In Parliament
Written Questions To Ministers 30 June 2008
Recent Written Questions & Ministers Answers
Aircraft Carriers
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of high-tech contracts arising from the construction of the two new aircraft carriers will be competitively tendered. [212094]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Aircraft Carrier Alliance estimates that over 60 per cent. of procurement subcontracts (by value) will be competitively tendered.
Reservoirs
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new reservoirs have been constructed in England and Wales since water privatisation. [211327]
Mr. Woolas: As the enforcement authority in England and Wales for the Reservoirs Act 1975, the Environment Agency maintains a register of all large raised reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000 m(3) or greater above natural ground level.
Since water privatisation in 1989, 244 large raised reservoirs have been constructed, 232 of these in England and 12 in Wales. 37 of these reservoirs are owned by water companies, 25 of which are service reservoirs and 12 of which are ‘raw water' supply reservoirs.
Carers Strategy
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the carers strategy. [211311]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Last Tuesday we announced our new 10-year Carers Strategy-"Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities-A caring system on your side. A life of your own." The strategy sets an ambitious vision focusing on providing greater services and support for carers over the next ten years.
Rail Services
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to encourage rail companies to improve the performance of connecting services. [207995]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Franchise Agreements with the train operators specify that they must co-operate with other operators when developing their timetables to enable passengers to make connections. Train operators make best endeavours to aid passengers with connecting services, with particular focus given to services operating infrequently and to the last train services each day.
Recycling
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of material leaving materials recovery facilities was sent to another materials recovery facility for further treatment in the last 12 months. [200567]
Joan Ruddock: DEFRA does not hold the information requested. Local authorities are not required to report material sent from one materials recovery facility to another.
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of materials collected for recycling from households was delivered to the gates of materials recovery facilities in the last 12 months. [200568]
Joan Ruddock: During 2006-07, the latest complete validated data available, 1.3 million tonnes of municipal waste collected for recycling in England was sent to a materials recovery facility for further treatment. This is based on data reported by local authorities to WasteDataFlow.
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of materials collected for recycling from households was rejected at the gate of a (a) materials recovery facility and (b) recycling processor in the last 12 months. [200569]
Joan Ruddock: During 2006-07, the latest complete validated data available, local authorities reported a total of 89,000 tonnes collected for recycling from household sources as rejected for disposal at a materials recovery facility and a further 32,000 tonnes that were rejected at the gate of a recycling processor. This is based on data reported by local authorities to WasteDataFlow.
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to maximise the proportion of recovered materials that reach end reprocessors in a clean state. [200570]
oan Ruddock: A number of factors determine the quality of recyclable materials, including market price, source, and methods of collection and separation. The Government provide support and advice on recycling to businesses and local authorities via the DEFRA0-funded waste and resources action programme (WRAP).
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of materials were sent from materials recovery facilities to (a) landfill sites and (b) energy from waste facilities in the last 12 months. [200571]
Joan Ruddock: Of the 89,000 tonnes of municipal waste collected for recycling in 2006-07 and rejected at a materials recovery facility, 55,000 tonnes were sent to landfill and nearly 34,000 tonnes were sent for incineration with energy recovery. This is based on data reported by local authorities to WasteDataFlow.
Public Transport: Sight Impaired
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of enforcement procedures under Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 relating to the rights of blind or partially sighted people to travel with their guide dogs.
Ms Rosie Winterton: Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 enables regulations to be made requiring all new land-based public transport vehicles to be accessible to disabled people. Regulations have been made for trains, buses and coaches (used on local and scheduled services), though there are no specific regulations which make provision for guide dogs. However, Part 5 of the Act also places a duty on licensed taxi drivers, operators and drivers of licensed private hire vehicles in England and Wales to carry guide, hearing and other prescribed assistance dogs in their taxis and to do so without charge. We have made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of enforcement procedures.
Animals in Research
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to identify alternatives to the use of animals in research. [187379]
Ian Pearson: DIUS is spending close to £5.5 million this year on research into the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research via the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Of this £2.4 million goes to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research NC3Rs.
Sport: Young People
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote opportunities for young people to participate in competitive sport. [182038]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that:
98 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day;
58 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition; and
35 per cent. of all pupils were involved in inter-school competition.
We are committed to increasing the number of children and young people involved in competitive sport as part of our plans to offer five hours of sport for all five to 16-year-olds and three hours for young people aged 16 to 19.
We are working with governing bodies and school sport associations to improve their competition frameworks and we are also establishing a national network of competition managers to implement our plans at a local level.
Read Hansard
Television: Licensing
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of households which (a) have no television licence, (b) do not have a television and (c) have a television but are unlicensed. [178422]
James Purnell: This is a matter for the BBC. I have, therefore, asked the BBC's Head of Revenue Management to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to her direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Postal Services
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the extension of free postal services to service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence and Royal Mail jointly announced on 12 November that the freepost scheme for the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres will continue as long as we have personnel deployed in those areas. The Department keeps the details of the scheme under continuous review but no further changes are currently planned.
CCTV
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for future funding to police authorities to update CCTV schemes.
Mr. McNulty: On 6 December, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, announced the provisional police grant settlement for the next three years.
Read Hansard
Carers - Census 2011
Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that no change is made in information requested about carers in the 2011 census return from that requested in the 2001 census return.
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 January 2008:
As National Statistician I am replying to your recent question asking that no change is made in information requested about carers in the 2011 census return from the 2001 census return. The value of the information on carers provided by the 2001 Census is well recognised. However, such a question is competing for space on the questionnaire with a number of other questions such as second residence, citizenship, year of entry, qualifications, industry, income and language.
Our current funding for the 2011 Census allows for 3 pages of questions per person. We are at present investigating the potential for obtaining increasing funding for a 4th page which would allow for the inclusion a question on carers.
A White Paper setting out the Government's proposals for the 2011 Census is scheduled to be published in autumn 2008. However, it will not be possible to confirm what questions and response categories are to be included in the 2011 Census until the consultation and question testing programme is complete and formal approval is given by Parliament in 2010.
Police: False Alarms
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per incident incurred by the police in attending false call-outs triggered by security alarms.
Mr. McNulty: No estimates have been made. The information for all police forces in England and Wales is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Avian Influenza: Pigeons
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether pigeons can (a) catch and (b) carry the H5N1 virus.
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA takes a science-based approach to all bird gatherings, including those that involve pigeons (both for showing and racing). A Veterinary Risk Assessment (VRA) using the best available scientific evidence is carried out to assess the risk of avian influenza (Al) specifically in relation to pigeons.
The VRA cites evidence available that pigeons can be susceptible to the disease and in particular a study by the European Food Safety Authority in 2006 concluded that pigeons may have the potential to act as a "bridging" species between waterfowl and poultry. However, available evidence on the ability of pigeons to spread the Al viruses is limited and contradictory. It is likely that the susceptibility of pigeons (and other species of birds) to Al, and the clinical picture caused by infection, is strongly associated with genetic and biological variations between different strains of the virus.
There is research available which suggests that pigeons have limited susceptibility to some virus strains (mainly isolated some years ago), but other more recent publications suggest the contrary and demonstrate that recently isolated strains of HPAI H5N1 could infect pigeons. This later study indicates that pigeons may be asymptomatic carriers of the Al virus.
Pigeons could also spread Al mechanically through infective material on their feet and feathers, and there is potential, especially in long races, for pigeons to land and mingle with wild birds while still on the continent.
Courts: Gwent
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to provide new court buildings in Gwent.
Maria Eagle: The provision of new court facilities in Newport, Gwent is a priority for Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS). HMCS are developing proposals on how best to deliver these facilities to ensure they are both affordable and represent value for money.