Search Results

1-20 of 4,418 results for answeredby:"Michael Meacher"

Show detailed: On Off

Results: 10 20 50 100

Sort by: Newest first Oldest first

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Statement on what action will be taken to ensure that the Government meets the commitments of the OSPAR Commission proposals of July 1998 in advance of the meeting in Bremen in June.

Asked by

Eddie McGrady (Social Democratic & Labour Party)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

21 May 2003

For answer on

12 June 2003

Answered on

12 June 2003

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action will be taken to ensure that the Government meet the commitments of the OSPAR Commission proposals of July 1998 in advance of the meeting in Bremen in June 2003. [116119] Mr. Meacher: In 1998, OSPAR agreed strategies on hazardous substances, eutrophication, radioactive substances, biodiversity, and assessment and monitoring. A strategy for offshore oil and gas was agreed the following year. These strategies set long term goals--in some cases, looking a generation ahead (i.e. 2020). The strategy with regard to hazardous substances sets the objective of preventing pollution of the maritime area by continuously reducing discharges, emissions and losses of hazardous substances, with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations in the marine environment near background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances. The UK has worked with other OSPAR contracting parties, including the European Commission, to update and prioritise a list of substances that cause concern for the marine environment and to identify the most appropriate additional action to achieve the objective. The objective of the strategy to combat eutrophication is to seek to achieve and maintain a healthy marine environment where eutrophication does not occur by the year 2010. A key milestone to this is the assessment of the current eutrophication status of the various parts of the OSPAR maritime area. In this assessment the UK identified 16 marine areas of concern. These are being addressed by action under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and the Nitrates Directive. The strategy with regard to radioactive substances requires the OSPAR Commission, by the year 2020, to ensure that discharges of radioactive substances are reduced to levels where the additional concentrations in the marine environment above historic levels, resulting from such discharges, are close to zero. In July 2002, the Government published a strategy showing how the United Kingdom will contribute to the achievement of the 2020 target. OSPAR's biodiversity strategy aims to protect and conserve ecosystems and marine biological diversity. Annex V was brought into force on 30 August 2000. Since then, the UK has prepared for the forthcoming meeting in Bremen by helping to develop a criteria for identifying threatened and declining species, developing guidelines on the identification and management of marine protected areas, developing guidance on the construction and operation of offshore wind farms, developing an agreement on sand and gravel extraction, and the development of proposed ecological quality objectives which will be piloted in the North sea. The strategy for oil and gas addresses the effects of offshore activity through the setting of environmental goals and the establishment of management mechanisms to achieve them. Good progress has been made, in particular with controls on chemicals being agreed and an ambitious goal being set to reduce discharges of produced water. A goal of all operators having internationally recognised environmental management systems in place by the end of 2005 has also been developed and is expected to be adopted at the meeting later this month. In respect of assessment and monitoring, the forthcoming meeting will invite Ministers to endorse a new OSPAR strategy known as the Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP). This provides the framework for OSPAR's work in this area, both in support of other OSPAR strategies and to facilitate the production in 2010 of a Quality Status Report for the OSPAR maritime area. Overall the UK has been implementing the plans and measures set out above in accordance with these strategies, and the milestones contained within them, and has met its commitments to date.

Date

12 June 2003

Reference

116119; 406 c1015-6W;406 c1019-20W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were fined by the Environment Agency or its predecessor regulatory authority for dumping bonded asbestos illegally in each year since 1990. - Inc table.

Asked by

John Battle (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2003

Reference

116208; 406 c872W;406 c874W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the Government of the GM trials taking place in England and Wales is. - Includes figures.

Asked by

Tom Cox (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2003

Reference

113353; 406 c876-7W;406 c879W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what modifications to waste management licences have been (a) applied for and (b) authorised by the Environment Agency or its predecessor regulatory body in each year since 1990, broken down by waste site. - Inc table.

Asked by

John Battle (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2003

Reference

116331; 406 c882W;406 c884W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Environment Agency's agreed amount of tonnage per year is for waste processed under the site management licence at the waste disposal and landfill site operated by Harry Sanders Ltd at Ingram Works in Leeds. - Includes...

Asked by

John Battle (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2003

Reference

116327; 406 c877W;406 c880W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information she has collated in respect of average journey times to transport material collected for recycling to its destination point for processing. - No info has been collated.

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

114262; 406 c728W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to make waste minimisation and recycling mandatory for the commercial sectors to achieve a reduction in overall commercial waste levels. - Includes figures.

Asked by

Jonathan Sayeed (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

21 May 2003

For answer on

10 June 2003

Answered on

10 June 2003

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to make waste minimisation and recycling mandatory for the commercial sectors to achieve a reduction in overall commercial waste levels. [115940] Mr. Meacher: The Department has no plans to make waste minimisation or recycling mandatory for the commercial sectors. However, there are already a number of mechanisms in place that are designed to achieve an overall reduction in commercial waste levels. The Government has set a target to reduce, by 2005-06, the amount of commercial and industrial waste going to landfill to 85 per cent. of 1998 levels. Current estimates suggest that we are on course to meet this target. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) set targets for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste and provide incentives to minimise the amount of packaging handled. Between 1999 and 2002, the amount of packaging waste sent to landfill fell from 5.7 to 4.4 million tonnes, although the 2002 figure is still provisional at this stage. The Government will additionally be setting targets for the recovery and recycling of electrical equipment. The Government has entered into a voluntary agreement with the newspaper industry, which has seen recycled content of newspapers increase to well over the target of 60 per cent. last year. The Government is looking to enter into more agreements of this kind. Envirowise, is a Government funded business support programme dedicated to making businesses more resource efficient, saving money by minimising waste. Last year alone, Envirowise helped UK businesses to achieve annual cost savings of over £175 million, with a reduction of 1.6 million tonnes of solid waste. It also funds the Sustainable Technologies Initiative that provides funding for research and development projects aimed at minimising waste at source. Finally, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is helping to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, and remove the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling. This should help to make all recycling more commercially viable, including that which is produced by the commercial sector.

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

115940; 406 c730W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures the Government is taking to encourage the use of non-food crops to generate electricity; and if she will make a statement. - Includes figures.

Asked by

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

3 June 2003

For answer on

10 June 2003

Answered on

10 June 2003

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government is taking to encourage the use of non- food crops to generate electricity; and if she will make a statement. [117136] Mr. Meacher: The Energy White Paper, published earlier this year, sets out the Government's aim to achieve the production of 20 per cent. of the UK's electricity through renewable sources by 2020. Biomass, including purpose-grown non-food crops, could become one of the largest contributors to the renewables mix by 2020. This Department allocated £29 million under the Energy Crops Scheme to support the planting of short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and the setting up of producer groups to supply SRC to energy end- users. 3.5m has been allocated to develop supply chains for energy crops and woodfuel, from harvest to energy end-users.£66 million is available to develop markets for biomass, including energy crops, in heat, combined heat and power, and power generation. Following the award of grants, officials are working closely with project developers to promote the potential of energy crops and biomass. Recently, over 200 farmers attended one such event near Swindon. The co-firing of energy crops with fossil fuels is permitted under the Renewables Obligation. Officials are working closely with the Local Support Teams set up under the Countryside Agency's Community Renewables Initiative, to develop biomass energy projects. At present, energy crops can be planted on set- aside land and receive payments under the Arable Area Payments Scheme.

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

117136; 406 c722-3W;406 c722W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action she is proposing to take on the recommendation of the ERM study into means of ensuring that government procurement policy sources legal and sustainable timber. - Includes fact that am proposing to set up a central...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

117603; 406 c729W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had in 2003 with the chairman of the Food Standards Agency on the promotion of organic food; and if she will make a statement on the implementation of the organic action plan. - Includes...

Asked by

Llew Smith (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

116797; 406 c727W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take action to reduce the disparity between the cost of exporting unsorted recyclables and the cost of sorting them in the UK.

Asked by

Barry Sheerman (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

114794; 406 c728W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2002, 396 c445-6W, on landfill sites, if she will list the locations of the sites against which each fine has been levied; and what the (a) reason for the action and...

Asked by

Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

112428; 406 c726W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the capacity of (a) incineration, (b) composting and (c) recycling plants for the years 1999 to 2002; what the estimated capacity will be for the years 2003 to 2005; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.

Asked by

Bill O'Brien (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

115774; 406 c736W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers to declare an area GM-free are held by (a) her Department, (b) local authorities and (c) the European Union. (Holding answer 20 May 2003).

Asked by

Andrew George (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

114046; 406 c725W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish her final decision in relation to the proposed odour boundary condition at fats and proteins animal rendering works in Lancaster. (Holding answer 9 June 2003). - Includes ref to 401 c143-4W, 11 march...

Asked by

Hilton Dawson (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

116759; 406 c728-9W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans will be put in place to reduce and eliminate the discharges of technetium-99 from the Sellafield re-processing plant. - Includes figures.

Asked by

Eddie McGrady (Social Democratic & Labour Party)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

116122; 406 c729W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many abandoned motor vehicles were collected in the district of Easington in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2002-03; and what the cost was to the local authority. - Includes table for numbers of abandoned vehicles for 2000/01 and 2001/02

Asked by

John Cummings (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

114714; 406 c732W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reports she has received from Sheffield Hallam University on the use of bio-fuels as the result of work commissioned by her.

Asked by

Baroness Shephard of Northwold (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

117547; 406 c723W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department uses bodies other than the United Kingdom Accreditation Service for the accreditation of certification bodies operating in the organic food sector.

Asked by

Mark Field (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

116756; 406 c727-8W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which minister in her Department is responsible for developing agricultural policy on bio-fuels. (Holding answer 9 June 2003).

Asked by

Baroness Shephard of Northwold (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 June 2003

Reference

117591; 406 c723W

House

House of Commons

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher