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20 Mar 2007 : Column WA177
Written Answers
Tuesday 20 March 2007
Agriculture: Gangmasters
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): As of 13 March 2007, the Gangmasters Licensing Authority has received 1,238 licence applications. Of these, 957 licences have been issued, 61 applications are being processed and 220 applications are either awaiting payment, have been rejected or have been refused.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the cost to date of establishing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority; and what is its budget allocation for 2006-07 and 2007-08.[HL2580]
Lord Rooker: To date, the total cost of establishing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority is £7,255,000. The authority's budget for 2006-07 is £3,200,000 and the budget for 2007-08 is £3,191,000.
Agriculture: Tractors
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people in Northern Ireland have been prosecuted for driving agricultural tractors on public roads without an appropriate licence. [HL2599]
Lord Rooker: I have been informed by the PSNI that statistics related to the above offence are not collated in a format that is easily retrievable. To provide the requested response would require a manual trawl of prosecution files and this could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.
Agriculture: Wages
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
In what ways they have publicised the existence of the Agricultural Wages Team Helpline; and how incoming migrant workers are informed about the national minimum wage. [HL2557]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Agricultural Wages Team Helpline is publicised on the Defra website and information about the helpline is included in the agricultural wages order. The number of the helpline is 0845 0000134.
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The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has distributed 53,750 worker's rights leaflets containing details of the Agricultural Wages Team Helpline and of the National Minimum Wage Helpline. The leaflets have been published in English, Polish, Portuguese, Slovakian, Latvian or Lithuanian.
In addition, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has produced leaflets on employment rights, including the national minimum wage, translated into six languages. These are for inclusion in the Workers Registration Scheme packs distributed by the Home Office. During March, the DTI is also running a national press advertising campaign specifically targeting Polish, Lithuanian and Slovakian workers. The advertisements refer to the National Minimum Wage Helpline and information available on the national minimum wage on the Directgov website. Posters advertising the national minimum wage are also being placed in parts of London with a high concentration of migrant workers.
Armed Forces: Cougar Vehicles
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress the Ministry of Defence has made in delivering the Cougar vehicle to Iraq and Afghanistan. [HL2259]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The first Mastiff vehicles were delivered to Iraq at the end of 2006 and are being used on operations. The first Mastiff vehicles have also been delivered to Afghanistan. For reasons of operational security, I am not prepared to go into the detail of the delivery timetable and numbers of a new capability into an operational theatre, but on current plans the delivery of the remaining vehicles should be complete by summer 2007.
Avian Flu
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will organise an exchange of visits between the State Veterinary Service of the United Kingdom and that from Hungary to gain detailed information regarding their experiences in controlling avian flu. [HL2586]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): There have been regular discussions with the Hungarian State Veterinary Service since it became clear that the outbreaks in Suffolk and Hungary might be connected, in order to share information on our epidemiological investigations.
Defra officials have also offered to send State Veterinary Service field epidemiologists to visit representatives from the Hungarian State Veterinary Service so that they can discuss findings.
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Aviation: Goods Taken from Passengers
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What monitoring is carried out of the disposal of obviously new and unopened toiletries, over-the-counter medical and other goods taken from the hand luggage of airline passengers; and at what level the management of the process is supervised and the goods disposed of accounted for. [HL2589]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government are aware that a significant number of items from passengers’ hand baggage is voluntarily discarded at the search point at UK airports where they are not permitted to be taken on to an aircraft. The management of that process and disposal of the items are a matter for airports.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made an estimate of the total costs to passengers of goods taken by officials from the hand luggage of airline passengers; what dangerous substances have so far been discovered; and by what process they can be traced back to the passengers from whom they were taken. [HL2590]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government have not made any estimates of the total cost of passengers’ goods discovered which are not permitted to be carried on to an aircraft. My noble friend will understand that on security grounds it would not be appropriate to reveal whether any dangerous substances have been discovered during the search procedure at UK airports. However, I can confirm that hand luggage checks are undertaken in the presence of the passenger.
British Citizenship
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Triesman on 7 March (WA 50) and Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 6 March (WA 25), whether they can explain the basis on which a Nepalese law which was enacted in November 2006 can have the effect of changing whether or not a person held British Dependent Territories citizenship in February 1997 or depriving a person of British Overseas citizenship that has already been conferred on that person ipso jure on 1 July 1997; and whether they will place in the Library of the House an English translation of the relevant Nepalese law and any other information they hold pertaining to it. [HL2594]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The current stock letters referred to in the Written Answer I gave to the noble Lord on 7 March
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Once we have received the English translation of the Nepalese law, we will place this, and other relevant information, in the Library of the House.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 7 March (WA 50), whether they will publish in the Official Report for ease of reference the provision of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 which confers British Overseas citizenship to those who were left stateless on 1 July 1997, together with paragraph 25 of the Nationality Provisions of the Hong Kong Act 1985, Cmnd. 9637, laid before Parliament in October 1985. [HL2595]
Lord Triesman: An incorrect reference was made in the Written Answer of 7 March (Official Report, col. WA 50), to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 as conferring British Overseas citizenship on those who were left stateless on 1 July 1997. The Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 determined who would become a British Overseas citizen on 1 July 1997 by virtue of a Hong Kong connection. A copy of paragraph 25 of the nationality provisions of the Hong Kong Act 1985 will be placed in the Library of the House.
Cheese
The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the regulations relating to (a) own farm-produced milk, and (b) bought-in milk for the disposal of whey and washing water as waste products of cheese production; and what guidance to producers is provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency. [HL2492]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): General guidance for the dairy and milk processing sector is contained in Sector Guidance Note IPPC S6.13. This was produced in 2003 by the Environment Agency for England and Wales, in co-ordination with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service (EHS).
The guidance note provides a clear structure and methodology for operators to follow to ensure they address all aspects of the pollution prevention and
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Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of the 25,000 single farm payment cases in 2005 which are being reviewed have now been resolved; and how many remain outstanding. [HL2396]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): I refer the noble Baroness to the Statement made by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State on 22 February (Official Report col. WS 59).
Energy: Biofuels
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the standards of environmental lifecycle performance of different biofuels from the various feedstocks currently used in the United Kingdom.[HL2607]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Government are developing environmental reporting as an integral part of the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO). This will require all fuel suppliers applying for renewable transport certificates under the scheme to report on the carbon savings and wider sustainability impacts of their biofuels. This will encourage companies to supply biofuels which deliver the maximum carbon savings with the minimum environmental impact. It will also ensure that we can monitor the impact of both imported and domestically sourced biofuels.
Work to establish methodologies for measuring the carbon lifecycle performance, social and environmental impacts has been undertaken by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. These methodologies will be piloted and ready for use when the RTFO is introduced in 2008. In developing these initiatives, consultants have drawn upon international life cycle analysis and sustainability work, which is either already in place or being developed for a range of feedstocks, including those produced in the UK, such as rape seed and wheat.
Reports on the RTFO and assurance scheme's performance will be submitted regularly to Ministers, setting out the estimated overall impact, including estimates of greenhouse gas savings achieved and the sustainability of the feedstock supplies being used.
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Energy: Renewable Obligation Scheme
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
In the light of the Carbon Trust's July 2006 report, Policy Frameworks for Renewables, why they have ruled out replacement of the Renewable Obligation Scheme by feed-in tariffs. [HL2464]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The Government remain committed to the renewables obligation (RO) as the main mechanism for supporting deployment of renewables. It was introduced to replace the previous support scheme, the non fossil fuels obligation (NFFO), which was a form of a feed-in tariff, in 2002. A review of the RO, carried out in 2005-06, confirmed the RO was a successful mechanism for encouraging greater deployment of renewables generation, maintaining investor confidence and increasing value for money for the customer. Since its introduction, eligible renewable electricity generated under the scheme has increased to 4.0 per cent of total electricity sales to UK consumers in 2005—up from 1.8 per cent in 2002. This makes it more successful than the NFFO, under which the proportion of renewables rose from 0.2 per cent of electricity sales in 1992 to 1.8 per cent in 2002.
The Government have recently consulted on their proposals to reform the RO. A consultation document, Reform of the Renewables Obligation and Statutory Consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order 2007, was published 9 October 2006 and 206 responses were received. The Government will be taking these responses fully into account in reaching decisions on the future structure of the RO, which will be announced in the Energy White Paper, due to be published in March or May this year.
Environmental Justice
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have proposals to establish a specialist environmental tribunal to help achieve environmental justice more fully and efficiently. [HL2392]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Government have no proposals to establish a specialist environmental tribunal to take over the general role of bodies such as the courts, which presently decide environmental matters.
The Government's Review of Enforcement in Environmental Regulation, which reported in October 2006, suggested that a scheme for administrative sanctions, varied by the regulator, as an alternative to criminal prosecution, may have the potential to improve the fairness and effectiveness of the current system of environmental enforcement. One option for appeals under such a scheme would be to set up a specialist tribunal. The review also suggested that a more explicit
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EU: UK Net Contributions
Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
In the calendar years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 what was the net balance on the United Kingdom official financial transactions with institutions of the European Union. [HL2694]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Details of the United Kingdom's net contributions to the EC Budget in the years 2003, 2004, 2005 and an estimate for 2006 can be found in Table 3 (page 46) of the European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 6770) published in May 2006. An outturn net contribution figure for 2006 will be included in the 2007 White Paper.
Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average annual payment over the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 which the United Kingdom paid to the European Union; and whether the figure represents the net imbalance of United Kingdom official financial transactions within the European Union. [HL2695]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Details of the United Kingdom's gross contributions after taking account of the abatement, the amount paid to the EC Budget, public sector receipts and net contributions to the EC Budget in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 can be found in Table 3 (page 46) of the European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 6770) published in May 2006.
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