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The Turks and Caicos Islands Immigration Department has provided the following figures, which cover food, security, running the illegal migrant detention centre and the repatriation of illegal migrants to Haiti.
| Year Amount spent US $ | |
| Source: Turks and Caicos Islands Immigration Department | |
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What representations they have made to the Government of Haiti regarding illegal migration of its citizens to the Turks and Caicos Islands.[HL2640]
Lord Malloch-Brown: We support an ongoing programme of co-operation at both official and ministerial level between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and the Government of Haiti. We understand that this will soon be formalised by a Memorandum of Understanding due to be signed between the two Governments in May. This will focus on the need to improve the interdiction of illegal migrants and other areas of mutual interest, including promoting trade, closer political co-operation and the sharing of intelligence on drugs and firearms from Haiti. Our ambassador in Santo Domingo also raised this issue during a meeting with the Haitian Foreign Minister in January 2008.
UN: Human Rights Council
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they voted as they did at the United Nations Human Rights Council on the amendment to the terms of reference of the special rapporteur on freedom of expression, and on the substantive motion which incorporated the amendment; and whether they will consult like-minded states on how to reverse this decision. [HL2921]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The UK voted against an Organisation of the Islamic Conference amendment to a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Human Rights Council's special rapporteur on freedom of expression. This amendment sought to divert the special rapporteur's attention away from promoting the right to freedom of expression by
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Waste Management: Producer Responsibility Obligations
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/871) did not contain the recovery and recycling targets now imposed by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/413) and required by European Council directives agreed in 2003, 2004 and 2005. [HL2855]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 set recovery and recycling targets which were updated by the 2008 regulations, as announced on 11 February. The targets were amended in order to ensure that the UK meets the EU directive targets by 31 December 2008 in light of changes to the data relating to the UK market during 2005, 2006 and 2007 as reflected in the WasteDataFlow statistics. The new targets were set following public consultation.
The new more ambitious overall recovery target of 72 per cent for 2008 will ensure that we meet this year's EU directive target of recovering at least 60 per cent of our packaging waste, 55 per cent of which will be recycled. The new 73 per cent target for 2009 and 74 per cent for 2010 will also contribute to meeting the ambitions outlined in the 2007 Waste Strategy for England and realise the most efficient CO2 emission savings.
Water Supply: Leaks
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the targets for reducing water leakage in Future Water: The Government's Water Strategy for England are -0.17 per cent in 2007—08, -1.96 per cent in 2008—09, and -2.87 per cent in 2009—10 compared with the figure for 2006—07. [HL2879]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales.
Ofwat sets annual leakage control targets to balance the needs of customers and the environment and publishes leakage performance and leakage targets for coming years annually in its security of supply report.
The leakage control target aims to ensure that all companies are operating at an economic level of leakage, where the costs of reducing leakage are balanced against the value of the water saved. The majority of water companies are currently operating at their economic level of leakage, with only one company failing to meet its target in 2006-07.
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Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
With reference to Future Water: The Government's Water Strategy for England, how much it would cost to reduce water leakage from 3,418 megalitres per day in 2006—07 to 2,000 megalitres per day by the end of 2009—10. [HL2880]
Lord Rooker: Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales.
Reducing leakage to 2000 MI/d by 2009-10 would not be feasible. The majority of leakage is comprised of dripping and seeping joints rather than large visible leaks in the street and would therefore require wholesale mains replacement to reduce. A reduction in leakage of this scale would be prohibitively expensive and require a high level of resources that are not available in this timescale.
The leakage targets quoted in Future Water are based on companies performing at their economic level of leakage (where the costs of reducing leakage are balanced against the value of the water saved), and reducing leakage below this level would result in higher bills for customers. Ofwat and the Environment Agency are jointly reviewing the methodology for calculating leakage targets in an effort to make sure that targets deliver the most sustainable, economic outcomes.
Woodland
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs, Barry Gardiner, on 1 February 2007 (HC Deb, 462—3W), whether there is a common plan across government and the devolved administrations that accounts for the decline in Planting of new woodland from 2001 onwards in each of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. [HL2852]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Forestry is a devolved matter and each country is responsible for its own forestry policies and the mechanisms for implementing them. Details of these polices have been published in the country strategies.
In England A Strategy for England's Trees Woods and Forests was published in June 2007, replacing the 1998 England Forestry Strategy.
In Scotland The Scottish Forestry Strategy was published in October 2006, replacing the strategy published in 2000.
In Wales Woodland for Wales was published in 2001.
In Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Forestry - A Strategy for Sustainability and Growth was published in March 2006.
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Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs, Barry Gardiner, on 1 February 2007 (HC Deb, 462—3W), why new planting of woodland in England has fallen from 700 hectares in 2002 to 200 in 2006; and whether this decline continued in 2007. [HL2853]
Lord Rooker: The figures given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs were for conifer planting only. The total area of new woodland created in England from 2002 to 2007 is given in the table below.
| New Woodland creation (thousands of hectares) | |||
| Year ending 31 March | Conifers | Broadleaves | Total |
The decline in new planting is due to a number of factors including the implementation of the response to the 2002 Sustaining England's Woodlands review. This included the introduction of the new English woodland grant scheme in 2005, which placed increased emphasis on the sustainable management of existing woodland rather than the creation of new woodland.
The Rural Development Programme for England (2007-2013), which includes support for woodland creation through the English woodland grant scheme has an annual target of 2,200 hectares of new woodland.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs, Barry Gardiner, on 1 February 2007 (HC Deb, 462—3W), whether the figures for restocking of woodland in England include tress knocked down when land is developed, those felled by storms and those felled as part of normal forestry activities. [HL2854]
Lord Rooker: The restocking figures given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs were only for conifer restocking. These figures, which include areas restocked by natural regeneration, are for the commission's own land and the area of woodland receiving grant aid from the Forestry Commission. This area would include land that had been restocked after clearance of windblown trees and cleared through normal harvesting activities.
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