (i) MOSAIC data and (ii) ACORN data. (221935)

The DEFRA Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours toward the Environment 2007 included both ACORN and MOSAIC in the data coding to facilitate secondary analysis.

ACORN and MOSAIC datasets have also been used by third parties working on our behalf, for example, for DEFRA-funded research related to perceptions of quality of life.

Further information is not held centrally within DEFRA and to obtain this would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2008, Official Report, column 1079W, on departmental home working, if he will make it his policy to collate and maintain central records of home working by his Department's staff. (222461)

All staff at DEFRA can apply to work flexibly, including working from home.

As requests to work from home are submitted on an informal basis for approval within the local business area, we do not monitor applications and we have no plans to change this and collate and maintain central records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what types of data have been sold by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations in the last 12 months. (221941)

Core information produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and its agencies can be re-used free of charge under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence which is administered by the Office of Public Sector Information in accordance with the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations.

Neither DEFRA, nor its agencies, have sold any data or information under these Regulations in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what permanent residential accommodation is provided for use by civil servants in his Department; how many residential dwellings are provided; where they are located; and for what grade of civil servant they are provided. (221936)

The Department currently holds 14 residential dwellings available for use by civil servants employed within the Department. The residential accommodation comprises houses, flats and shared residences.

With the exception of a single dwelling in Reading, the accommodation (13 units) is situated at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency research complex in Weybridge.

The provision of residential accommodation forms part of the Veterinary Laboratory Agency's key worker policy developed to support the ongoing research.

The majority of staff currently residing in Department held accommodation are at higher executive and executive officer grades, however accommodation is allocated subject to availability and based upon business need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have been seconded to public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies in each of the last five years. (222201)

The numbers of staff that have been seconded out of DEFRA and its agencies to public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies in the last five years are shown in the following table:

The available data do not split the numbers between DEFRA and its agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff from public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies have been seconded to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years. (222202)

The following number of staff have been seconded to DEFRA and its agencies from public relations or public affairs firms or consultancies in the last five years:

The available data do not split the numbers between DEFRA and its agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have made under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to (i) undertake directed surveillance, (ii) use covert human intelligence sources, (iii) acquire communications data and (iv) undertake intrusive surveillance in the last 24 months. (221950)

Figures on public authority use of covert investigation techniques controlled by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) are published annually by the Interception of Communications Commissioner, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner and the Intelligence Service Commissioner who each have particular inspection and oversight responsibilities under RIPA. The latest reports were laid before Parliament and copies placed in the House Library on 22 July. The figures provided in the reports are not broken down by individual public authority use of specific covert technique as, depending on the particular technique and authority using it, this could either reveal sensitivities or be misleading. The question of further disclosure for any particular public authority is a matter for the relevant Commissioner.

I can confirm that DEFRA does not have the power to apply for or conduct intrusive surveillance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned on the (a) stranding and (b) death of dolphins in the last three years; and what plans he has to commission further such research. (223971)

For over 15 years, the Government have funded studies by the Natural History Museum and Institute of Zoology on trends in cetacean strandings and causes of death around the UK coastline.

Strandings data are obtained and reported by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Institute of Zoology and Scottish Agricultural College and Marine Environmental Monitoring. Annual reports of the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) are available on the DEFRA website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/resprog/findings/index.htm

Under this research contract, not only are all stranded animals recorded, but post-mortem examinations are carried out on some of the animal carcasses to establish the exact cause of death. Abundance estimates tell us populations of studied cetaceans in UK waters have not changed significantly over the past 10 years.

The research conducted under this contract was renewed last April and runs until 2010 at a cost of over £1 million.

From 2000 to date, the UK has put over £2 million into researching by-catch mitigation measures and monitoring by-catch on vessels through observers, to try to identify those fisheries responsible for high levels of cetacean by-catch, and mitigation measures that are effective at deterring cetaceans over the long-term and are safe and cost-effective for the industry.

DEFRA has implemented a comprehensive system of by-catch monitoring under the requirements of the EC habitats directive and under Council Regulation 812/2004. The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) produces annual reports on this research for DEFRA (which are also available on the website). Furthermore, SMRU has recently undertaken research on behalf of DEFRA into the effects of a new design of acoustic deterrent device (‘pingers’) on porpoise and dolphin distribution. These ‘super-pingers’ are larger, and therefore, fewer devices are required, reducing deployment problems. We hope to have more details on the efficacy of these new pingers by spring 2009.

In addition to this work, SMRU has also undertaken a by-catch mitigation research project, which has been looking at:

Providing updated estimates of marine mammal by-catch for all relevant fishery sectors through analysis of fleet effort data; existing by-catch rate data; and through further monitoring of UK fisheries as determined under the UK’s Small Cetacean by-catch Response Strategy;

Investigating the impact of by-catch and other indirect effects of UK fisheries on marine mammal populations, and exploring ways of addressing the limits to by-catch from a management perspective; and

Exploring as many research avenues as practicable to search for ways of changing fishing gear design or fishing tactics in order to minimise marine mammal by-catch.

The final report on this research project is expected to be made available publicly by the end of 2008. A new research contract on this issue has recently been agreed with SMRU and will run until April 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average time per year spent by a household in sorting and recycling rubbish. (224311)

[holding answer 6 October 2008]: No such estimate has been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities have reinstated weekly collections of residual household rubbish in the last 12 months (a) in whole and (b) in part for summer months according to records held by (i) his Department and (ii) the Waste and Resources Action Programme. (222870)

The information is as follows.

(i) We are aware that the following councils have made changes in the last 12 months:

Blackburn with Darwen council has re-instated weekly collections of residual waste within the last 12 months.

Following trials of an alternate weekly collection service in parts of their districts, East Cambridgeshire council and Rushmoor council have decided to retain weekly collections of refuse.

(ii) Epping Forest—operates alternate weekly collections and has re-instated weekly residual waste collections over the summer months.

Gedling—operates alternate weekly collections and has re-instated weekly residual waste collections over the summer months (June-September).

This summer City of Lincoln re-instated, on a trial basis, a weekly collection of residual waste in the areas of the city that receive an alternate weekly collection service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities plan to end weekly collections of residual household rubbish in the next 12 months, or pilot such policies, according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme. (222872)

DEFRA and WRAP hold no such records. The records of alternate weekly collections log what collections have taken place, but we do not have a record of local authorities’ prospective plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have with EDF; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies paid to EDF in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the purpose of the payment. (221843)

DEFRA came into being in June 2001. Information on what contracts DEFRA’s agencies have with EDF, and how much those agencies paid to EDF since 2001 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. From information held centrally the core-Department’s financial system records the following expenditure profile with EDF:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in his Department are wholly or mainly tasked with the negotiation, implementation or administration of EU legislation and consequent policies. (222268)

This Government are firmly committed to the importance of the EU in delivering on 21st century challenges. The EU is of central importance to the work of HM Government across all Departments. It is relevant to a wide range of policy areas, and to the work of many Government officials. As such, the specific information requested is not held centrally, and to provide it would involve disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of UK fishing in the waters of Western Sahara. (223777)

Before the UK signed up to the agreement in 2006, the EU took legal advice from the United Nations. It ruled that the EU Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement was compatible with international law. The sea areas covered by this agreement are identical to those covered by the original agreement which was adopted in 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Joint Committee established under Article 10 of the EU/Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement. (223778)

No formal assessment has yet been made of the effectiveness of the Joint Committee set up under the EU Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement. However, officials’ experience of the committee to date suggests that it is a useful way of monitoring the effectiveness of the fisheries agreement with Morocco.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of fixed quota allocation units are held by companies and individuals not directly engaged in fishing activities. (224530)

Fixed quota allocation (FQA) units are associated with fishing vessel licences. Given the way the details of fishermen in possession of licences are recorded, it is not possible to accurately determine an individual or company’s holding of FQA units at any given time. Gathering this information would incur disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what opportunities exist for demonstration projects to develop solutions to downstream flooding problems; what criteria are in place for funding support either by his Department or the Environment Agency; and what particular assistance may be available to communities in the Gloucestershire area because of the floods in July 2007. (222399)

The Government's budget for flood management is targeted to achieve the maximum possible benefit. DEFRA guidance directs delivery bodies to consider all options at a catchment scale to reduce downstream flooding problems. In order to encourage the adoption of such projects at a local scale, on 4 July, I announced that £500,000 will be made available to fund a project to demonstrate how land management change can reduce downstream flooding. Outline proposals were invited by 29 August with a view to selecting a number of projects for more detailed assessment before committing funding for implementation. The criteria for this project are that:

there is a recognised flooding problem that could be helped by changes proposed;

the scheme will produce multiple benefits;

project partners are able to secure the land management changes necessary; and

DEFRA's funding will be supplemented by contributions from other sources where appropriate, recognising multiple benefits of the project.

In the meantime the Environment Agency is promoting and supporting catchment projects at a local level. For example, the Environment Agency recently assisted Water 21, an environmental organisation engaged by local residents, which was looking to secure funding for works in the wider Slad Brook catchment in Gloucestershire. The Environment Agency provided river and general catchment data, gave advice on the technical aspects of its work and guidance on proposed actions. The project covers a number of aspects including measures to reduce flooding downstream in Stroud.

The Environment Agency also has a proposal to construct a flood storage reservoir upstream of New Mills Trading Estate on the Slad Brook to reduce flooding in the town. The £500,000 proposal has recently been submitted to the Severn Trent Regional Flood Defence Committee for local funding in 2009-10. The project is competing against a number of other projects in the region and elsewhere. Funding is limited and the projects supported will be selected on their merits against the criteria above. We expect to make a decision in October on which project or projects will taken forward for further assessment before confirming funding for delivery in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of flood defences in (a) Morpeth, (b) Pickering and (c) other areas affected by flooding in September 2008. (224196)

Current flood protection varies for different parts of Morpeth, but it is estimated that the average flood defence provides protection against a one in 60 year event. The Environment Agency is currently examining temporary emergency works that may be required.

The Environment Agency is currently at the end of year one (planning phase) of a four year programme to develop a new scheme to protect Morpeth. Early indications are that an investment of between £13 million and £15 million may be required. The Environment Agency is exploring an accelerated time scale for construction of the works.

There are currently no flood defences in Pickering. However the Environment Agency has recently supported a bid for funding to look at the possibility of reducing flows in the watercourse through tree planting in upland areas.

The following schemes are examples of where effective flood defence helped communities in the recent September flood event:

Up to 21,000 homes at River Taff, Cardiff

Up to 4,600 homes at River Wye, Hereford

Up to 2,500 homes at River Rhondda, Ferndale

Up to 2,100 homes at River Birket, Wirral

Up to 650 homes at Sankey Brook, Warrington

Up to 630 homes at Cringle Brook, Manchester

Up to 400 homes at Bangor on Dee

Up to 3,000 homes In Yorkshire

Up to 650 homes on the Tees at Yarm

Up to 600 homes in York

As a matter of course the Environment Agency will be carrying out a full and systematic review of its assets. All flood defences that were tested will be inspected to ensure they meet the requirements of their design standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information on areas subject to flood risk, held by the Environment Agency, is (a) freely available to the public and (b) purchasable from the Agency. (222868)

Environment Agency flood risk information can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and, in most cases, this will be free of charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of households which are not eligible for insurance against flooding; what steps the Government plan to take to assist such households; and if he will make a statement. (222509)

Flood insurance is included as standard for virtually all household insurance policies in the UK. We have no plans to subsidise flood insurance or act as an insurer of last resort, as it is unlikely to be sustainable or cost-effective for us to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for the maintenance of flood defences on the north bank of the River Humber. (223792)

The following table shows the responsibility for the maintenance of flood defences on the north bank of the River Humber. It details the length in metres of flood defence protection in each flood area and the organisation responsible for its maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the level of production for each (a) food stock and (b) animal feed stock type in (i) 2008, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2006, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2004; and if he will make a statement. (224149)

Information on the level of UK production of the major crop and livestock products for the calendar years 2004 to 2007, in thousand tonnes, which is published in “Agriculture in the United Kingdom”, is presented in the following table. It should be noted that the figures for 2007 are provisional and 2008 data will not be published in full until around March 2009.

Certain items have food uses only i.e. fruit, vegetables, potatoes and all of the livestock products. Peas harvested dry and field beans are used for animal feed only. In the case of sugar beet and oilseed rape, these are processed to make sugar and oils respectively which are used for food and it is the by-products (pulp, molasses, meal/cake) which are used for animal feed. Cereals have a dual use for food and animal feed. The approximate proportions used within the food and animal feed sector are given in the second table.

In terms of total domestic uses, which will take into account imports and exports, the approximate proportions of the cereals crops used within the food and animal feed sector are given in the table. The remainder covers other uses such as seed.

A link to the publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom" is provided which gives access to detailed information on production, supply and use.

https://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/auk/default.asp

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people his Department employs on an annual salary of over £100,000. (222321)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs employs a total of 18 staff on an annual salary of over £100,000 out of a total of 2,900 staff in the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many British Waterways licensed residential moorings there are in England; and where they are located. (222400)

British Waterways directly operates 41 residential mooring sites accommodating a total of 420 authorised residential moorings located on the following waterways in England:

British Waterways is unable to maintain data on the residential status of privately operated sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a list of the organisations that responded to the consultation on Joint Waste Authorities' regulations and guidance. (222860)

The following is the list of respondents to the Consultation on draft regulations and draft guidance for proposals for establishing Joint Waste Authorities in England. A copy is being placed in the Library of the House.

ALCO (formerly Association of London Cleansing Officers)

Ashford Borough Council

Association of North Yorkshire Councils

Audit Commission

Barnsley Metropolitan District Council

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Cambridge City Council

Cambridgeshire County Council

Canterbury City Council

Chichester District Council

City of London

County Surveyors Society

Cumbria Strategic Waste Partnership

Dartford Borough Council

Derbyshire County Council

Devon County Council

Dorset Waste Partnership

East London Waste Authority

East Sussex County Council

Environment Agency

Environmental Services Association

Essex County Council

Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority

Guildford Borough Council

Halton Borough Council

Hampshire Collection and Waste Disposal (Project Integra)

Harrogate Borough Council

Hastings Borough Council

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Joint Waste Forum

Hertfordshire County Council

Indecon Limited

Kent County Council

Kent Waste Partnership

Knowsley District Council

Lancashire Waste Partnership

Lancaster City Council

LARAC

London Borough of Croydon

London Borough of Islington

London Borough of Wandsworth

Lewes District Council

Local Government Ombudsman

London Councils

Maidstone Borough Council

Merseyside Waste Partnership

Milton Keynes Council

National Association of Waste Disposal Officers

Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council

Norfolk County Council

North London Waste Authority

Northamptonshire County Council

Northamptonshire Waste Partnership

Nottinghamshire County Council

North West Leicestershire District Council

Partnership for Buckinghamshire

Portsmouth City Council

re3 Partnership (Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest)

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Rother District Council

Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames

Sevenoaks District Council

Shropshire Waste Partnership

Somerset Waste Partnership

South London Waste Partnership

Staffordshire Joint Waste Management Board

Standards Board

Stratford on Avon District Council

Suffolk Waste Partnership

Swale Borough Council

Thanet District Council

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Valpak

Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Plc

West Sussex County Council

Warwickshire County Council

Wealden District Council

Wellingborough Borough Council

Western Riverside Waste Authority

Woking Borough Council

York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership

Two interested individuals (including a waste manager).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many litter clearance notices were issued in the last year for which figures are available; (222857)

119 litter clearing notices were issued by local authorities between April 2006 and March 2007 and in the reporting year ending March 2006, this is the first year that litter clearing notices were available to local authorities to use. Litter clearing notices were introduced by an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and commenced on 6 April 2006.

In the reporting year ending March 2006, 54.5 per cent. of fixed penalty notices for littering were paid. In the year ending March 2007, 77 per cent. were paid.

Detailed statistics about fines for littering can be found on the DEFRA website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if his Department will offer conservation advice and support to the Government of Cambodia to reduce the number of primates in Cambodia on the ICUN red list of threatened species; (223923)

The UK has not been approached to offer advice or support to the three named countries but would consider any approach if one were received.

In particular, DEFRA supports two funding mechanisms under which conservation projects in these countries would be eligible: the Darwin Initiative and the Flagship Species Fund. To date the Darwin Initiative has provided £65 million to over 464 projects around the world. This includes a project in Vietnam which has specifically provided funding for the conservation of the Hoang Lien Mountain Ecosystem, which included work on primate conservation. The Flagship Species Fund has also supported projects in Vietnam, to conserve the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and the Cao Vit gibbon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the size of world peat reserves in (a) 1998 and (b) 2008. (222501)

We have not undertaken our own assessment of global peat reserves. However, there has been a recent assessment (2005-2007) undertaken by Wetlands International and the Global Environment Centre funded by the United Nations Environment Programme—Global Environment Facility.

This estimates that global peatlands cover four million square kilometres (approximately 3 per cent. of the world's land area) and is being lost at a rate of approximately 4,000 square kilometres per year. There is no comparable figure for 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on the control of pests and noxious plants on Network Rail property. (223697)

DEFRA and Network Rail are members of the project board for research into potential agents for the natural control of Japanese knotweed, and both were represented at a meeting about a similar project for the control of Himalayan balsam. However, DEFRA has had no discussions with Network Rail specifically about controlling invasive non-native pests and plants or the five injurious weeds covered by the Weeds Act 1959 on its land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what stocking density maximum for broiler chickens will be used in implementing the EU Broiler Chicken Directive; and if he will make a statement. (222547)

A full public consultation will be undertaken early next year on the regulations that will implement the EU Broiler Chicken Directive, including provisions on stocking density.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to increase protection of public green spaces. (221828)

The planning system provides strong protection for open spaces that communities need. Planning Policy Guidance Note 17; ‘Open Space, Sport and Recreation’ states that existing open spaces and land should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken by the local authority which has clearly shown the open space or land to be surplus to the requirements of the local community, taking into account all the functions that open space can perform.

PPG17 advises local authorities to make provision for all types of public open space and expects local authorities to undertake robust assessments of local needs and audits of existing open space and to establish standards for new provision. On the basis of these assessments and audits, local authorities should plan to meet future needs of their population (e.g. linked to new housing developments) and can place standards of provision in their development plan. ‘Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing’ says that local planning authorities should have clear policies for the protection and creation of open space, and new housing developments should incorporate sufficient provision where such spaces are not already adequately provided within easy access of the new housing.

Where land is registered as a town or village green, the land is protected from development in perpetuity. Section 15 of the Commons Act 2006 was commenced in England in April last year, in line with commitments given during the Bill's passage through Parliament, to clarify the criteria for the registration of greens.

Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006 contains mainly registration-related provisions which allow for the registers to be updated to create an accurate record of common land and greens. Accurate registers will underpin our objective to provide for the protection and better management of commons and greens for generations to come. Part 1 is being piloted from October 2008 with a view to a staged national commencement from 2010.